Category Archives: Moving Into Meditation

Flowering Hands

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.   We practiced ways of deepening body awareness.  We used imagination, sensory experience and deep relaxation to allow life to move through us.

We contemplated Brooke McNamara’s poem Vessel.  Brooke is a poet, dance-theater artist, teacher, and Zen dharma holder.  Her beautiful poem creates a meeting place in our living vessel – our body – in which we can be together in a space of forgiveness.

We practiced an adaptation of the “Flowering Hand” meditation to attune to the life force energy flowing through all of nature.  This practice was introduced to me by one of my teachers, Nate Summers. Nate is a Chinese medicine practitioner. He teaches many forms of movement including Qigong, ancestral movement and survival skills. He is author of Primal: Why We Long to Be Free and Wild among other books exploring our relationship with nature.

We practiced a Budding & Blossoming Hand Meditation adapted from Margaret Rinaldi’s Flower Hand guided meditation.  As a somatic educator Meg offers Body Centered Inquiry to enable practitioners to cultivate awareness of their inner resources.

We heard part of Tibetan Buddhist teacher and writer, Reggie Ray’s Tricycle Magazine Essay, Touching Enlightenment.  Reggie has written a book of the same name.  Reggie teaches somatically based meditation and encourages us to allow our bodies to be our most intimate teachers.

We ended with poet philosopher John O’Donohue’s Blessings for the Senses.

Continue reading →

Winter Apples and Ripening Awareness

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We explored the experience of letting life move through us.  We celebrated the moments of recognizing our wandering minds.  We rested in moments of stillness the pauses between thoughts and movements.  We experimented with being present to what surfaces in the space of stillness:  our grief, our gratitude, our joys and our sorrows.

We drew inspiration from poet David Whyte’s poem, Winter Apple from his book, Pilgrim.  His evocative imagery reminds us of nature’s wisdom helps us in the inevitable cycles of life:    ripening, dying and renewal.

We drew from psychotherapist, author and soul activist Francis Weller’s Sun Magazine interview, The Geography of Sorrow.  He poignantly observes the relationship between grief and gratitude and the vital importance of keeping our hearts open. I found reading this interview to be very meaningful.

Finally we received John O’Donohue’s Friendship Blessing.  John O’Donohue was an Irish poet, author, priest and philosopher.  He compassionately encourages us to befriend ourselves and suggests that this might change us.

Continue reading →

Inter-Breathing and Gaia Consciousness

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Poet Joy Harjo writes “Humans are vulnerable and rely on the kindnesses of the earth and the sun; we exist together in a sacred field of meaning.”  I feel vulnerable.  I rely on the many kindnesses given nearly every day.  Our practice together is a gift giving that keeps my hope alive and spirits lifted.  Today I am reminded that we give each other our faces in strange “digital space” that is strangely intimate.  There is a meeting of hearts and minds in “a sacred field of meaning” that we co-create together.

We began practice with Joy’s beautiful poem:  Praise the Rain.  We used the poems lines to tune into the praises we carry for the beings and the things that we love.  In the days leading to the holiday in which we give thanks we can tune into the inner songs that arise when we recognize the simplest blessings that make life possible.  Like breathing.

Like the “unfailing generosity of trees” that poet Danna Faulds poem for a golden day.  We considered the questions she asks about how willing we are to let the world in.

We considered the inter-dependent relationships that hold the world together. Thich Nhat Hanh, often referred to as Thay or teacher describes this as inter-being:  “Everything relies on everything else in order to manifest.”  Even our body is a community. It is home to trillions of non-human cells that outnumber our own human cells. Like the generous trees, they make our lives possible.

Cultural ecologist and geo-philosopher, David Abram, describes our inter-being as the visceral experience of inter-breathing.  We live because we nourish each other.

Dr. Stephan Harding, co-founder of Schumacher College, teacher and writer, explains Gaia or Earth Consciousness, in Joanna Macy’s compilation A Wild Love for the World.  We are part of the great web of life.  What happens to Earth happens to us.

Joanna Macy has spent over sixty years organizing environmental and social action groups.  Joanna is a national treasure. You can hear more about her remarkable life and work by listening to A Wild Love for the World on On Being with Krista Tippett.  Her work describes the process by which we can develop Gaia Consciousness.  In essence when we realize our inter-being caring for our world is simply and profoundly a way of caring for ourselves.

Continue reading →

Circling Eagle, Ringing Bell

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Sundays often feel like a holiday for me – the time in my early life when going to grandma’s house was about her hugs and playing with my cousins.  Our play was imaginal and improvisational.  Hiding and seeking, shouting and running took us to new places.  Our weekly class is a bit like those visits – I anticipate seeing your faces, hearing about your lives and the meaning you make of the world and our practice.  We learn from each other and we draw comfort from each other.

Today we worked with Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo.  The poem is about prayer and it’s an invitation to open.  Each line is almost a koan – a question you live with that doesn’t have a “right” answer.  When we live with life’s questions we meet each experience with curiosity and care.

We also drew on Rainer Maria Rilke‘s poem, Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower. Rilke lived during the late 19th and early 20th century. He lived during the tumultuous times leading up to WWI and the devastation during and after the war. The poem is like a hymn to being consciously alive.  It’s also a challenge to embrace our lives fully.  Ultimately he asks us to transform our suffering into strength.

In reflecting on how to go about this feat we looked to the wisdom teachings of Buddhism.  First considering the teachings on love interpreted by Haemin Sunim, a Zen Buddhist teacher, writer and founder of the School of Broken Hearts in Seoul, South Korea.  I learned of Haemin Sunim by listening to his interview with Dan Harris on the Ten Percent Happier podcast. He suggests that paying attention is a form of love.

Finally we practiced with one of the Brahmaviharas:  cultivating compassion as interpreted by Roshi Joan Halifax.  Roshi Joan is an American Zen Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver and Abbess of Upaya Zen Center. Brahmavihara is a Pali word meaning “sublime abode.”  In practice this refers to four Buddhist virtues of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.  Cultivating these qualities is a way of opening and transforming our hearts to grow our capacity to care.  You can find the full practice in Roshi’s article, The Four Boundless Abodes.

Continue reading →

In the Space of Hope

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. What a joy to come together in the spirit of hope.  This crisp cold day is still shining with sunlight.  It seems to reflect the intention we share in coming to meditate: to work with our hearts and minds so that we can bring our gifts to the world.

We started practice with Mary Oliver’s beautiful poem, Sunrise, a celebration of light and our shared humanity.

We explored Vaclav Havel’s writings on hope.  Vaclav was an extraordinary human being.  He was a Czech statesman, poet, writer and former dissident, who served as the last President of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then as the first President of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.  He was imprisoned multiple times for speaking out for human rights.  You can find his essay, An Orientation of the Heart, in Paul Loeb’s book, The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear.

We also reflected on the meditation teacher and author, Oren Jay Sofer’s definition of practical hope.  He outlines this in his talk, The Utility of Hope.  Oren encourages students to place trust in the truth of present while examining the state of our minds and hearts and the state of the world we inhabit.  It sounds easy and it actually takes a lot of work to recognize our bias and conditioning.  It takes courage to challenge our own beliefs.  It takes commitment to see the world as clearly as we can.  That’s where hope – grounded in the truths we can truly know – comes in.

Continue reading →

Honoring Life

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  I am so grateful for the many circles of practice that are working to keep their hearts and minds open.  We’ve migrated our circles to this cyber space which – thankfully – allows us to stay connected and continue sharing our lives.  In moments of feeling overwhelmed by the many perils we are facing these connections keep me going.  Thank you.

We began our practice with a beautiful poem, School Prayer, given to us by by naturalist and writer Diane Ackerman. Diane crafted this poem – this prayer – in the hopes that children are able to “develop a spiritual nature, and become concerned with higher values.” This poem has the quality of an incantation. The Latin word incantare, means “enchant.” In School Prayer, there is magic in the words. It’s an invitation to honor and pledge to protect life.

We drew inspiration about this season of change from author and dream worker Toko-pa Turner.  Toko-pa’s work explores our relationship to our dream time, our ancestors and all our more than human relations.

Several years ago meditation teacher and writer, Tara Brach, gave a beautiful talk in which she used the metaphor of the Darkness of the Womb to describe how new life might be growing in the dark. I was deeply moved by Tara’s insights.  I drew on her talk to craft a series of reflections on how we are relating to each other in the tumultuous days leading up to the election.  Tara offers a four step process of working with difficult emotions and divisive thoughts that naturally arise in conflict. You can find Tara’s full discourse and guided meditation at her web-site.

Continue reading →

Remembering Aliveness

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. I am so grateful to have this light.  Yes – grateful for the screen through which I can see caring faces.  Your faces help me to experience the goodness in human being.  Our faces are blessings we offer each other.  Thank you.

We shared a thanksgiving inspired by Kailea Frederick of Earth is Ohana.  The thanksgiving was expressed by the poem, Remember, gifted by  American poet laureate, Joy Harjo.  If Joy’s work speaks to you check out her recent interview with the Chief Seattle Club at The Joy Harjo Bookclub on YouTube.

We contemplated the inner and outer resources we can draw on in these hard times.  These same resources help us to be present with our difficulties while keeping our hearts open.

We also drew on the meditation teachings on equanimity as interpreted by Roshi Joan Halifax and Sharon Salzberg.

Continue reading →

My Body, My Friend

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. I am so grateful to have the circles of mindfulness to come to every Sunday.  It’s truly a gift to be among caring others who have the courage and generosity of spirt to come together.  We are living through such turmoil.   We can turn to embodied mindfulness practices as a way of getting grounded.  We can find a place of inner peace to rest our minds and connect with our deepest truths.

Today we explored our relationship to our bodies in a variety of ways:

Contemplating the body  – exploring its nature
Developing a sense of wonder and appreciation for the body – considering the body’s many gifts
Examining our relationship to the body – how we care for it, how we listen to it, how we understand it
Befriending the body – accepting whatever we can without judgment
Learning how to meet discomfort and pain with balance and patience – finding a place that doesn’t hurt – a place we can return to when feeling overwhelmed

We have the inner resources that we can nurture and grow to help calm and heal ourselves.

We drew on the work of Oren Jay Sofer.  Oren teaches mindfulness, meditation and Nonviolent Communication.  You can find “Resources for Hard Times” on his web-site along with many excellent articles, audio and video teachings.  Oren’s brings his personal experience and professional training in Somatic Experiencing to helping students on their healing journey.

Continue reading →

Brave Space and Magic

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  I am drawn to our meditation circles like a moth to the light.  We are living through so much darkness even the smallest glimmers of hope mean so much.  We bring our lights together and hope grows stronger.  In the “brave” space we create the long view emerges.  The view which helps us appreciate the change and transformation that continues despite the darkness.  If we know how and where to look it’s easy to find the many, many whole-hearted – brave people working to make the world a better place.

We heard an “Invitation to Brave Space” from poet and justice doula, Mickey Scottbey Jones. 

In her book, The Wisdom of No Escape, meditation teacher and author, Pema Chodron, described how meditation can illuminate our well-being and suffering as two sides of our human condition.  She encourages us to meet our own minds with honesty and wholeheartedly – meeting everything – thoughts, emotions and sensations.  This includes “the smelly, rich, fertile mess of stuff” and the “creative energy of life.”

In his book, Becoming Animal, ecologist and philosopher, David Abram talks about the magic of seeing all beings – humans and more than humans – as having perspectives, feelings and longings just like we do.  This relational awareness is one of the inner resources we can tap into to experience our inter-relatedness and our wholeness.

Continue reading →

We Are Creaturely Beings

Posted on by

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/River Tree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Thank you for coming to practice today. It’s so easy to get swept away by the dramatic events unfolding in our world.  The pull of events doesn’t stop – and we can easily exhaust ourselves trying to cope with one fear after the next.  We are creaturely beings and our instincts are humming under the noise – our instincts toward wellness brings us to stillness.  

We explored our animal nature  through our senses – especially the sense of touch.  Hands can be a place to anchor and ground your awareness at any time.  You can hold your own hand  in the midst of life’s turbulence. In his book, My Grandmother’s Hands, author and trauma therapist, Resmaa Menakem describes the importance of having a settled body in our relations.

We drew on the work of David Abram, Director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics.  David is a cultural ecologist and geo-philosopher whose books include Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology and The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World. His point of view inspired our exploration of the ways our animal nature and sensory perception exist in a “field of relationship” between the human body and the breathing earth.  If you want to explore David’s work I highly recommend this audio essay, Creaturely Migrations on a Breathing Planet. It’s is an awe inspiring account of the magical migrations of salmon, sandhill cranes and monarch butterflies that takes you deep into  mystery.

Finally poet Mary Oliver gifted us her very human, down to earth poem, Begin With, The Sweetgrass.

Continue reading →