The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We reflected how we “weather” life experience in our bodies, hearts and minds. We wear that weathering on our faces which we offer to the world.  When we truly “receive” a face our hearts open.  As part of our natural world, we live through seasons of change subject to the forces of Earth and Sky.  In our practice we cultivate compassion for our lives of ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows.

We drew inspiration from Thomas Merton’s collection of essays Raids on the Unspeakable. Merton, a trappist monk, spent twenty-seven years in Abbey of Gethsemani. He wrote over sixty books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.  Today’s reading describes his experience of listening to the talking rain and learning the rhythms of life.

We heard poet Barbara Crooker’s poem, Sometimes, I Am Startled Our of Myself.  The poem speaks to hope borne on wings of geese and the cycle of leaves. In her Quartet Journal Interview, Barbara reminds us that “. . . [p]oetry brings us back to our senses, makes us more fully alive, teaches us to pay attention.”

Finally we heard Kenji Miyazawa’s poem Unbeaten by the Rain. Miyazawa was born on the north-east coast of Japan in 1896, just two months after the Meiji-Sanriku earthquake and tsunami destroyed about 9,000 homes and caused more than 22,000 deaths in the region. His work expressed a keen interest in the relationship between mankind and nature. The literary world he created reflected not only the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, but also its merciless brutality and terrifying force. During his short life, he wrote fiction, poetry, and children’s stories.  He had an ecological vision well ahead of his time. Drawing on his training as a scientist and a practitioner of Buddhism, Miyazawa developed a vision of interdependence among all forms of life at all times.  You can see a whimsical Anime recreation of his life story as told by cats in the film, Spring and Chaos: The Life Story of Kenji Miyazawa.
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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  What a joy to share practice as if for the first time.  A thread of creativity and playfulness seemed to be woven through our classes today.  How sweet shared happiness can be.

We reflected on how The Three Tenets of the Zen Peacemakers inform our practice and how they can help us respond to the world with open minds and hearts.  The Peacemakers are a worldwide movement of people who practice meditation, do social action as a path of awakening and service. You can learn more about their fascinating story and work at Zen Peacemakers International.

Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s poem, Directions to You, affirms the essence of what it is be consciously alive.  The poem reminds me of how our essential nature is revealed in meditation.

Mary Oliver’s poem, Bone, speaks of the limits of our knowing and the boundlessness of our loving.  Mary’s experience of finding an ancient bone on the beach evokes the long passing of time and the ungraspable nature of the universe. Continue reading →

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we investigated the truth of our experience in the present moment.   If we can bring loving awareness and patient curiosity to experience we can learn a lot about our human condition.  We can cultivate a sense of being grounded and allow perspective to emerge.  Perspective often yields understanding about ourselves and others.  Understanding helps to connect with our inner resources of compassion and loving kindness.

We drew inspiration from David Whyte’s poem Working together.  This poem is drawn from his collection, The House of Belonging.  His poem is a meditation on how we are shaped by the world.  So many of life’s miracles arise from the interplay of what we see and what goes unseen.  The poem reminds me of the many times we choose to trust in life’s ordinary offerings.

We drew from meditation instructor Oren Jay Sofer’s course on mindful communication meditation.  Oren reminds us to be aware of how we approach meditation.  Whatever we practice repeatedly informs the way we approach our life. You can learn more about Oren’s upcoming class: Say What You Mean.

We also heard from, The Conscious Effort True Love Requires, an essay written by meditation instructor Sharon Salzberg. Sharon suggests that challenging our habits, judgments and stories opens the door to loving.

Finally, Philip Booth’s poem, How to See a Deer, Philip Booth describes the qualities we need to see something wild and beautiful:  kindness, interest, patience and curiosity,

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