The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning. We explored our relational being through the experience of rescuing and nurturing a wild baby screech owl.  We humans can receive the gifts of learning and wonder from our more than human relations.  We can teach our children loving awareness.  We can help them bond with Nature.  Over time we can foster appreciation, bonding and deep caring for the more than human world. 

We drew inspiration from ecologist and writer Carl Safina’s experience of rescuing an injured baby owl.  In his book, What Owls Know and What Humans Believe, Carl describes how he spent five hours a day caring for Alfie, the baby screech owl in his care.

In Carl’s TEDx Talk – Boston, What Can Owls Teach Us About Humanity?,  he shared a short video showing the way Alfie said “I love you.”

In To Wonder and Awe, Carl’s interview with Last Born in the Wilderness journalist Patrick Farnsworth he shares his feelings of awe and wonder.  Alfie became his teacher from whom he learned that owls are relational beings.

We heard from eco-philosopher David Abram’s book, Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World,  David’s writings remind us that our very development depends on our relations with human and more than human life.  He urges us to reflect on the impact we have on the world and to care for all that we can.  David is Creative Director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics.  His work “engages the ecological depths of the imagination, exploring the ways in which sensory perception, poetics, and wonder inform the relation between the human body and the breathing earth.”

We ended with Mary Oliver’s poem, Messenger from her 2007 collection, Thirst. Mary’s words of wonder, gratitude and joy remind me of qualities that are sometimes overshadowed by our challenging times.  They give me the wanting to stay alive and engaged in the world.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We practiced with the intention of disarming our hearts.

When we open our hearts the truth of our belonging and love are known.

Our compassion can help us to bridge the divide of difference and separation.

We drew on meditation teacher and writer Tara Brach’s teachings on disarming the heart.  We heard excerpts from the talk she gave at Upaya’s Gathering Dharma: Bridging the Divide.   In this beautiful program Tara, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax teach about making peace within ourselves and the world.

We heard from novelist, playwright, essayist, poet and civil rights activist James Baldwin. You can find out more about his work from the American Masters program Take This Hammer. I quoted from an essay from his book, Nothing Personal. This beautiful prose was set to heart felt music by Morley and Friends as, Nothing is Fixed, part of the 2020 Universe in Verse program. I hope you have time to give it a listen.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We reflected on our relationship to time.  The “in-between” or bardo states can describe a period in life and after death – even a breath.  We explored how we live and practice  in these precious moments of joy and loss.

We drew inspiration from a quote from Quaker activist Avis Crowe.  Avis was engaged in “a ministry of presence” bearing witness to the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa.  The quote comes from her book, The Ministry of Presence:  Without Agenda in South Africa.  The quote is like a prayer:  “. . . Help me to live time, not just to simply use it; to breathe it in, and return it in acts of love and presence.”

We heard from Sylvia Boorstein’s Tricycle Magazine interview, Don’t Miss Your Life.  Sylvia, a cofounder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, has made meditation accessible through her down to earth teachings and many books.  In this interview she reflects on the way we experience death in a gradual way through the inevitable losses we live through on life’s journey.  She shares the practice she finds helpful in keeping her “. . . mind in a well meaning place.”

Finally we heard poet Pat Schneider’s poem, Instructions for the Journey, from her collection, Olive Street Transfer.  Pat was a beloved and passionate teacher of writing.  Discover more about her in A Profile of Pat Schneider.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We reflected on our kinship with all beings.  We drew on a Zen koan or teaching story to acknowledge all our relations.  We contemplated how we are supported and, in turn, support others.  Witnessing practice and deep caring for the natural world moves us to compassion action.

We heard a teaching story from the Hidden Lamp:  Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women.  This book was co-edited by writers and Zen teachers Zenshin Florence Caplow and Reigetsu Susan Moon.  The teaching story, The Old Woman’s Relatives, points to our inter-relatedness with the human and more than human world.  Zenshin Caplow’s commentary reminds us that we are not alone.  We live within a circle of caring.

We heard from eco-philosopher David Abram’s book, Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World,  David’s writings remind us that our very development depends on our relations with human and more than human life.  He urges us to reflect on the impact we have on the world and to care for all that we can.

We ended with Daniel Landinsky’s translation of Sufi poet, Hafiz’ poem, Today.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We reflected on our love for the natural world.  We contemplated the vulnerability that arises upon feeling the precarity of climate change.  Practice allows us to feel difficult truths.  Uncertainty can be fertile ground from which  compassionate action can arise.

We heard an excerpt from Sophie Strand’s latest newsletter, A Generous Uncertainty.  Sophie writes delightfully about the generative ground of uncertainty and making mistakes:

The only thing I am certain of right now is that I am constituted by a generous uncertainty. An uncertainty that gestates miracles I could never have expected or authored. I am certain that I am not the most reliable narrator. I have found that the space I hold for being wrong acts like a freshly mulched garden. Relationships sprout there, in the connective tissue between opposing ideas, that would never have grown in the relationally sterile bounds of a well-defended belief.

We drew on Lama Willa Blythe Baker’s essay, Five Practices for Working with the Immense Challenge of Climate Change.  Lama Baker, Ph.D. is the Founder of Natural Dharma Fellowship in Boston.  She is the author of four books including The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom.  You can hear her fascinating interview, How to Get Out of Your Head with Dan Harris on the Ten Percent Happier podcast.

We drew inspiration from Roshi Joan Halifax’s view that every human is a river of life.

We ended with Rebecca del Rio’s Prescription for the Disillusioned. The poem is drawn from her eponymous collection which:

is an invitation to enter into a world of the magical mundane, a meditation on the curious and unique life given to everyone. . . . The poems are a response to the human condition, a conversation with life and loss, as well as an uncovering of the mystical in the day-to-day walk that we call our lives.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We focused on what it means to incline our hearts to forgive.  We can begin our journey of forgiveness by cultivating loving kindness by wishing for the well being of ourselves or others.  We can examine our habits of thinking about others who we find difficult.  Our hearts are always at the center of forgiveness.  They express themselves in the language of the body.  We can listen and feel to find our forgiving direction.

We continued to draw from Oren Jay Sofer’s  book: Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love.  Oren’s final chapter is a beautiful exposition of the many dimensions of forgiveness.  One of the book’s gifts to me came in a final footnote to this chapter.  It lead me to Love and Will, psychologist, counselor and researcher, Catherine Anne Lombard’s beautiful writings which explore a psychosynthesis approach to living.  Catherine is an old college friend of mine.  Her essay, Birthing Forgiveness, arises from her own journey of forgiveness.

We drew inspiration from meditation teacher and writer Larry Yang’s book, Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community.  Larry reminds us that “the restorative work of love most be done with love.”

We drew on meditation instructor Tara Brach’s book, Radical Compassion.  Tara’s book offers guidance for working with strong emotions.  You can visit Tara’s Resources on Forgiveness page for more of her excellent guidance and courses on forgiveness.

We heard Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s beautiful poem, December 31.  While the poem references the end of the year, it speaks to the ongoing work of forgiveness.  I find hope in her suggestion that our individual acts of forgiveness can illuminate our collective capacity to love each other.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We explored the expressions of compassion.  We reflected on the question of “What is enough?”  We contemplated Jon Kabat Zinn’s assertion that “It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself.”  We explored how it is to rest as awareness.

We continued to draw from Oren Jay Sofer’s  book: Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love.  Oren describes contentment as a “quieter form of happiness.”  Mindfully experiencing contentment can help us discern between needs and wants.  It frees us from the habits of incessant wanting long enough to enjoy the restorative pleasure of contentment.

We heard Jon Kabat-Zinn’s thoughts on how mindfulness meditation is a “radical act of love.”  In his article, This Loving-Kindness Meditation is a Radical Act of Love,” Jon explains how loving-kindness meditation can lighten the struggle with afflictive mind states, so that we can avoid becoming overwhelmed by them. Hewrites “with practice direct observation itself, . . . becomes the embodiment of loving-kindness and compassion all by itself. . . ”

We heard Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poem, And for Today, That’s Enough.  Rosemerry’s poem affirms the love we become by opening our hearts “again and again.”

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We explored the expressions of compassion.  Compassion is nurturing and receptive.  Compassion is active.  It can be fierce and protective.  Practicing self compassion fosters resilience and enhances our responsiveness to others’ pain.  The world needs our compassionate action.  No effort is too small.

We continued to draw from Oren Jay Sofer’s  book: Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love.  Oren explores the receptive and active dimensions of compassion.  He emphasizes the critical importance of having self-compassion.

We heard Dr. Chris Germer’s thoughts about the “yin and yang” expressions of compassion.  Chris is the co-founder of the Center for Mindful Compassion.  In his article, The Near and Far Enemies of Fierce Compassion, Chris outlines the components of fierce compassion.  He emphasizes the discernment and self awareness required for taking compassionate action. “The more tenderness we have for our pain, the stronger our resilience and more compassion we have for others’ pain.”

We heard singer songwriter Nick Cave’s response to a fan letter in which the writer states: “I feel impotent, completely ineffectual and that nothing I do is of any consequence whatsoever. Not a question. Just a fact.” Nick affirms that we can both experience our human helplessness and know that everything we think, say and do has consequences.  Nick’s practice of responding to fans reflect the compassionate resilience he seems to have cultivated in his own life.  He writes:   the Red Hand Files are . . .  an attempt to transmute suffering into a kind of knowing and shielding joy. Joy as armour. Love as shelter. I don’t know. I hope so.” Continue reading →

The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  Today we explored how our beginner’s mind helps us to access our playful instincts.  Like the practice of mindfulness we can explore life in a fresh, imaginative way.  A beginner’s mind is an open mind.  An open mind helps to open our hearts:  again and again and again.

We continued to draw from Oren Jay Sofer’s  book: Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love.  In his chapter on play Oren describes the many qualities of play that enable us to flourish.  Becoming fully absorbed in play is quite similar to mindful presence.  Interactive play encourages empathy and learning.  We can forget ourselves long enough to experience wonder.

I shared painter, musician and teacher, Pauli Maher’s experience of play. Pauli observed that work becomes play with enjoyment and imagination.

We drew inspiration from Jack Gilbert, a poet who inspired writer Elizabeth Gilbert.  Elizabeth’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear,  is a wonderful exploration of living a creative life.

We heard poet and writer Ross Gay’s comments about the practice of looking for delight during his year long writing of The Book of Delights.  These comments are from his fascinating On Being interview with On Being’s Krista Tippett:  On the Insistence of Joy.

We heard poet Carrie Newcomer’s Blessing for play.

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The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  We explored the intertwining threads of generosity and gratitude.  Generosity arises from the fertile ground of relationship.  When we nurture relationships with humans and more than humans we experience joy.

We continued to draw from Oren Jay Sofer’s  book: Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love.  In his chapter on generosity, Oren describes the most precious gifts we can offer: our time, our attention, our energy, our love.

Today I shared my experience of generosity during a recent visit to my brother Dan and sister-in-law Pauli.  Deep listening in slow time were gifts we gave each other.   We shared memories and learned more about the paths we’ve crossed over the many years.  Dan and Pauli appreciate and make music.  I brought home one of Pauli’s beautiful paintings (above) to remind me of Pauli’s imagination and my time at Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site.

I shared quotations from Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) tribal members as displayed in the newly remodeled Nez Perce National Historic Park Visitor Center. The Center is an inspiring example of collaboration and generosity. 

This post also contains tribal member artist Sarah Penney’s Mother Earth painting which hangs in the Hells Gate Louis and Clark Discovery Center.  I’ve included the accompanying quotation which describes the peoples’ relationship with Earth.

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.”  Robin’s essay writes Earth is calling for our gratitude, generosity and attention.  She reminds us that we have many gifts to give.

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