Aligning with Grace

I have been watching these ducks at the pond for the last few days, in the crisp morning air. Sometimes they come closer, and other times they simply glide on by, oblivious to my presence. A couple of days ago, after my meditation, I watched them for quite some time, and as they came closer, I felt myself merge with them, becoming one with them, and their breathtaking spirits! I was filled with love for them, and it expanded right out of my heart! I felt one with them - they were no longer Other, but a part of me, as I was a part of them. "You are so beautiful!" I cried out! "We are ALL beautiful!" I also thought. Yes - every living thing is - if we only take the time to notice it and realize it. In that moment, there was such a sense of oneness and connection that I experienced, that went beyond these beautiful creatures. In a world that seems so torn and divided - where just reading the morning headlines can be a virtual assault and vexation, shocking ...

I wipe, and wipe, and try to clean mirrors and glass doors, to no avail. I remember a friend told me to use a razor blade to get the soap scum off of shower doors. Feeling overwhelmed from being pulled in many directions for a while, I decide I need a task that will provide an outlet for all my frustrations. So I go to Home Depot to buy a really big razor blade designed to scrape tiles and glass doors. I come home, and settle down to my designated task. and remember a yoga teacher that once taught his students that holding up a mirror will always show us where it is we need to do our work. So I work at cleaning the very big contractor mirror in my bathroom, that twenty-seven years ago seemed like a good idea. And then I get down on my hands and knees and commence scraping years of build up that I neglected to really see and which has occluded my vision. Ironically, I have an eye doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow. It seems my eyesight has dramatically changed for the w...

It has been a long time since I have made an entry here... Longer than I ever have in nearly 8 years... So many things have happened, and I wanted to document them them at the time - events occurring in my life - and in the world as well. Some were magical. Some improbable. Some were mystical - and many, just surprising... But solitude, seeking solace, journeying inward, and nurturing my spirit prevailed instead. It was all the Divine order of things... But it doesn't really matter... Throughout all that has happened - and all that has not - I had but one lesson that was presented to me over and over again. I summarize it in this way: "Choose LOVE!" Whatever the question, the answer is always the same: Choose LOVE! Whatever the tasks and the challenges at hand, Choose LOVE! Whatever life presents to you - whatever the slights, or the triumphs, Choose LOVE! Every time we choose love, something changes. Something shifts. Something improve...

I end this month, as I began it - reminding myself to choose joy... Choosing joy was the focus of the free 90 second meditation I posted yesterday on several social media platforms - it was an invitation layered over an inspirational exhortation that a dear friend artistically created, and which I borrowed. I do not just end this month with this thought and practice, but I set the intention to carry it forward - beyond this moment in time, as ripples spreading concentrically from the stillness of its center... I reminded others, while subbing yoga classes yesterday, that they too, can always to choose joy. We can choose joy - we can choose to embody and reflect joy in everything we say and do, even while in the midst of life's most difficult challenges. We should not abdicate our joy for anything - or anyone! For in so doing, we give alway our power and ultimately our very essence. I practiced choosing joy over the last few days - first by reflecting on the Reiki Precepts...

Sometimes, we have an impact far greater than we can imagine... Most of our lives, we plant seeds and often do not have the opportunity to see or experience the fruits of our labor. We do not see the impact we have on our students, our children, our friends - and even on perfect strangers. But every once in a while someone comes to us and let's us know that we changed them, perhaps even profoundly. Yesterday, I heard from three people from my past. The funny thing is, the day didn't exactly start out very well. I was feeling kind of sorry for myself. But then, out of the blue, several souls intersected with mine and the impact of our connection years back was not only brought to mind, but I was also gifted with the ability to see how those connections had flourished in a positive way. So, here is the thing. We are constantly planting seeds. We try to do our best. We try to say the right things, and be there for others. That's not to say we don't fail at times. M...

Just for today, on this snowy day,  I am reminded of love, of beauty,  Of all that is meaningful, And holds my heart captive... Just for today, on the biggest snowfall Of the last few years, I am reminded of what is important, And what is not... Just for today, my heart bids me slow down, And invites me into its sacred and hidden abode, To go there and roam aimlessly... Just for today, I will put aside anxious thoughts, Avoiding all discussions or words, Pulling my center o ut of its gravitational orbit,  That is Divine in both nature and origin... Today, and every day,  Let me be all I must be... Today, and every day, Let me love unconditionally... Today, and every day, Let me do my work, And do it well... Today, and every day, May I not forget the true purpose of life - Which is to embody And express love, In every way imaginable... Just for today, I am grateful. Today, I am filled with love. Today, I see the beauty that i...

Today we mark the Winter Solstice... It is when  the Earth offers her exhale into her inhale - pausing for a moment, in Stillness, before reversing and beginning her journey back to days increasingly filled with Light. I posted this prayer in 2009, after having borrowed it from a friend... Thanks again Bob! A Midwinter Prayer "From the rising of the midwinter sun to its setting, Scatter the darkness with the light of your love, O Shining One. Make me short on mean thoughts, long on offers of words of comfort. Make me short on being driven, long on paying attention. Make me short on focusing only on my own, long on looking beyond. Make me short on obsessive thoughts, long on spontaneous acts of kindness. Make me short on mindless activity, long on time to reflect. Make me short on tradition as a habit, long on rediscovery and re-owning. Make me short on rushing or tiring, long on walking and wondering. Make me short on false, festive jollity, long on stilling and rooted j...

I have posted this for several years. It is the saying on a Christmas card I have sent on several occasions, and will do so again. The origin of this saying, poem, or whatever it is, has been attributed to several sources. I suppose, in some ways, it doesn't matter where it comes from. The sentiments are endearing, timeless, and worth revisiting... It reminds me of what this season is all about, and what gets ignited in our hearts. It reminds me of what every season and every day should be about. Its wisdom is without question. It's value is without price. Its simplicity is stunning. It will take your breath away. And it will change your life - if you give it a chance... And so, I share it once again, this year... This Christmas Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Write a love letter. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Keep a promise. Find the time. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Think first of someone else...

This time of year, many of us attend graduations. Schools end their scholastic year and Memorial Day officially ushers in the summer. Life is full of beginnings and endings. There is a season to everything. And a time as well... There is a time to embrace And a time to let go There is a time to move foward And a time to step back There is a time to step into the light And a time to recede into the shadows There is a time to begin And a time to end There is a time to resolve And a time to bring closure There is a time to engage And a time to let things be There is a time to be active And a time to go within My journey has required in its most recent phase that I: let go step back end experience closure let things be and go within All of these experiences were needed and part of a birthing process I could not see or perceive. There is a time to see And one where sight is taken There is a time to understand And one to live with ambiguity The gift of...

Every once in a while, a day comes and goes, and at the end of your day, as you reflect on it you recognize, that it was not only a day that arrived unbidden and truly brimming over, so full of grace, but it was also undeniably, a perfect day in every way... Every once in a while, a day comes and goes, that is so rich and rewarding and filled with so many blessings, that you could not have planned it any more perfectly. In that moment you realize, it was a perfect day, in every way... Every now and then, you make a wish, and sometimes down the road, perhaps several years later, you receive it as an unexpected gift. And once again, you know in that moment, that day, was perfect, in every way... Every now and then, a day comes, and you are filled with awe at its sheer beauty - the company was perfect - the time spent with loved ones - arrived perhaps as unexpected gift, and once again, you know the day was perfect, in every way... Once in a while, the sky shines and smiles down u...

Blossoms explode everywhere, in a symphony of colors - finally, spring has awakened, arising from its deep slumber - and everything is in bloom everywhere at the same time! The daffodils are dancing - cherry trees, Bradford Pears, and forsythias - clothed in delicate blooms embroidered by nature - are making a triumphant display of their spring tunics, just about anywhere my eyes choose to rest... I go for a walk on this magnificent day, gorgeous beyond words, grateful for this season and the beauty that it brings... I am in awe and mindful of every delicate flower and emerging bud, so triumphant and glorious, bursting with life... I watch a Cardinal joyously dancing from perch to perch... I reflect on sacred time spent with a soul companion traversing the greatest challenges of her life, tasting in my heart, the beautiful prayer that arose from her own, simply titled, "Glorious Day." She is told by a gifted seer, that while there are difficult times yet to navigate, the ...

I visited the river this morning for the first time in a week or so. As I arrived, the river was as calm as I've seen it in a while, teeming with a flock of sea gulls. The view was breathtaking, and I snapped a few photos with my inadequate phone camera. I walked down to the boat ramp and watched them, perched on the water, gliding effortlessly as if they were skating on ice. The water was so still I could see all the way down to the riverbed. Periodically, some would lift in flight, but a swath of them remained as if in constant vigil for something only known to them. Gradually, I made my way back up to the cliff where I normally do Loving-kindness meditation. I was able to spend a few minutes in this practice, before an older couple approached to marvel at the beautiful scene before them on this crisp but sunny morning. Normally, I just smile at people who walk by, but for some unexpected reason, we struck up a conversation and we began to talk about the sea gulls. The woman im...

Yoga teachers who use themes in their classes, often spend a lot of time reflecting on what it is they wish to convey to their students in the New Year - because in many ways - it can set the tone for the rest of the year. We often start a new session shortly after the beginning of the year. At this time, many of us are knee deep in setting intentions or resolutions for the coming year. Last year I set three of them for myself. They were actually more like attributes or virtues I wished to embody, and I am pleased to say that I was able to keep these intentions. Last week, on one of my walks, I reflected on what I wanted to share with my students who would soon be returning. Many of them have been with me for years, so there is a real challenge to say something fresh, that is both different and inspirational at the same time. My students are also lovely and dear friends, so I think of this little group that faithful returns to my home studio (with some taking a break or hiatus ever...

For a new day in a New Year, here is some inspiration to warm your soul, and help you chart your direction in this coming year... I am wishing for a very full and rich year of growth - for all beings - and for myself as well... "This is my New Year's wish for you:  that you all reach the land beyond your dreams,  where there is peace and joy eternal."  ~ Paramahansa Yogananda "Spread your arms wide into the future.  The best is yet to come!"  ~ Anthony de Mello, SJ "And now, let us believe in a long year that is given to us,  new, untouched, full of things that have never been." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke  "The only limits are, as always, those of vision." ~ James Broughton "Make your life a mission -- not an intermission." ~ Arnold H. Glasgow  "Visualize yourself standing before a gateway on a hilltop.  Your entire life lies out before you and below.  Before you s...

Every year at this time, I look forward to receiving the new Inner Reflections desk calendar published by the Self-Realization Fellowship , with inspirational quotes by Paramahansa Yogananda , accompanied by the most stunning photographs - a veritable feast for the eyes and nourishment for the soul. Call me an "old fashioned" kind of girl - but I really do prefer an Engagement calendar for my desk, inviting my glance every morning, rather than using the electronic apps provided by my mobile devices. Yes - I do love the "tactile" feeling of flipping pages, taking in the amazing photographs, and savoring the delicious quotes. And this year's calendar, does not disappoint! This is truly one of my favorite gifts of the season! The pictures are breathtaking and even haunting at times - and the quotes that are highlighted, always complement the photos exquisitely. For example: A picture of a palm tree stretches out horizontally atop white sands, its fronds se...