The Yogabliss, Your Heart Life on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We practiced mindfulness, forgetfulness and remembering.  We practiced coming back to ourselves, each other and the world again and again.  We explored sounding and finding our heart’s song.

We heard David Budbill’s poem, Apple Blossoms, from his collection Happy Life.  David’s work is inspired by his life in rural Vermont:  “cutting wood, putting a vegetable garden to bed and bird song.  Check out his web-site to survey his writings including: poems, plays, novels, stories, essays and a libretto for opera.  Much of his work reflected his deep caring about social justice.  He lived fully, mindfully, simply.

We heard Mary Oliver’s poem, Mysteries, Yes from her collection, Evidence. (You can also find it in the beautiful collection, Devotions.)  In this poem Mary insists on living with the beauty of mystery and the uncertainty of not-knowing.  And like so much of her work, she remains present and alive to the surprises of life’s full expression.

We drew inspiration from Maria Popova’s essay, Philosopher Martin Buber on What Trees Teach Us about Being More Human and Mastering the Difficult Art of Seeing Others as They Truly Are.  This is a beautiful writing about how we meet each other with love and presence.

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The Yogabliss, Your Heart Life on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.   We cultivated Self compassion. In the safe space of loving kindness it may be possible to relax harsh judgments and fixed views. There is much to be discovered in that space. Creating breathing room around our pain and suffering can help to recognize what is truly needed.

We drew on Dr. Kristen Neff’s work which establishes the healing benefits of self-compassion practice.  You can find guided practices and compassion exercises at her web-site.

We heard Julia Fehrenbacher’s poem The Most Important Thing.  Julia is a poet, teacher, coach and sometimes painter.

We heard  Zen Master and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings. He dedicated much of his life to the practice and teaching of compassion and loving kindness.  You can find resources for the practice of mindfulness and articles and videos at the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation web-site.

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The Yogabliss, Your Heart Life on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We explored themes of intimacy and mystery.  We tuned awareness to experience of breathing within the body and in relationship to the world around us.  We ventured into mystery by letting go of the reflexive reliance on knowing.  We oriented moment to moment experience with curiosity, feeling and compassion.

We drew on the teachings of Frank Ostaseski as set forth by his wonderful book, The Five Invitations.  Frank is a mediation teacher hospice care trainer and writer.  Adopting a “don’t know mind” is one of the tenets of meditation and hospice care.  He encourages students and readers to cultivate  “undefended openness.”

Meditation teacher and writer, Tara Brach, echoes this counsel. She encourages us to feel the vulnerability that arises from living with life’s uncertainty.  Feeling is a path to authenticity and aliveness.  You can find her helpful books and audio programs at her web-site.

We heard  an excerpt from Ken Keyes’ poem Hokusai Says. You can find the complete poem at this Gratefulness.org web-page.  He calls on our caring and the willingness to let life live through us. Ken wrote fifteen books on personal growth and social consciousness issues.  You can read about his inspiring life at his Wikipedia entry.

We heard Sophie Strand’s invitation to lend our bodies to Earth’s healing. Sophie’s writing focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology.  We heard an excerpt from her essay, The Body Is an Ecodelic.  I found the excerpt posted on Sophie’s Instagram page.  (An “ecodelic” refers to an entheogenic or consciousness expanding plant.)

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