I could not sleep last night. I tossed and turned, embraced by deep sadness...
In the first, almost feeble light of day, I heard a choir of birds sing triumphantly, and once more, I believed in the resurrection of the soul, and of love...
Yesterday, my dear friend AJ McIntyre, a wonderful Anusara yoga teacher, lost the miracle baby she was expecting, giving birth months before her intended due date. This child was born in the sign of Cancer, but was supposed to have been born a Scorpio - like me.
I call this a miracle baby, because she came to be against all odds, and so many of us who are "elders" within the Anusara community, embraced this welcome child into our lives and hearts as if she were our own precious grandchild or niece. We "mothered" AJ like a pack of hens. This one child brought together a whole community all over the world, both in life, and in her graceful transition into eternity, but not before she was given a beautiful name, Harper Grace McIntyre.
I drove in to Willow Street Yoga Center yesterday, in rush hour traffic to cover AJ's classes, doing something I should not have done - checking in with a few key persons, and getting updated on my cell phone.
I received the final news update moments before teaching. I was devastated - but somehow found the fortitude to teach - and we dedicated the most amazing practices for AJ, her husband Jeff, and their beautiful daughter, Harper Grace, going deeply into our hearts, joining our lights, and sending forth a shower of prayers and blessings...I was honored to be able to step into AJ's seat of the teacher, for hers is a big one to fill...
I can't explain why these things happen. And frankly, there are no words...But, one of the most beautiful things was, how this whole community came together - phone calls from all over the country were placed, Tweets, and Facebook messages were posted from all over the world - and Anusara practices were dedicated from all over. It is a testament to how well loved AJ is within this community - and how the "kula" - this family - this clan - rises to the occasion.
I think of this beautiful child who has touched so many all over the world - this child whose spirit now inhabits a legion of hearts everywhere. And truly, how many of us can say we have had this kind of an impact? Yes, Harper Grace, as her mother noted, "IS a piece of Grace watching over us!" She came into this world ever so briefly, as a borrowed angel, to remind us, that love is all there is, and that Love is a state of Grace, as she was so aptly named.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Anusara, Art, Culture, and Shradda
I know this title seems like a mouthful. Bear with me - and we will make some sense out of it...
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to experience taking class with a budding teacher by the name of Rick, whom I encouraged to go for his Anusara Inspired status. Humbly, he told me he wanted to improve in all the ways he could, and he enthusiastically asked me for any suggestions I might have for him, and, really, there were very few to give! He deftly wove his theme of "shradda" - which means faith - in a very nuanced but powerful way in his sequencing, duly connecting it to his action.
I went for a paddle this morning in the Potomac River, which as many of you know, is about a mile from my house. It was very hot out there, but the water was perfectly still. I paddled all the way to the Maryland shore and almost collided with a magnificent blue heron. We surveyed each other for a while. Then, we traveled upstream in tandem - I, in Grace, my kayak, and he, walking gracefully along the riverbank. We stopped in tandem. Then, we seemed to begin our movement again in tandem. Periodically he would fly ahead of me, and our dance would begin again. But once, he stopped, and majestically, unfurled his wings, and bowed down to me. I almost immediately heard these words inside my heart: "He is telling me to have faith!" At a time when I am navigating turbulent waters in my life, this blue heron showed me the way to surrender, and acceptance, but most of all - to letting go of everything in faith - and simply trusting that all would work out in the end...
This week, I had the opportunity to review the Vision Statement of Anusara Yoga that John Friend drafted on August 15, 1997, as he began this venture of creating a new style of yoga, not fully realizing perhaps, where it would end up. Every single year that I have attended the Anusara Yoga Certified Gathering, John revisits this statement. And yesterday, for the first time, I realized how important this yearly exercise is, because it continually reminds us of our roots and invites us to re-connect with them in a deeper way.
I know there are many in the larger Anusara community who are very much disconcerted by the "direction" we seem to be taking. And some of these individuals, will continue to feel the way they do - no matter what is said, how everything is explained, and despite countless clarifications or invitations to dialogue. I am not concerned about those individuals as much, for their minds are made up - and frankly, we are all free to go in the directions that are best for each and every one of us. But I am concerned, for those who have been stalwart supporters of this community, and who also may be on the fence, and perhaps are feeling lost or confused. To these I say, "Have faith!" This may seem like a simplistic thing to say - but really - only a well-grounded and sensitive person committed to growth on so many levels can truly engage in the practice of faith, because it requires everything of us - and ultimately - it demands nothing less than to trust in the unknown.
As I reviewed the Vision Statement, I marveled at how many "indicators" were embedded in this simple document as to the direction we would be taking. For example, the invitations to become "co-creators," and the references to "creative freedom," and expressing the practice from the "inside out" with "artistic feeling" - already contained the seeds for what John is referring to as the "Art and Culture" of Anusara.
I realize that change is threatening to many. It is to me. Frankly, I don't like it - and resist it often until it slaps me in the face or bites me in the butt! Literally! But, change is necessary, and as John Henry Newman, the great American Bishop, theologian, and philosopher once stated, "Growth is the only evidence of life!"
Looking more closely at the meaning of the words "art" and "culture" we can see that "art" is more directly related to the term "asthetics," and refers to arranging elements in all sorts of human expressions and activities in a way that affects the senses and the emotions. I can't help but think of some of my students and friends who go into a "zone" when they practice, and it becomes the canvas upon which their essence - their very soul is etched and expressed.
"Culture" comes from a Latin word which means "to cultivate," But it also includes (from Wikipedia) "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group." That is exactly what Anusara is! We are a group of like-minded but unique souls who cultivate our garden of students, looking for the good, and enhancing their practices, and ultimately their lives. This notion of shared attitudes and goals is so evident to me any time I attend an Anusara workshop, Anusara Certified Gathering, or visit my local Anusara community at Willow Street Yoga Center in Maryland.
Anusara is also a community. At its most close-knit level, it is a "kula" - as tight-knit as a clan or family and there is a degree of initiation and commitment that is required and given.
As a community evolves and grows, the process can be messy. In my blog entry of May 20, 2010, "Reflections on Anusara Yoga Growing Pains," I referred to the stages of institutionalization that a religion undergoes - not to directly compare Anusara to a religion - but to highlight the sociological cycles and patterns that all organizations undergo. There are mistakes that may be made, alienations that may occur, but in the end, I very much believe, as the Christian scriptures teach: "By their fruits, you will know them. (Matthew 7:16)"
I do believe that the seeds originally laid in the Vision Statement of Anusara have grown and born fruit. I see this every time I am blessed to be with my students and am sacred witness to every way each and every one of them blossoms - and I also think this has happened - beyond the wildest expectations of anyone - perhaps, and most especially, John Friend's. One of the things that I admire most about him is that he listens. And even if you get no indication that he agrees or not with what you have to say - he will ponder your suggestions, and will come back and show you that he has taken things into consideration.
I look around me, and every day I feel buoyed, embraced, and blessed by the members of this community - those I see and inter-act with more regularly, and those I may see, at best, once a year. Every time I am with them, I feel like I am "home." I have been challenged to grow, and to become a much better person. I have been supported as I have confronted all my limitations and demons. And frankly, what else is there?
I invite you simply, to continue to walk in faith. Let us hold one another accountable. But, I know, despite traversing rough waters here and now, as I have experienced on the river, the ondulations eventually lead to stillness. And grace. And yes - growing pains ARE the only evidence of life!
(For May 20's blog entry, see:
http://aligningwithgrace.blogspot.com/2010/05/reflections-on-anusara-yoga-growing.html
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to experience taking class with a budding teacher by the name of Rick, whom I encouraged to go for his Anusara Inspired status. Humbly, he told me he wanted to improve in all the ways he could, and he enthusiastically asked me for any suggestions I might have for him, and, really, there were very few to give! He deftly wove his theme of "shradda" - which means faith - in a very nuanced but powerful way in his sequencing, duly connecting it to his action.
I went for a paddle this morning in the Potomac River, which as many of you know, is about a mile from my house. It was very hot out there, but the water was perfectly still. I paddled all the way to the Maryland shore and almost collided with a magnificent blue heron. We surveyed each other for a while. Then, we traveled upstream in tandem - I, in Grace, my kayak, and he, walking gracefully along the riverbank. We stopped in tandem. Then, we seemed to begin our movement again in tandem. Periodically he would fly ahead of me, and our dance would begin again. But once, he stopped, and majestically, unfurled his wings, and bowed down to me. I almost immediately heard these words inside my heart: "He is telling me to have faith!" At a time when I am navigating turbulent waters in my life, this blue heron showed me the way to surrender, and acceptance, but most of all - to letting go of everything in faith - and simply trusting that all would work out in the end...
This week, I had the opportunity to review the Vision Statement of Anusara Yoga that John Friend drafted on August 15, 1997, as he began this venture of creating a new style of yoga, not fully realizing perhaps, where it would end up. Every single year that I have attended the Anusara Yoga Certified Gathering, John revisits this statement. And yesterday, for the first time, I realized how important this yearly exercise is, because it continually reminds us of our roots and invites us to re-connect with them in a deeper way.
I know there are many in the larger Anusara community who are very much disconcerted by the "direction" we seem to be taking. And some of these individuals, will continue to feel the way they do - no matter what is said, how everything is explained, and despite countless clarifications or invitations to dialogue. I am not concerned about those individuals as much, for their minds are made up - and frankly, we are all free to go in the directions that are best for each and every one of us. But I am concerned, for those who have been stalwart supporters of this community, and who also may be on the fence, and perhaps are feeling lost or confused. To these I say, "Have faith!" This may seem like a simplistic thing to say - but really - only a well-grounded and sensitive person committed to growth on so many levels can truly engage in the practice of faith, because it requires everything of us - and ultimately - it demands nothing less than to trust in the unknown.
As I reviewed the Vision Statement, I marveled at how many "indicators" were embedded in this simple document as to the direction we would be taking. For example, the invitations to become "co-creators," and the references to "creative freedom," and expressing the practice from the "inside out" with "artistic feeling" - already contained the seeds for what John is referring to as the "Art and Culture" of Anusara.
I realize that change is threatening to many. It is to me. Frankly, I don't like it - and resist it often until it slaps me in the face or bites me in the butt! Literally! But, change is necessary, and as John Henry Newman, the great American Bishop, theologian, and philosopher once stated, "Growth is the only evidence of life!"
Looking more closely at the meaning of the words "art" and "culture" we can see that "art" is more directly related to the term "asthetics," and refers to arranging elements in all sorts of human expressions and activities in a way that affects the senses and the emotions. I can't help but think of some of my students and friends who go into a "zone" when they practice, and it becomes the canvas upon which their essence - their very soul is etched and expressed.
"Culture" comes from a Latin word which means "to cultivate," But it also includes (from Wikipedia) "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group." That is exactly what Anusara is! We are a group of like-minded but unique souls who cultivate our garden of students, looking for the good, and enhancing their practices, and ultimately their lives. This notion of shared attitudes and goals is so evident to me any time I attend an Anusara workshop, Anusara Certified Gathering, or visit my local Anusara community at Willow Street Yoga Center in Maryland.
Anusara is also a community. At its most close-knit level, it is a "kula" - as tight-knit as a clan or family and there is a degree of initiation and commitment that is required and given.
As a community evolves and grows, the process can be messy. In my blog entry of May 20, 2010, "Reflections on Anusara Yoga Growing Pains," I referred to the stages of institutionalization that a religion undergoes - not to directly compare Anusara to a religion - but to highlight the sociological cycles and patterns that all organizations undergo. There are mistakes that may be made, alienations that may occur, but in the end, I very much believe, as the Christian scriptures teach: "By their fruits, you will know them. (Matthew 7:16)"
I do believe that the seeds originally laid in the Vision Statement of Anusara have grown and born fruit. I see this every time I am blessed to be with my students and am sacred witness to every way each and every one of them blossoms - and I also think this has happened - beyond the wildest expectations of anyone - perhaps, and most especially, John Friend's. One of the things that I admire most about him is that he listens. And even if you get no indication that he agrees or not with what you have to say - he will ponder your suggestions, and will come back and show you that he has taken things into consideration.
I look around me, and every day I feel buoyed, embraced, and blessed by the members of this community - those I see and inter-act with more regularly, and those I may see, at best, once a year. Every time I am with them, I feel like I am "home." I have been challenged to grow, and to become a much better person. I have been supported as I have confronted all my limitations and demons. And frankly, what else is there?
I invite you simply, to continue to walk in faith. Let us hold one another accountable. But, I know, despite traversing rough waters here and now, as I have experienced on the river, the ondulations eventually lead to stillness. And grace. And yes - growing pains ARE the only evidence of life!
(For May 20's blog entry, see:
http://aligningwithgrace.blogspot.com/2010/05/reflections-on-anusara-yoga-growing.html
Monday, June 21, 2010
Solstice Blessings
Today, we celebrate the Summer Solstice - as so many of our ancestors did.
The word "Solstice" comes from two Latin words - one meaning the "sun" - and the other "to stand still." It is the longest day of the year, and the shortest night as well. After today, we begin our journey back to the darkness of winter, and the longest night.
Today, the earth offers her inhale, into her exhale - and pauses (kumbhaka) in sacred space (sundi). It is this pause between the inbreath and the outbreath that yogis and ancient mystics believed was so impregnated with the presence of the Divine. Today is also the long culmination of a journey towards the lengthening of the days after winter.
This is a great time to set your intentions for the energies of the day are very powerful. Ideally, this would have been done with the rising of the sun, the highpoint of the noon day, and again, as the sun slowly descends on this longest day.
Take time today to review the last six months of your life - and your last year. Reflect on the lessons you have learned - and the ones you have yet to embody.
Pause today to remember who you are - to connect with your Divine nature. Pause and reflect and give thanks to all the things that have brought you to this moment. Pause, and give intent to set the course for where you want to go. Listen to your heart. Slow down. Let go. Pause. Remember - you will touch the Divine and be breathed by the Beloved in that pause.
Solstice blessings to all!
The word "Solstice" comes from two Latin words - one meaning the "sun" - and the other "to stand still." It is the longest day of the year, and the shortest night as well. After today, we begin our journey back to the darkness of winter, and the longest night.
Today, the earth offers her inhale, into her exhale - and pauses (kumbhaka) in sacred space (sundi). It is this pause between the inbreath and the outbreath that yogis and ancient mystics believed was so impregnated with the presence of the Divine. Today is also the long culmination of a journey towards the lengthening of the days after winter.
This is a great time to set your intentions for the energies of the day are very powerful. Ideally, this would have been done with the rising of the sun, the highpoint of the noon day, and again, as the sun slowly descends on this longest day.
Take time today to review the last six months of your life - and your last year. Reflect on the lessons you have learned - and the ones you have yet to embody.
Pause today to remember who you are - to connect with your Divine nature. Pause and reflect and give thanks to all the things that have brought you to this moment. Pause, and give intent to set the course for where you want to go. Listen to your heart. Slow down. Let go. Pause. Remember - you will touch the Divine and be breathed by the Beloved in that pause.
Solstice blessings to all!
"The real sunrise is in the sky of the Heart,
it is the best one.
Just as the water jar reflects the sun,
so the entire universe
shines in the heart-space of the Self."
~ Swami Nityananda
"Sacred is the pause
that brings us into stillness."
~ Macrina Wiedekehr
"Sacred is the pause
that brings us into stillness."
~ Macrina Wiedekehr
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Women Food and God
Did the title of this blog entry catch you? When I saw this book on a shelf at Border's - I couldn't resist buying it. And, it is certainly no Eat, Pray, Love!
The author of this book, Geneen Roth, has gained and lost about 1,000 pounds over a lifetime. Once, she gained 80 lbs. in two months! (HOW does one do that?) At another time in her life, she weighed 80 lbs. for two whole years. This sounded down-right bizarre to me.
The basic premise of her book is that weight issues are never about weight per sae. From the inside jacket of her book, Women Food and God, Geneen Roth writes:
"If you suffer about your relationship with food - you eat too much or too little, think about what you will eat constantly or try not to think about it at all - you can be free. Just look down at your plate. The answers are there. Don't run. Look. Because when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we contact the part of ourselves that is fresh and alive. We touch the life we truly want and evoke divinity itself."
Some of what Geneen writes about - I have heard before. But some of her other insights are downright radical to me - like the thought that your relationship to food is directly connected to your notion and experience of spirituality and God. As someone who has personally struggled with the whole weight thing - I'm not sure I agree with everything she has to say - but this book sure has me thinking about a lot of things.
Geneen believes that when you face the issues behind your eating and stay in the present moment - and examine how you spend your time and pay attention to the way you eat - and give up the struggle - your body will find its way back to where it needs to be. She does not believe that dieting works - because it doesn't fix the underlying problems. She also teaches her students in the retreats that she facilitates, to eat only when hungry, and to fully notice what one is eating, paying attention to everything. Well, there's a little more to it than that - and I am barely into the book - but it is certainly keeping my attention.
Here are some more excerpts from the book:
"Compulsive eating is an attempt to avoid the absence (of love, comfort, knowing what to to do) when we find ourselves in the desert of a particular moment, feeling, situation. In the process of resisting the emptiness, in the act of turning away from our feelings, of trying and trying again to lose the same [weight], we ignore what could utterly transform us. But when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we evoke that in us that is not a story, not caught in the past...We evoke divinity itself. And in doing so, we can hold emptiness, old hurts, fear in our cupped hands and behold our missing hearts...
Compulsive eating is a way we distance ourselves from the way things are when they are not how we want them to be....Ending the obsession with food is all about the capacity to stay in the present moment...It is basically a refusal to be fully alive. No matter what we weigh, those of us who are compulsive eaters have anorexia of the soul. We refuse to take in what sustains us...We accomplish this by leaving ourselves - hundreds of times a day."
Wow! I found that paragraph particularly shocking and eye opening - especially the reference to anorexia of the soul! That's when I began to see the connection to spirituality...
Geneen also speaks about how we tend to avoid pain thinking it will kill us - but it never does. She also noted, that when we are in the present moment and we like something, we pay attention to it:
"When you like something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second of the rapture..." (So true!)
Yesterday, I was reading the most recent issue of Yoga Journal, and I was absorbed in the story of an Anusara Yoga teacher who used yoga to "heal" her MS. She has managed to be symptom free for a number of years. In the article, she spoke about how yoga continually invites her to stay in the present moment, and everyday - she practices according to what her body is asking of her. She has learned to listen to her body and what it wants...
Powerful lessons for me in both this book, and article. Much to ponder....
The author of this book, Geneen Roth, has gained and lost about 1,000 pounds over a lifetime. Once, she gained 80 lbs. in two months! (HOW does one do that?) At another time in her life, she weighed 80 lbs. for two whole years. This sounded down-right bizarre to me.
The basic premise of her book is that weight issues are never about weight per sae. From the inside jacket of her book, Women Food and God, Geneen Roth writes:
"If you suffer about your relationship with food - you eat too much or too little, think about what you will eat constantly or try not to think about it at all - you can be free. Just look down at your plate. The answers are there. Don't run. Look. Because when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we contact the part of ourselves that is fresh and alive. We touch the life we truly want and evoke divinity itself."
Some of what Geneen writes about - I have heard before. But some of her other insights are downright radical to me - like the thought that your relationship to food is directly connected to your notion and experience of spirituality and God. As someone who has personally struggled with the whole weight thing - I'm not sure I agree with everything she has to say - but this book sure has me thinking about a lot of things.
Geneen believes that when you face the issues behind your eating and stay in the present moment - and examine how you spend your time and pay attention to the way you eat - and give up the struggle - your body will find its way back to where it needs to be. She does not believe that dieting works - because it doesn't fix the underlying problems. She also teaches her students in the retreats that she facilitates, to eat only when hungry, and to fully notice what one is eating, paying attention to everything. Well, there's a little more to it than that - and I am barely into the book - but it is certainly keeping my attention.
Here are some more excerpts from the book:
"Compulsive eating is an attempt to avoid the absence (of love, comfort, knowing what to to do) when we find ourselves in the desert of a particular moment, feeling, situation. In the process of resisting the emptiness, in the act of turning away from our feelings, of trying and trying again to lose the same [weight], we ignore what could utterly transform us. But when we welcome what we most want to avoid, we evoke that in us that is not a story, not caught in the past...We evoke divinity itself. And in doing so, we can hold emptiness, old hurts, fear in our cupped hands and behold our missing hearts...
Compulsive eating is a way we distance ourselves from the way things are when they are not how we want them to be....Ending the obsession with food is all about the capacity to stay in the present moment...It is basically a refusal to be fully alive. No matter what we weigh, those of us who are compulsive eaters have anorexia of the soul. We refuse to take in what sustains us...We accomplish this by leaving ourselves - hundreds of times a day."
Wow! I found that paragraph particularly shocking and eye opening - especially the reference to anorexia of the soul! That's when I began to see the connection to spirituality...
Geneen also speaks about how we tend to avoid pain thinking it will kill us - but it never does. She also noted, that when we are in the present moment and we like something, we pay attention to it:
"When you like something - love something - you take time with it. You want to be present for every second of the rapture..." (So true!)
Yesterday, I was reading the most recent issue of Yoga Journal, and I was absorbed in the story of an Anusara Yoga teacher who used yoga to "heal" her MS. She has managed to be symptom free for a number of years. In the article, she spoke about how yoga continually invites her to stay in the present moment, and everyday - she practices according to what her body is asking of her. She has learned to listen to her body and what it wants...
Powerful lessons for me in both this book, and article. Much to ponder....
Friday, June 18, 2010
Soaking Up the Sun on the River
Last night, I met dear friends at Wolf Trap again, for the Colbie Caillat and Sheryl Crow concert. I am definitely into the summer concert mode this year! The night was exquisitely delightful spent in the company of friends, as we enjoyed a pre-show picnic on the lawn, in perfect weather, with lots of wine, followed by incredible performances, and lots of bantering back and forth with my dear friend and her daughter, who is most special to me. It was a magical night and totally delicious as we enjoyed hits and new material by these two fine songwriters.
This morning, after I got a good night's sleep, I headed down to the river. I had my new camera in tow, which I broke out last night at the concert. Luckily, when I got to the river, a couple that was hanging around the boat launch area agreed to take a series of pictures with me and Grace, my trusty kayak.
I am still under the weather, sleeping a lot, nursing a cough - but no fever or anything else. Still, I paddled all the way up between the first island and the Maryland shore, which I have been exploring this season. I rounded the island and then came down the side I dutifully explored for two years.
I just ordered the book, Without a Paddle: Racing Twelve Hundred Miles Around Florida by Sea Kayak by Warren Richey. Faithful readers of this blog, will remember, that two years ago, as I struggled with depression and other major issues in my life, I started paddling unexpectedly after reading the book Deep Water Passage by Anne Linnea, a valiant soul who undertook kayaking around Lake Michigan under great peril, near brushes with death, and with permanent effects to her health as well.
In both cases, the authors of these two books, undertook their challenges after the experience of trauma in their lives - and the task they set before them, invited great change. An intuitive friend of mine I have known for many years, reminded me during that year I paddled the river almost furiously several times a week, that I was paddling upstream and working through my emotions - for water is symbolic of that. The friend I met last night, also took up kayaking, getting her own a year before me, and we marveled at how going to the water often has a healing effect on one.
Today, I was hoping for physical healing on the water. It was hot out there, and I felt buoyed by the the delight of last night, and the relative stillness of the water. The hydrilla - the river grasses - are starting to poke through the surface, and while the river was still murky - I caught a sizable wide-mouth bass racing alongside me, totally oblivious to me. I enjoyed taking pictures of the river, hoping to get a good one of a blue heron. Unfortunately, I did not see one close enough to me get a good picture. But I am sure there will be another time...
I put aside all concerns today, and followed Sheryl Crow's suggestion to simply soak up the sun, enjoying the energy and memories of the previous evening. I have the day and evening totally to myself and plan to just do whatever entices me today. It is not a day for doing inner work on or off this beloved river - but a time for paddling, clicking away on my new camera, and soaking up the sun...
This morning, after I got a good night's sleep, I headed down to the river. I had my new camera in tow, which I broke out last night at the concert. Luckily, when I got to the river, a couple that was hanging around the boat launch area agreed to take a series of pictures with me and Grace, my trusty kayak.
I am still under the weather, sleeping a lot, nursing a cough - but no fever or anything else. Still, I paddled all the way up between the first island and the Maryland shore, which I have been exploring this season. I rounded the island and then came down the side I dutifully explored for two years.
I just ordered the book, Without a Paddle: Racing Twelve Hundred Miles Around Florida by Sea Kayak by Warren Richey. Faithful readers of this blog, will remember, that two years ago, as I struggled with depression and other major issues in my life, I started paddling unexpectedly after reading the book Deep Water Passage by Anne Linnea, a valiant soul who undertook kayaking around Lake Michigan under great peril, near brushes with death, and with permanent effects to her health as well.
In both cases, the authors of these two books, undertook their challenges after the experience of trauma in their lives - and the task they set before them, invited great change. An intuitive friend of mine I have known for many years, reminded me during that year I paddled the river almost furiously several times a week, that I was paddling upstream and working through my emotions - for water is symbolic of that. The friend I met last night, also took up kayaking, getting her own a year before me, and we marveled at how going to the water often has a healing effect on one.
Today, I was hoping for physical healing on the water. It was hot out there, and I felt buoyed by the the delight of last night, and the relative stillness of the water. The hydrilla - the river grasses - are starting to poke through the surface, and while the river was still murky - I caught a sizable wide-mouth bass racing alongside me, totally oblivious to me. I enjoyed taking pictures of the river, hoping to get a good one of a blue heron. Unfortunately, I did not see one close enough to me get a good picture. But I am sure there will be another time...
I put aside all concerns today, and followed Sheryl Crow's suggestion to simply soak up the sun, enjoying the energy and memories of the previous evening. I have the day and evening totally to myself and plan to just do whatever entices me today. It is not a day for doing inner work on or off this beloved river - but a time for paddling, clicking away on my new camera, and soaking up the sun...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Riding the River of Grace
I am reminded how sometimes, all we can do is ride the river of grace...
I thought of that this morning, as I nurtured a cough. I have been a little under the weather these last few days, generally feeling run down and tired, and even missed part of a workshop I was attending this weekend and had so looked forward to...
This morning I read these words by Christina Sell, who is an exquisite Anusara Yoga certified teacher, in her blog - and they so resonated with me:
"This thing called Grace is a moving stream and it will carry us in its currents, around blind corners, over rough rapids, into various eddies, and sometimes stagnant pools. There really is no way or no reason, as I see it, to get out of the river. Best that we learn how to paddle."
And I thought to myself, how true! When we ride the river of grace, we do not know where it will take us, from moment to moment...
(As I write this, I am also corresponding with my dear friend Unni in India, a talented graphics guy who has designed the recent covers for my poetry and blog selections books - and we are finalizing the selections for this year. We've done this every year for the last four, during the early summer, and I am as excited as I always am....)
I spent part of the weekend listening to Dr. Paul Muller-Ortega, a world renowned Siva scholar, whom I have had the pleasure of listening to before. He spoke of the "Five Faces of Siva," and when he addressed the Southern Face - or the Aghora side - which is often considered terrifying, I knew he was speaking of my Bhairava, one of the most recent murtis - or sacred statues that has come into my possession.
A murti is more than just a statue. Through a series of mantras, prayers and rituals, a murti becomes a living presence of a particular deity, and thus responds to your own prayers, intentions and requests. I have a room full of murtis and statues of saints, and often, there are those who find it difficult to stay in this room because of the intensity of the energy they pick up. This is the room where I do my writing and my meditation practice, and I soak in its energies on a daily basis. But lately, the pot has been stirred with a few additions to my Siva collection!
The Aghora face, is associated with Bhairava - one of the many manifestation of Siva - that is considered outrageous. He is sometimes referred to as the howler. There are many incredible stories to be told about this manifestation.
When a Bhairava is in your midst, it might elicit a suddenness of change in your life that may even be shocking and take time to digest. You might even find yourself turning the corner and feeling like you are in a different life.
(I found myself sitting up as I heard Paul speak - and even though I wasn't particularly feeling well, I perked up at what he had to say.)
When we have these experiences, we are made to face all kinds of issues and dimensions within us - but we are also given what we need to face these things and situations so we are not derailed on our life journey. The work that may be faced may contain a strong theme of death and the involvement of the Guru - but it may not be death in a literal sense. It might refer to the death of ignorance in one's life - which can still be terrifying in some ways because of a challenge or crisis that it may present. Paul emphasized the need for having teachers and friends to support us through this transition which requires nothing more and nothing less than a transformation or transmutation on our parts. There is a constant pulsation that is implied here - that is creative and that invites profound change...
In the midst of so much change in my life - most of it interior - as opposed to the exterior kind - I took Paul's words to heart because I had a better insight into my journey inward these days and why it seemed much deeper and also more turbulent.
Despite this, Paul did emphasize that the essence of Siva is compassion...
I must conclude by clarifying, that Siva is not really a deity, but is a manifestation of Divine Consciousness, of the Absolute - or a way we can experience Consciousness through a particular face or set of attributes. All of the deities reside in the "Collective Unconscious" that Carl Jung spoke and wrote about, and many are drawn to one or more of the deities for various reasons. I cannot explain why I am drawn to Siva, though I have had several intuitives and healers detect his energy in my field. I will leave it at that...
So, as I pull back away from persons and activities to nurture myself and heal - I realize that I am continually riding the river of grace in one form or another. I have committed to that in this lifetime. I never know where it will take me - and there never is an ending to this journey - anymore than there can be an ending to a river flowing downstream. It's a good thing I did learn how to paddle!
(For a link to Christina Sell's Blog, look at my blog selections on the right.
For my writings, look at my storefront listing on this site, to your right, under my links)
I thought of that this morning, as I nurtured a cough. I have been a little under the weather these last few days, generally feeling run down and tired, and even missed part of a workshop I was attending this weekend and had so looked forward to...
This morning I read these words by Christina Sell, who is an exquisite Anusara Yoga certified teacher, in her blog - and they so resonated with me:
"This thing called Grace is a moving stream and it will carry us in its currents, around blind corners, over rough rapids, into various eddies, and sometimes stagnant pools. There really is no way or no reason, as I see it, to get out of the river. Best that we learn how to paddle."
And I thought to myself, how true! When we ride the river of grace, we do not know where it will take us, from moment to moment...
(As I write this, I am also corresponding with my dear friend Unni in India, a talented graphics guy who has designed the recent covers for my poetry and blog selections books - and we are finalizing the selections for this year. We've done this every year for the last four, during the early summer, and I am as excited as I always am....)
I spent part of the weekend listening to Dr. Paul Muller-Ortega, a world renowned Siva scholar, whom I have had the pleasure of listening to before. He spoke of the "Five Faces of Siva," and when he addressed the Southern Face - or the Aghora side - which is often considered terrifying, I knew he was speaking of my Bhairava, one of the most recent murtis - or sacred statues that has come into my possession.
A murti is more than just a statue. Through a series of mantras, prayers and rituals, a murti becomes a living presence of a particular deity, and thus responds to your own prayers, intentions and requests. I have a room full of murtis and statues of saints, and often, there are those who find it difficult to stay in this room because of the intensity of the energy they pick up. This is the room where I do my writing and my meditation practice, and I soak in its energies on a daily basis. But lately, the pot has been stirred with a few additions to my Siva collection!
The Aghora face, is associated with Bhairava - one of the many manifestation of Siva - that is considered outrageous. He is sometimes referred to as the howler. There are many incredible stories to be told about this manifestation.
When a Bhairava is in your midst, it might elicit a suddenness of change in your life that may even be shocking and take time to digest. You might even find yourself turning the corner and feeling like you are in a different life.
(I found myself sitting up as I heard Paul speak - and even though I wasn't particularly feeling well, I perked up at what he had to say.)
When we have these experiences, we are made to face all kinds of issues and dimensions within us - but we are also given what we need to face these things and situations so we are not derailed on our life journey. The work that may be faced may contain a strong theme of death and the involvement of the Guru - but it may not be death in a literal sense. It might refer to the death of ignorance in one's life - which can still be terrifying in some ways because of a challenge or crisis that it may present. Paul emphasized the need for having teachers and friends to support us through this transition which requires nothing more and nothing less than a transformation or transmutation on our parts. There is a constant pulsation that is implied here - that is creative and that invites profound change...
In the midst of so much change in my life - most of it interior - as opposed to the exterior kind - I took Paul's words to heart because I had a better insight into my journey inward these days and why it seemed much deeper and also more turbulent.
Despite this, Paul did emphasize that the essence of Siva is compassion...
I must conclude by clarifying, that Siva is not really a deity, but is a manifestation of Divine Consciousness, of the Absolute - or a way we can experience Consciousness through a particular face or set of attributes. All of the deities reside in the "Collective Unconscious" that Carl Jung spoke and wrote about, and many are drawn to one or more of the deities for various reasons. I cannot explain why I am drawn to Siva, though I have had several intuitives and healers detect his energy in my field. I will leave it at that...
So, as I pull back away from persons and activities to nurture myself and heal - I realize that I am continually riding the river of grace in one form or another. I have committed to that in this lifetime. I never know where it will take me - and there never is an ending to this journey - anymore than there can be an ending to a river flowing downstream. It's a good thing I did learn how to paddle!
(For a link to Christina Sell's Blog, look at my blog selections on the right.
For my writings, look at my storefront listing on this site, to your right, under my links)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Back on the River-Musings on the Moment
"Your journey has molded you for greater good,
and it was exactly what it needed to be.
Don't think that you've lost time.
There is no short-cutting to life.
It took each, and every situation
you have encountered to bring you to the now.
And now is right on time."
~Asha Tyson
"The next message you need
is right where you are."
~ Ram Dass
and it was exactly what it needed to be.
Don't think that you've lost time.
There is no short-cutting to life.
It took each, and every situation
you have encountered to bring you to the now.
And now is right on time."
~Asha Tyson
"The next message you need
is right where you are."
~ Ram Dass
I read these words, right before going to out to paddle in the magnificence of this morning. The river is calling to me, and I take the essence and the message of these words with me. They are the right words, for me in the moment, as I reflect on where I am and where I am going, in this crossroad of sorts...
I am physically and emotionally tired and spent, so much has been asked and required of me of late. So, I don't spend a lot of time paddling. Instead, I spend much of the hour on the water simply floating on the river - slowing down, listening, wondering, envisioning, reviewing, and re-hashing an infinite collection of thoughts and scenarios - re-arranging them in so many ways...
I watch a blue heron with keen interest - though he does not seem in the slightest bit interested in me...Every few minutes, a bass momentarily jumps out of the water and flaps around. I hear only the sound of birds, the flapping, and the melody of the colorful ripples my paddle makes as it slices through the water...
I sit, and ask so many internal questions - asking to be shown the way and wonder why lessons are so difficult and why this playground we call life constantly offers challenges?
We think our challenges are the worst - but then we are made privy to the burdens of others...
Last night, before I retired for bed, another fellow Anusara Yoga teacher posted a video of a young man born without any limbs whose whole life has been spent smiling and expressing gratitude for the gift of life. He speaks to young audiences and tells them they are beautiful just as they are.
He does not express regret because he can never hold someone's hand - because he knows he can always hold a dear person's heart...
Why do I think something is missing? Because I am not in the moment - and I am not looking deeper...Even in this murky water that does not allow me to see through its surface, I know there is more beyond it. There is great depth here - and this river is teeming with life...
Yes, this moment is all there is. And if I am to embody a greater sense of expansiveness, I must truly believe this message:
"Every minute is eternity
because eternity can be experienced
in that minute.
Every day and minute and hour is a window
through which you my see eternity.
Life is brief, yet it is unending.
The soul is everlasting,
but out of the short season of this life
you should reap the most you can
of immortality."
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
because eternity can be experienced
in that minute.
Every day and minute and hour is a window
through which you my see eternity.
Life is brief, yet it is unending.
The soul is everlasting,
but out of the short season of this life
you should reap the most you can
of immortality."
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Shower the People You Love
Last night, was one of those magical nights and moments that arises like a phoenix out of the ashes of grief and sadness...
I had the opportunity to hear my two life-long favorite songwriters - Carole King and James Taylor together in concert - only because a friend suffered a tragic loss. So, out of one person's sadness - two others received great joy - not unlike a common theme found in many of the songs written and sung by these two giants.
I heard Carole King five years ago, in the company of a dear soul, on a night that was perhaps, one of the most magical of my life and it is forever etched in my heart as a true communion of souls and merging of stories and spirits. And I last heard James Taylor in graduate school, when he was married to Carly Simon, the late 70's...
I invited a friend to attend with me, who has been a steadfast soul companion and is undergoing her own challenges - which she always manages to handle with such grace and refinement - that it is an inspiration to me. Together, we were able to leave behind all of our troubles, worries and concerns, step through the door into another time and place, and enjoy the evening with great abandon!
I drove over with another friend, and enjoyed her company as well - leading up to the performance, and trading notes afterwards...
The evening was such a kaleidoscope of memories - and a confluence of feelings merging from different epochs of my life - each like a finely textured work of art. It was also a reminder of what is ultimately important in life, as it was so beautifully articulated in so many of the songs that were sung:
And I end with these:
Yes - you can stay as long as you like in my heart...
(This is for you - Goddess D! And eternal thanks to Trish!)
I had the opportunity to hear my two life-long favorite songwriters - Carole King and James Taylor together in concert - only because a friend suffered a tragic loss. So, out of one person's sadness - two others received great joy - not unlike a common theme found in many of the songs written and sung by these two giants.
I heard Carole King five years ago, in the company of a dear soul, on a night that was perhaps, one of the most magical of my life and it is forever etched in my heart as a true communion of souls and merging of stories and spirits. And I last heard James Taylor in graduate school, when he was married to Carly Simon, the late 70's...
I invited a friend to attend with me, who has been a steadfast soul companion and is undergoing her own challenges - which she always manages to handle with such grace and refinement - that it is an inspiration to me. Together, we were able to leave behind all of our troubles, worries and concerns, step through the door into another time and place, and enjoy the evening with great abandon!
I drove over with another friend, and enjoyed her company as well - leading up to the performance, and trading notes afterwards...
The evening was such a kaleidoscope of memories - and a confluence of feelings merging from different epochs of my life - each like a finely textured work of art. It was also a reminder of what is ultimately important in life, as it was so beautifully articulated in so many of the songs that were sung:
"Shower the people you love with love.
Show them the way that you feel...
Winter, spring, summer or fall -
All you have to do is call -
you've got a friend!
Blossom, smile some sunshine down my way...
Melt my cares away...
I'd like to know if your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now, and I won't ask again--
Will you still love me tomorrow?"
Show them the way that you feel...
Winter, spring, summer or fall -
All you have to do is call -
you've got a friend!
Blossom, smile some sunshine down my way...
Melt my cares away...
I'd like to know if your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now, and I won't ask again--
Will you still love me tomorrow?"
And I end with these:
"It won't be long before another day,
We're gonna have a good time.
No one's gonna to take that time away,
You can stay as long as you like..."
We're gonna have a good time.
No one's gonna to take that time away,
You can stay as long as you like..."
Yes - you can stay as long as you like in my heart...
(This is for you - Goddess D! And eternal thanks to Trish!)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
We Are Sufficient Unto Our Own Joy
Yesterday I had the pleasure, the honor, and the blessing to teach the Bhagavad Gita - the sacred love song that that Divine sings to us, at the Yoga Center of Columbia, in Maryland, to a group of dedicated and bright souls - mostly from the Anusara Yoga Immersion.
The day was one of sheer magic and delight for me - to be in the midst of fellow Anusara certified teachers - Lucy, Cheryl, and Kathy. Together we explored the Gita from both a Vedantic and Tantric perspective.
The Bhagavad Gita is a richly textured and poetic work that is packed with perennial truths and insights. It is framed within the context of an outer and inner conflict as well as an outer and inner and more intimate conversation exploring the most fundamental questions and concerns pertaining to existence: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? What is my duty? Who is the Divine? What is my relationship to the Divinity? This delicious work considers such fundamental issues and concerns such as love, action, the meaning of life, the nature of the soul, life after death, eternity - and everything that is fundamentally at the heart of a human experience. And, it offers the sincere seeker many diverse paths of yoga for attaining union with the Divine...
Graham Schweig, a scholar of the Gita believes this work ultimately presents the message that the Divine is so in love with us - and wants from us the only thing it cannot have and that only we can give - nothing more and nothing less than our love. In addition, he believes that the Gita's fundamental teaching is an invitation to offer every one of our acts with devotion and love...
I used a number of commentaries and translations, but as I explored a more Tantric interpretation of the Gita, I referred to Dr. Douglas Brooks' recent study guide, Poised for Grace. From this book, I offer these illuminating highlights:
"We are sufficient unto our own joy...
God is wholly present in each and every possibility.
We are always connected...
How do we experience the Divine more fully while living?
No matter where we are - we must create an experience of alignment...
The way things really are, are precisely the way they are meant to be. We are able to perceive this with with an equanimity of awareness..."
This last quote especially resonated with me, in light of my previous entry, "Clarity is Freedom."
I realized, that when we do our inner work, we not only free ourselves - but others as well - from a bondage that we unknowingly impose and bestow. When we let go of our attachments and resentments and the expectations we have of others - we release them to be fully whom they are meant to be - truly giving them the freedom of choice and space to indulge in their own explorations - at their own pace - and according to their own karma. This was a moment of profound clarity for me...
I know that nursing resentments and hurts do not serve, and the greatest way to dissolve these is through the constant cultivation of gratitude and the acceptance of all that is. Every day should begin and end with an expression of gratitude...
Things are always what they are meant to be - for us - as well as others. Life is continually lived in lesson. Every moment, and every possibility contains within it the seeds for the manifestation of indescribable blossoms. Every moment discloses the Divine...
I feel full and blessed today - for the many friends in my life who continually show me the way towards a more realized and whole expression of my deepest essence. I smile now, recalling a wonderful hug yesterday with a true soul sister.
I am full and blessed today - for the opportunity to sit yesterday, in the seat of the teacher - flanked on either side by two luminous souls - supported by their love as I shared from the heart the beauties of a most magnificent and ancient scripture. It was sheer joy to share this experience with them - and I cannot help but think it is the culmination of both committed work and love in service to the Divine - shared through many lifetimes...
I am full and blessed today because truly - every opportunity contains within it the possibility for knowing, loving, and sharing the Divine...
And, as I have often quoted a dear friend - "What else is there?"
The day was one of sheer magic and delight for me - to be in the midst of fellow Anusara certified teachers - Lucy, Cheryl, and Kathy. Together we explored the Gita from both a Vedantic and Tantric perspective.
The Bhagavad Gita is a richly textured and poetic work that is packed with perennial truths and insights. It is framed within the context of an outer and inner conflict as well as an outer and inner and more intimate conversation exploring the most fundamental questions and concerns pertaining to existence: Who am I? What is my purpose in life? What is my duty? Who is the Divine? What is my relationship to the Divinity? This delicious work considers such fundamental issues and concerns such as love, action, the meaning of life, the nature of the soul, life after death, eternity - and everything that is fundamentally at the heart of a human experience. And, it offers the sincere seeker many diverse paths of yoga for attaining union with the Divine...
Graham Schweig, a scholar of the Gita believes this work ultimately presents the message that the Divine is so in love with us - and wants from us the only thing it cannot have and that only we can give - nothing more and nothing less than our love. In addition, he believes that the Gita's fundamental teaching is an invitation to offer every one of our acts with devotion and love...
I used a number of commentaries and translations, but as I explored a more Tantric interpretation of the Gita, I referred to Dr. Douglas Brooks' recent study guide, Poised for Grace. From this book, I offer these illuminating highlights:
"We are sufficient unto our own joy...
God is wholly present in each and every possibility.
We are always connected...
How do we experience the Divine more fully while living?
No matter where we are - we must create an experience of alignment...
The way things really are, are precisely the way they are meant to be. We are able to perceive this with with an equanimity of awareness..."
This last quote especially resonated with me, in light of my previous entry, "Clarity is Freedom."
I realized, that when we do our inner work, we not only free ourselves - but others as well - from a bondage that we unknowingly impose and bestow. When we let go of our attachments and resentments and the expectations we have of others - we release them to be fully whom they are meant to be - truly giving them the freedom of choice and space to indulge in their own explorations - at their own pace - and according to their own karma. This was a moment of profound clarity for me...
I know that nursing resentments and hurts do not serve, and the greatest way to dissolve these is through the constant cultivation of gratitude and the acceptance of all that is. Every day should begin and end with an expression of gratitude...
Things are always what they are meant to be - for us - as well as others. Life is continually lived in lesson. Every moment, and every possibility contains within it the seeds for the manifestation of indescribable blossoms. Every moment discloses the Divine...
I feel full and blessed today - for the many friends in my life who continually show me the way towards a more realized and whole expression of my deepest essence. I smile now, recalling a wonderful hug yesterday with a true soul sister.
I am full and blessed today - for the opportunity to sit yesterday, in the seat of the teacher - flanked on either side by two luminous souls - supported by their love as I shared from the heart the beauties of a most magnificent and ancient scripture. It was sheer joy to share this experience with them - and I cannot help but think it is the culmination of both committed work and love in service to the Divine - shared through many lifetimes...
I am full and blessed today because truly - every opportunity contains within it the possibility for knowing, loving, and sharing the Divine...
And, as I have often quoted a dear friend - "What else is there?"
Friday, June 4, 2010
Clarity is Freedom
"Clarity is freedom."
~ Teresa of Avila
~ Teresa of Avila
There are days that initially seem foggy, lost, dense - and then clarity is offered in a way that cannot be denied - and may come wrapped in brutal honesty...
There are friends that hold up the mirror to where we continually need to do the work...
There are issues we must address that keep re-surfacing again, and again, and again...Life is like that...
Yesterday, a gifted craniosacral therapist and a dear soul friend both offered such opportunities to reflect, take stock, re-consider options, and re-set the course for deeper growth...
For the first time, I found myself considering a surgical procedure that I had totally disregarded - even though it had been suggested so many times. I would not hear of it. I could not listen. I was not ready...
My craniosacral therapist is a wise woman, and under her healing touch and guidance, my body undeniably expressed what it wanted, and I just simply, could no longer refuse to listen to the message given to me - which had been offered by others, at various junctures, these last 5 or 6 years...
Then, my friend, ever the wise soul - in reaction to my articulation of several disappointments - bluntly enumerated all the many overlooked blessings in my life and asked me: "Why is this not enough?"
I found myself waking up this morning, and mentally answering this question - probing, delving deeply, creating a list of the things I wanted to see in my life - realizing they all required external validation - and as my friend wisely observed - that would never satisfy...
Of course, I am being very vague here in terms of specific details - because really - they do not matter. We all have the experience of desiring something that we think will make us happy - but as I truly know - and my friend simply reminded me - happiness comes from within. It is a state of mind. NO ONE can give you happiness. No one will make you ever feel fulfilled for the seeds of such a state and perspective - only come from within, and the realization of our connection to the Divine...
It is such a seemingly easy answer. But such a difficult lesson to learn!
We come to the mat and our various spiritual practices to know that. To gain greater clarity - as it was offered to me - not once - but twice - yesterday. And the truth is, such clarity - though often blunt - and perhaps not gently given or received - is the key to greater freedom.
When I am sensible enough to do Byron Katie's The Work - invariably, I find that my response to the question: "What would you be without that thought?" - is simply - "I'd be free..."
Take whatever clarity is offered to you - so that you may grow and truly become everything that is already magnificent within you - and is just seeking self-expression...
I received these words from Gena Livings' (The Livings Key Principles) - a fellow inspirational companion from Facebook and Twitter and it seems an appropriate way to end this morning:
"May nature's song from sunrise to sunset
broaden our minds, lift our hearts,
and guide us to a place 'within'
where we STAND in the TRUTH
and in the BEAUTY of who we really 'ARE!"
broaden our minds, lift our hearts,
and guide us to a place 'within'
where we STAND in the TRUTH
and in the BEAUTY of who we really 'ARE!"
To which I simply and humbly add, Amen!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Practice Peace
There are days that do not go as planned. This has been one of those days - and it is not over yet...
I had to set my theme and my lesson plan aside in my yoga class this morning - shifting mid-stream to address some issues and concerns that arose - so that I could accommodate some restoratives, end a little early, and offer my students coffee and tea instead. This seemed like the perfect thing to with my little community...
My regular monthly meditation group did not go as planned either. No one showed up on time. And the last person to show up, arrived two hours later, just as we were ending - due to traffic. However, I was able to talk for a bit with my first arrival - and we openly shared with each other some similar circumstances we were both experiencing. This would not have happened otherwise...
I realized I am feeling overwhelmed, over-extended, and unable to sort through a few things - so when things didn't go as planned - I felt even more out of sorts. This was brought to the forefront when a friend confronted me and told me I was not fully present in my meditation group and needed to take time to ground and nourish - or else I would not be able to face the rest of the day. Even though I did not like hearing this - or being put on the spot - the fact is - she was right...
So, I turn once again, to review a few entries by Paramahansa Yogananda, offering some helpful suggestions on practicing peace, and they seem appropriate to share here:
"Fix your mind inwardly between the eyebrows [as in meditation] on the shoreless lake of peace. Watch the eternal circle of rippling peace around you. The more you watch intently, the more you will feel the wavelets of peace spreading from the eyebrows to the forehead, from the forehead to the heart, and on to every cell of your body. Now the waters of peace are overflowing the banks of your body and inundating the vast territory of your mind. The flood of peace flows over the boundaries of your mind and moves on in infinite directions...
Peace is found in surrender to good through devotion. People who are loving, who practice stillness, who delight in meditation and good actions are really peaceful. Peace is the altar of God, the conditions in which happiness exists...
Live each present moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each instant. Practice the presence of peace. The more you do that, the more you will feel the presence of that power in your life..."
When you day does not go as planned - and even when it does - practice peace!
I had to set my theme and my lesson plan aside in my yoga class this morning - shifting mid-stream to address some issues and concerns that arose - so that I could accommodate some restoratives, end a little early, and offer my students coffee and tea instead. This seemed like the perfect thing to with my little community...
My regular monthly meditation group did not go as planned either. No one showed up on time. And the last person to show up, arrived two hours later, just as we were ending - due to traffic. However, I was able to talk for a bit with my first arrival - and we openly shared with each other some similar circumstances we were both experiencing. This would not have happened otherwise...
I realized I am feeling overwhelmed, over-extended, and unable to sort through a few things - so when things didn't go as planned - I felt even more out of sorts. This was brought to the forefront when a friend confronted me and told me I was not fully present in my meditation group and needed to take time to ground and nourish - or else I would not be able to face the rest of the day. Even though I did not like hearing this - or being put on the spot - the fact is - she was right...
So, I turn once again, to review a few entries by Paramahansa Yogananda, offering some helpful suggestions on practicing peace, and they seem appropriate to share here:
"Fix your mind inwardly between the eyebrows [as in meditation] on the shoreless lake of peace. Watch the eternal circle of rippling peace around you. The more you watch intently, the more you will feel the wavelets of peace spreading from the eyebrows to the forehead, from the forehead to the heart, and on to every cell of your body. Now the waters of peace are overflowing the banks of your body and inundating the vast territory of your mind. The flood of peace flows over the boundaries of your mind and moves on in infinite directions...
Peace is found in surrender to good through devotion. People who are loving, who practice stillness, who delight in meditation and good actions are really peaceful. Peace is the altar of God, the conditions in which happiness exists...
Live each present moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each instant. Practice the presence of peace. The more you do that, the more you will feel the presence of that power in your life..."
When you day does not go as planned - and even when it does - practice peace!
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