The Yogabliss, Your Heart Life on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  We practiced slowing down and being with what is. It seems like so many of my friends are dealing with difficulties these days. Difficulties that are painful and scary,  unpredictable and uncertain.  They are often beyond our control and leave us feeling vulnerable. Hearing about them has become like a mindfulness bell that stops me squarely in “I don’t know.”  Caring friends and mindfulness practice help me to “be with what is.”

Today we drew inspiration and guidance from meditation teacher Annaka Harris. She is the author of Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind.  Annaka teaches mindfulness to children and is author of children’s books. You can find a wealth of her writings and guided meditations on her web-site and the Waking Up app.  Annaka’s guided meditation, Being With What Is, really helped me during a stressful time this week.

We also heard poet Danna Fauld’s poem, This Is Enough.  The poem affirmed the teachings about “being with what is.”  It also reminds me that I can always begin again, each breath a new experience of the present moment.

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The Yogabliss, Your Heart Life on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we explored how and where we place our attention.  We explored mindfulness through body awareness and slow movement.  Teachers, writers and poets helped us to contemplate the incredible value of loving awareness and compassionate presence.

We drew inspiration from Michael Stone’s book, The World Comes to You. Michael was a prominent Buddhist teacher and yogi, psychotherapist and writer.  I discovered him through his book, Yoga for a World Out of Balance.  Michael taught mindfulness as compassionate action.  He continues to be a great teacher for me. You can find a wonderful archive of his talks, videos and books curated by his spouse, Carina Stone and his students at michaelstoneteaching.com.  In today’s reading Michael describes mindfulness.  He reminds readers that “When you can really meet conditions as they arise, you are practicing non-harm.  You’re practicing creativity.”  Yes!  Mindfulness as Creativity!

We heard Erin Rabke’s poem, Permission Granted.  These few lines are powerful encouragement to slow down, “shed the skin of urgency” and savor the life we’ve been given. I discovered this poem in one of Erin’s newsletters.  She is cofounder of Embodiment Matters.  Erin has studied and taught embodied movement practices of more 25 years.  Erin is a gifted writer.  She is also a facilitator for Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects.

We drew from the tenth chapter of Kathleen Dowling Singh’s book, The Grace in Aging: Awaken As You Grow Older. In this section, Commitment:  Liberation from Deception, Kathleen focuses on the precious gift of our attention.  She reminds us  that “we’re here to learn from each other. . . . We’re here to share with each other, to comfort and be comforted, to be present with each other.”

We also received guidance from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s beautiful essay, Returning the Gift.  Robin is a “mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.”  In today’s reading, Robin describes the reciprocal nature of attention:  what we give and receive from our natural world.

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