Renunciation of the activities and relationships in our daily life is one of the chief supports of meditative deepening on retreats. Because renunciation is the active practice of non-desire, it leads to greater peace and happiness.
Often without realizing it, painful emotions, like fear or anger give rise to the conviction that "something is wrong". When instead we receive our inner weather with an acceptance and wise attention, we reconnect with our national compassion and wholeness.