The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  The fires, floods and the beings in their paths have been heavy in my heart this week.  I am deeply grateful for the circles of caring friends who are willing to open their hearts and minds in these difficult times.

Our practice was informed by Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature.  Rhonda is Editor of Kosmos, a journal for transformation.  She is an ordained student in the Order of Inter-being, an international Buddhist community founded by her teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. Rhonda’s article synthesizes the work of her teacher, Thay, and several Deep Ecology thought leaders. The article is well worth reading I hope to return to her principles and practices in future classes.

We also heard Powow River Poet, Rhina Espaillat’s poem Guidelines. “The Powow River Poets began in Newburyport in the early 1990s as a company of like-minded poets brought together by founder Rhina P. Espaillat. The group derives its name from a local tributary of the Merrimack River.”  Rhina’s Guidelines urge us to love who and what we can while we still have time.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  We explored time and space, movement and stillness.  We became aware of how we related to sensory, emotional and mental experience. We created an inner environment in which we could watch experience change. Embodied awareness, conscious breathing and slow movement helped us to open our minds and hearts.

Our practice was inspired by Rhonda Magee,a law professor, meditation instructor and racial justice advocate. She is author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice.   Stopping and knowing we are stopping; Taking a conscious breath; Observing and staying Present (STOP) are tools Rhonda uses to facilitate trauma-sensitive, restorative mindfulness.

We heard John Fox’s poem, When Someone Deeply Listens to You, from his collection:  Finding What You Didn’t Lose. John is founder and Practitioner of Poetic Medicine.  “The Institute for Poetic Medicine offers tools and support to heal body, mind and spirit through the creative and therapeutic process of hearing, speaking and writing poetry.”

We drew from the book, The Five Invitations, written by hospice carer, teacher and author Frank Ostaseski.  Frank believes that being with our fears is a transformational experience that can be a “doorway to compassion.”

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 Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Our kinship has been a constant support through the troubled times we are living through.  Watching the many fires that are burning is heart breaking.  The time and tenderness of our practice encourages me to keep my heart open.

We drew more encouragement from the words and poetry of Gregory Orr.  His prose was drawn from his On Being interview with Krista Tippett, Shaping Grief With Language.   You can find the poem, What Was Bequeathed Us and other resources in the transcript section of this link.

We heard Mary Oliver’s heart breaking poem, Lead.  Her poem about the dying loons urges us to keep our broken hearts open.  Mary’s poem was drawn from Parker Palmer’s On Being blogpost, An Invitation to Heartbreak.  Parker’s poem-inspired prose presents a lingering question: “What can I do day-by-day to make my heart more supple?”

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  So much life is streaming in as we experience more freedom to gather together “in real life.”  My hunger for this togetherness is really big.  Each day has been a new adventure with friends.  It felt good to slow things down and really savor these moments of being alive.  This is also what makes our circles so magic.

We drew on inspiration from meditation teacher and writer Tara Brach and her book, Radical Compassion.  You can find many of Tara’s guided meditations and talks at her web-site.

We reflected on poet David Whyte’s poignant description of embodiment from his latest book,    Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. David reminds us of the fleeting nature of our embodiment.

We heard poet, Marilyn Peretti’s poem, Still Living.  Marilyn reminds us of the enduring nature of our aliveness.  We are born of Earth, we return to her and new life emerges.

We ended with Nancy Wood’s Earth Teach Me Stillness from her book, War Cry on a Prayer Feather.  Nancy’s humbling words remind us of how much Earth can teach us. Continue reading →

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning of the longest day of light and warmth:  the Solstice!   The Sun’s light and our heart’s light come together in practice.  Today we explored the many ways humility can bring us closer to our Earth.  

Poet, theologian Alla Renee Bozarth’s poem Understanding reveals the deeper knowing that happens when we are willing to move under what we think we know.  Her Eco-Prayer describes Earth’s humus as our bone. Our Earth Bodies grow and heal when we honor and preserve Earth’s growing and healing.  You can find more of Alla’s inspirational writings at her web-site.

In his book, Touching the Earth, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that in bowing to Earth we restore our balance and wholeness.

Indigenous activist and writer, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, encourages us to return to the humility of a newborn.  In so doing we can deepen our ability to truly relate to other beings.  He invites us to learn how to apply the mystery to everything. Tiokasin Ghosthorse is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation.  He is the Founder, Host, and Executive Producer of “First Voices Radio” for the last 28 years. In 2016 he received a Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.  You can hear a fascinating discussion on For the Wild’s recent podcast, Tiokasin Ghosthorse on the Power of Humility.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  We are adapting to new ways of living in response to the many changes we are living through.  Many of us are emerging from the isolation of pandemic restrictions.  Some of us have been caring for young ones and/or elders, partners and friends.  Our practice gives us an opportunity to pause, relax, open and trust what is emerging.  These are powerful healing skills that enable us to tune into to what matters most.  These skills also help us to “resource” and befriend ourselves so that we can stay engaged with Life.

Once again, we drew guidance from Insight Dialogue co-creator and Insight Dialogue: The Interpersonal Path to Freedom author and meditation teacher, Gregory Kramer.  Insight Dialogue involves mindful sharing within qualities of attention, contemplation and intimate inquiry.  Gregory encourages us to be with the mystery as it unfolds much like the unfolding flight patterns of birds.  For a rapturous experience of mystery and unfolding you can listening to a human and nightingale singing together at Emergence Magazine’s interview with Sam Lee, The Nightingale’s Song.

We drew inspiration from Jane Hirshfield’s magical poem, Rebus, included in her collection Given Salt, Given Sugar.  Jane is a long-time Zen practitioner whose meditation practice informs her work.  You can listen to Jane read seven of her poems on this YouTube recording filmed by Pamela Robertson-Pearce.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.   We practiced mindfully pausing, relaxing and opening.  These levels of attention help to move from all of our doings to simply being.  We explored relaxing enough to be with difficult experiences.  Opening involves a willingness to embrace what emerges from uncertainty.  These mindfulness skills may come in handy as we move from our masked and virtual lives to “in-real-life” engagement.

We drew guidance from Insight Dialogue co-creator and Insight Dialogue: The Interpersonal Path to Freedom author and meditation teacher, Gregory Kramer.  Insight Dialogue involves mindful sharing within qualities of attention, contemplation and intimate inquiry.

We drew inspiration from eco-philosopher David Abram, author of Spell of the Sensuous.  David is director of The Alliance for Wild Ethics.  You can find a series of fascinating, heartfelt and mindful essays on the Alliance web-site.

We enjoyed Tom Hennen’s poem, “Looking for the Differences,” from Darkness Sticks to Everything: Collected and New Poems.  The poem beautifully reminds us that “. . . That each thing on earth has its own soul, its own life . . . ”

We also heard Anne Alexander Bingham’s poem “It is Enough”  as published by The Writer’s Almanac (01/22/14).  The poem expresses content in the knowledge that we are part of every thing.

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The Yogabliss on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning.  Today we explored awareness as relationship with ourselves and the world around us.  In mindfulness we train the mind to stay with present moment experience whether it expresses as sensation, emotion or thought.  We also notice how we respond to pleasant or unpleasant experiences can reveal so much about the nature of mind and personality.

We drew inspiration from Jennifer Williamson’s poem I Am Enough.  Jennifer is a writer and suicide loss survivor.  Her web-site, HealingBrave.com, offers a wonderful sampling of her writing and healing resources.  These words from Jennifer’s bio spoke to my heart:

Some wounds are meant to hurt. If you let it, the pain wedges you open, so that new things can get in and something else can come forth.
In the hollowed out place where your life used to be, starting again is part of the medicine. And part of the revolution.
The way you heal can be its own healing.
You can make change, connections, things, beauty. You can take what you’ve been given and give back differently. You can love people better, even the people you don’t like… including yourself: because deep healing is brave work. And important. And, well, WORK.

Meditation instructor, hospice director and writer, Frank Ostaseski, describes how mindfulness practice can help us develop the capacity to “be with” difficult experiences.  In his book, The Five Invitations, he discusses the nature of our “wild” mind and our impulse to control life experiences that cannot be controlled.  Of course our super powers are loving kindness and compassion.

These capacities are two of the four inner resources that traditional Buddhist meditation teaches:  loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity.

We ended with Taoist philosopher and poet, Lao-Tzu’s poem We Are a River.  This interpretation is drawn from The Sage’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for the Second Half of Life.

In our post- meditation discussion we discussed our relationship to time.  I mentioned David Farrier’s fascinating essay, We’re Going to Carry That Weight a Long Time, in the current issue of Emergence Magazine.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we focused on the experiences of being held and belonging.  As we reenter more “real life” activities our inner resources of kindness, compassion and caring are so very important.  Drawing on loving awareness can help bring compassion to the moments of fear, stress and vulnerability that we may be experiencing through this transition.  Loving awareness can also help us extend kindness to others who are likely contending with difficult change.

We heard Bhavya’s poem, A Sense of Belonging.  You can find more of Bhavya’s poems at AllPoetry.com an online poetry writing group.  All are welcome to contribute and explore.

We drew inspiration from Frank Ostaseski’s book, The Five Invitations.  Frank is a longtime meditation teacher and hospice program training director.  His Five Invitation’s website has a series of freely offered courses including:  I Want to Live My Life More Fully, I Want to Be a Compassionate Companion and I Want Help Facing Loss, or Living With Illness.

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