Aligning with Grace

My Reiki teacher writes, "When we practice meditation, we dance with the Universe..." I say to my own students - when we do spiritual practice - Reiki, healing energy, yoga, meditation and/or prayer - we dance with the Divine... My Reiki teacher reminds us, that when we are in that state of "Mu" - a Japanese word meaning emptiness, and of the void, we can dance freely... I say - that when in that state of emptiness, also known as kenosis - Greek for the "self emptying" that Jesus did on the cross in the Letter of Paul to the Philippians, we can only be filled, and thus can only dance... After a silent yoga practice of timed poses with the few souls that braved the weather, I go for a walk in the little more than an inch of snow that covered the bridges and pathways on my walk. Several times I see robins with their blood orange bellies, dancing here and there on the ground on a morning is that is barely two days before the Vernal Equinox, heralding ...

I go down to the river on a cold morning, drawn there, after over a week of snow and ice... I go down to the river to offer a Lovingkindness meditation, for myself, and my friend, who is still in transition from this life, miraculously holding on, in a state of suspended animation, but teeming with life, as the bottom of this river... I came down to this very river, a little over three years ago for the first time, and began a daily practice of offering a Lovingkindness meditation - a Buddhist "metta" practice for myself, as it is suggested, for many months, before I was ready to offer it for others. It was a long, and arduous but fruitful road to letting go of resentments towards others, and lightening the load in my heart... I come today, and repeat the words I prayed daily then - and I share here, my own "personal" version of this practice: May I be filled with lovingkindness. May I be well. May I be at peace and at ease. May I be happy. I practice for myself fir...

More than a lover, I came into this world wanting a true soul companion. And while I waited a long time for this rare gift, what I received, in the long run, was a whole harvest of them! I have been truly blessed to have known many wonderful friends throughout my life, but I was always drawn to the notion of spiritual friendship. I wondered what it would be like to have a true friend of the soul - to be a St. Jeanne de Chantal to St. Francis de Sales , or St. Claire of Assisi to St. Francis of Assisi , or to be St. Louise de Marillac to St. Vincent de Paul . Or, St. Teresa of Avila - to St. John of the Cross . I could go on, and on, and on. One of my favorite spiritual works has been Spiritual Friendship by Aelred of Rievaulx . In my graduate school years, I often read the letters or correspondence between such titans in the world of Catholic spirituality. I envisioned writing a dissertation on spiritual friendship - but Dr. Wendy M. Wright , outlined many of these beautiful relati...