Aligning with Grace

"Every disturbance, whether resolved or not, is making space for an inner engagement." ~ Mark Nepo I set out for a walk this morning - breezy and perfect in every way - on the cusp of the Memorial Day weekend, deeply reflecting on this quote by Mark Nepo. Life is filled with disturbances, and every once in a while we revisit old wounds... I imagine sitting down with a dear friend or two, inquiring of them - or perhaps answering the question: "What is the greatest wound you carry?" For some of us it might be one wound - or perhaps several. For some of us it could be something very big and unfathomable - something even defying articulation - such as abuse. Or losing a child. Or having a beloved leave...  Sometimes our wounds might seem insignificant to others. But it does not matter. For to the one who experiences the wound - it is very real - and is perceived as the worst possible experience in that moment... Yet, our experiences are simply th...

What do you hear when you are silent? Take a moment, or two - or several minutes - and spend it in silence, and note what you "hear..." For a while now, I have been observing what I've come to refer to as "Sabbath Sundays" and "Silent Tuesdays."  On Sundays, for most of the day, I try and unplug from all things technological, including all my devices. In fact, I was describing this recently to someone I know, explaining how I literally place a shroud over my iMac, by covering it with a beautiful lace veil a dear friend made for me. The friend I was talking to, knowing my cultural origins, completely understood the metaphor and exclaimed,  "Oh! It's a mantilla for your iMac!" On Tuesdays, I have been taking a day of silence. Generally I sleep in, then sit in meditation with no fixed ending time, just letting the practice bring itself gently to conclusion. I try not to run errands of any sort, and often do not speak until my husba...

There are times when finding God - or experiencing God is more accessible - such moments arrive as unexpected gifts in our lives... There are times when writing is much more fluid - when thoughts come unbidden and the urge to record all of them before they evaporate into thin air is excruciating... There are moments when insights come to us at the speed of sound and break like waves against a cliff - scattering everywhere - escaping so rapidly we never really have a chance to grasp even a figment of the resulting spray or hold on to so much as a droplet... There are minutes that pile upon hours and days - irreversibly lost - they evade any attempt at the slightest retrieval - and we can only lament that they are gone forever... There are times when heaviness saturates everything and we explode from the sheer will to try to hold space for everything and every one and a million prayer requests, despite the fact that we are not meant to succeed... In those moments we do well to ...

I awaken before dawn, before going off to teach, and take a moment to check in at my computer to read the daily blog posting, so beautifully and eloquently describing a friend's gradual transition from this life. Her husband lovingly documents this incredible journey, which has inspired and touched souls all over the world... I am moved to read, that despite having a day where my friend was largely unconscious, she rouses herself long enough, to sing the Beatles's song, "All You Need is Love," to the roomful of friends that have gathered there, to enfold her in their loving presence... I feel my heart swell, and almost break, for indeed, this simple song tells the greatest truth, and once again I realize, my friend is teaching me how to live, with passion and great abandon, and to acknowledge what is truly important, as she slowly slips away from this life... I also realize, that my friend is not only transmuting all vestiges of her ego into love, as her husband wisel...

I woke up this morning to a virtual winter wonderland, even though we had a very lean blanket of snow covering the ground. Still, the sun was rising in a cloudless sky, and tree branches were heavy with glistening snow. And the birds, were chirping their little hearts out! And so, I decided to make my way down to the river before meditating - which is really a "no, no" for me. But alas, only workers of the park were allowed in, so I turned back. I guess that is what I get for not meditating first! I taught yoga to a lovely student, working her edge a little more deeply, and then went to see my acupuncturist. She worked on my lungs and my "Earth" element, which she noted, are related to grief. And while I have experienced grief recently on several fronts - involving the loss of friends and so forth, my acupuncturist wisely observed that many of her clients were reacting to the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords , and the others who lost their lives ...