Aligning with Grace

"I would love to live Like a river flows, Carried by the surprise Of its own unfolding." ~ John O'Donohue The river was beautiful this morning - calm and peaceful - and it seemed to be the perfect time for doing Lovingkindess meditation and the chanting of the Reiki Precepts - which I did very slowly and reverently - with the cadence of my meditations in perfect sync with the paddling of two kayakers coming back from their sojourn. I also offered other prayers and meditations that I normally only do in my sitting practice. For some reason, my experiences were especially moving this morning. I felt enveloped by the Presence of the Divine in so many ways, and it was both comforting and reassuring... At some point, I brushed off a spider climbing on my arm. I am not particularly a fan of multi-legged creatures of the insect variety, but I felt compelled to look up its significance when I came back home. And it seems the message of a spider totem is not alike the messages I...

Something germinates deep in my soul... At first I feel pushed there by others, but then I "listen" to my inner voice, and decide it is time to move on... I listen to "A Quiet Place to Live" by Carole King, and know that this is all I want. In order to truly be in the space - I want to be in - I must move on and sever a few remaining ties... "All I want is a quiet place to live Where I can enjoy the fruits of my labor, Read the paper and not cry out loud In my mind I see it crystal clear Sharing my dreams with the people around me... And all I want is a quiet place to live Where I can be free in a world of my making Instead of taking What they decide to give I wouldn't want what they have - no If I could only find a quiet place to live..." I survey the swollen river, which is even more filled this morning, and in my heart of hearts, I know what it is I must do today... Ten years ago, I left a livelihood and way of being behind, that had defined me for ...

I am thoroughly enjoying reading Carole King's memoir of her life, most appropriately titled, "A Natural Woman." In a very poignant, crucial and surprising part of the book, she wakes up in the middle of the night to ask herself the question: "Who am I?" This is a question we all ask ourselves at some point or another, perhaps even repeatedly at various junctures of our lives. Who am I - REALLY? Recently, I've noticed that the things that were once important in my life, are no longer so. I've let go of so many preconceived notions, desires, aspirations, and even possessions. I believe the fruit of meditation and prayer have soften the edges to many jagged corners in my life, and helped me release other aspects. The longer we practice, the more we are able to notice a shift in our perspective. One of the things that has been very important to me, is the connection that is experienced in community. I have written a lot about it this year, and most especial...

On a day of major planetary alignments and a watershed moment in my yoga community, I step into the sunlight with an incredible lightness of being... It feels like I am seventeen again - open to possibilities I could not have dreamed of... On this incredible day, the West Coast will witness the rare event of a Ring of Fire Eclipse... On this unbelievable day - the Earth, the Moon, and the - Sun align with the Central Sun in the middle of the Galaxy and with the Pleiades... On this significant day, Saturn and Venus are both in retrograde... All of these events portend momentous change in our journey towards ascension and transformation - the details of which are much too many to list here. How interesting that this occurs as we near the completion of the first half of this year... The changes can be abrupt and brutal - and there is a sense of no turning back... I have no plan for the future - and I do not know what comes next in my playbook, but I am ready... Life has been a long, slow,...

The first six months of this year have been nothing more and nothing less than a sea of change for me and a legion of other souls... This morning, the river was calm, if not slightly swollen from the recent rains. I did my practices, and watched a kayaker launch into the river, and another man play with his yellow lab. The dog romped about and splashed in and out of the river, occasionally swimming in to retrieve twigs at various times. It was one of those breathtaking beautiful mornings where I enjoyed a cup of Lavazza, an Italian espresso, that had been shipped to me from Greece earlier this week. Isn't it amazing that we live in a world where we find what we want online - and someone will send it to you from another corner of the world? I had been in search of Lavazza coffee pods for my Seneo machine, which seems to have become obsolete. It delivers a cup of espresso with a taste and crema only experienced in Europe. But I digress! As I did my Reiki and Lovingkindness meditation...

Today is National Day of Prayer, and a wonderful opportunity to take some time to say a prayer, or spend a few moments in meditation... I began my day, by doing a few meditations by the river after arising this morning, followed by sitting for an hour, for an exquisite session, filled and blessed by many insights, cascading all around me. It occurred to me, that I was "tuning" into the vibrations of many others joined in prayer today, and connected to saints and angels in the celestial realms. I have chosen to share a few brief prayers here from Paramahansa Yogananda for your own reflections. All of the quotes are by one of my favorite of his books, Where There is Light , published by the Self-Realization Fellowship, in Los Angeles, CA, All rights reserved. Enjoy! "O Divine Teacher, let me realize that though the gloom of my ignorance be age-old, with the dawn of Thy light the darkness will vanish as though it had never been." "Bless me, that I may find Thee...