For Karin Miles, her Buddhist practice is first and foremost all about meditation. At the same time, she admits that being a Buddhist is more than just sitting in contemplation.
“It’s about being in the moment,” says the founder of The Heart of Awareness in Ajijic.
Thirty-five years of Buddhist practice has made it easier for Miles to accept life’s ups and downs, including the troubling diagnosis that she received three years ago. That’s when Miles learned that she was suffering from vascular dementia.
“Suddenly I saw that I wasn’t keeping things together like I used to. My mother had the same illness, as well as my grandmother, so I realized that it was genetic.”
Adds husband David Yett: “I began to notice that Karin was repeating herself. Now, her ability to form new memories is badly impaired and is getting worse. Where she used to forget things in hours and minutes, it is now mere seconds.”
On a more positive note, Miles says, “I find that I can actually hold my attention better meditating with the dementia than before. Although I’ve been a practitioner for many years, it’s now much easier to sit because my mind doesn’t go wandering off like it used to you. Basically, it has nowhere to go.”
Miles credits her husband for inspiring her on the Buddhist path.
“I was raised in an un-churched family,” Yett says. “My father thought it was a form of child abuse to integrate a child into a religion before they develop spiritual cognition. Christianity never really resonated with me. The first time I heard about Buddhism, I felt that it was what I had always known.”
Living in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Miles not only attended numerous retreats, but became the resident manager of Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Washington.
“It was glorious,” she says. “During the week, I lived away from home and attended one silent retreat after another. David visited me every weekend. It was the best experience I could have had.”
Ten years after leaving her job at Cloud Mountain, Miles and her husband came across an advertisement for a trek to Nepal. Without hesitation, they signed up.
“Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated with Katmandu,” says Yett. “It was somewhere I always wanted to visit.”
The couple quickly fell in love with the country. “We returned to Nepal and lived there for two years, studying Buddhism and immersing ourselves in the culture,” Yett says.
In 2007, after exploring places to retire, they settled in Patzcuaro, Michoacán, where they lived for three years.
Says Miles, “We chose Mexico because after living in Nepal and India we had a preference for foreign places. And Mexico fit our budget.”
In 2011, they relocated to Ajijic where Miles discovered a small group of Buddhist practitioners who met informally at a private home.
“They didn’t have a leader, so I stepped in and filled the role, giving the first few dharma talks. David helped me find online sources so I could introduce well-known teachers to the group, such as Pema Chodron. Every week, in addition to meditation, there would be a presentation, either given by myself, a guest teacher or via a video source.”
In April 2011, Miles came up with the name, Yett came up with the logo, and The Heart of Awareness (HOA) was born. The growing group of practitioners continued to meet in various venues, eventually leasing their present location on Guadalupe Victoria in early 2015.
Since Miles’ brain stopped working like it used to, preparing talks became more difficult. “I didn’t feel like I should be teaching Buddhism with a diagnosis of dementia,” she says.
At the sangha, Miles took notice of Janet Reichert, who had been attending regularly and seemed dedicated and capable. “I approached her and she agreed to take over more responsibility.”
From the beginning, Reichert contributed by helping with administrative tasks and supporting Miles’ vision for the group.
Reichert’s dedication to her personal practice and to the HOA community was apparent. She continues to attend several silent retreats a year and maintains a close relationship with her dharma teacher in Oregon.
Says Miles, “The existence and solidity of this sangha has been wonderful for me and for the people who attend. I’ve come to realize that a Buddhist community needs a head person to chart the course and hold the ground. We are fortunate that Janet was willing and able to step in when I was no longer able to fill that role.”
For more information, seeheartofawareness.org.