The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We reflected how we “weather” life experience in our bodies, hearts and minds. We wear that weathering on our faces which we offer to the world.  When we truly “receive” a face our hearts open.  As part of our natural world, we live through seasons of change subject to the forces of Earth and Sky.  In our practice we cultivate compassion for our lives of ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows.

We drew inspiration from Thomas Merton’s collection of essays Raids on the Unspeakable. Merton, a trappist monk, spent twenty-seven years in Abbey of Gethsemani. He wrote over sixty books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.  Today’s reading describes his experience of listening to the talking rain and learning the rhythms of life.

We heard poet Barbara Crooker’s poem, Sometimes, I Am Startled Our of Myself.  The poem speaks to hope borne on wings of geese and the cycle of leaves. In her Quartet Journal Interview, Barbara reminds us that “. . . [p]oetry brings us back to our senses, makes us more fully alive, teaches us to pay attention.”

Finally we heard Kenji Miyazawa’s poem Unbeaten by the Rain. Miyazawa was born on the north-east coast of Japan in 1896, just two months after the Meiji-Sanriku earthquake and tsunami destroyed about 9,000 homes and caused more than 22,000 deaths in the region. His work expressed a keen interest in the relationship between mankind and nature. The literary world he created reflected not only the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, but also its merciless brutality and terrifying force. During his short life, he wrote fiction, poetry, and children’s stories.  He had an ecological vision well ahead of his time. Drawing on his training as a scientist and a practitioner of Buddhism, Miyazawa developed a vision of interdependence among all forms of life at all times.  You can see a whimsical Anime recreation of his life story as told by cats in the film, Spring and Chaos: The Life Story of Kenji Miyazawa.
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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  What a joy to share practice as if for the first time.  A thread of creativity and playfulness seemed to be woven through our classes today.  How sweet shared happiness can be.

We reflected on how The Three Tenets of the Zen Peacemakers inform our practice and how they can help us respond to the world with open minds and hearts.  The Peacemakers are a worldwide movement of people who practice meditation, do social action as a path of awakening and service. You can learn more about their fascinating story and work at Zen Peacemakers International.

Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s poem, Directions to You, affirms the essence of what it is be consciously alive.  The poem reminds me of how our essential nature is revealed in meditation.

Mary Oliver’s poem, Bone, speaks of the limits of our knowing and the boundlessness of our loving.  Mary’s experience of finding an ancient bone on the beach evokes the long passing of time and the ungraspable nature of the universe. Continue reading →

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we investigated the truth of our experience in the present moment.   If we can bring loving awareness and patient curiosity to experience we can learn a lot about our human condition.  We can cultivate a sense of being grounded and allow perspective to emerge.  Perspective often yields understanding about ourselves and others.  Understanding helps to connect with our inner resources of compassion and loving kindness.

We drew inspiration from David Whyte’s poem Working together.  This poem is drawn from his collection, The House of Belonging.  His poem is a meditation on how we are shaped by the world.  So many of life’s miracles arise from the interplay of what we see and what goes unseen.  The poem reminds me of the many times we choose to trust in life’s ordinary offerings.

We drew from meditation instructor Oren Jay Sofer’s course on mindful communication meditation.  Oren reminds us to be aware of how we approach meditation.  Whatever we practice repeatedly informs the way we approach our life. You can learn more about Oren’s upcoming class: Say What You Mean.

We also heard from, The Conscious Effort True Love Requires, an essay written by meditation instructor Sharon Salzberg. Sharon suggests that challenging our habits, judgments and stories opens the door to loving.

Finally, Philip Booth’s poem, How to See a Deer, Philip Booth describes the qualities we need to see something wild and beautiful:  kindness, interest, patience and curiosity,

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we explored being present for what surfaces in body, heart and mind.  Abiding in stillness allows an intimate awareness of life’s continuous change.  When we feel safe, we can touch this vulnerability within. We can tend to our hearts.

We drew inspiration from poet Jane Hirshfield.  Jane’s poem, Standing Deer, poignantly touches the ephemeral nature of life.  She describes how our hearts fill and empty having to hold onto and then let go of what we love.  Her writing encourages us to bring our awareness and engagement to life so we can receive its fleeting blessings.  Her poem, Ripening, evokes the ease with which can let go and let ourselves care about the world.  As in Standing Deer, we ripen into opening our hearts.

We were encouraged by guiding teacher of Common Ground Meditation Center, Mark Nunberg, to ask questions about caring, belonging and loving.  In his talk, The Teachings in Brief for Troubled Hearts in Troubled Times, he affirms as truth that we are all deserving of these vital experiences.  It is that truth that inspires us to care about the human and more than human world. Continue reading →

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we reflected on the experience of sanctuary:  the inner and outer places where we can restore and renew our spirits.  We refill our hearts we and venture out into the sea of life.  We offer our protection and support to the human and more than human world.  In giving and receiving shelter we become more fully alive.

We drew inspiration from activist and writer Starhawk.  She is founder of Earth Activist Trainings which center round permaculture and sustainability.  She described circles of support in which we experience community.  In community we can speak our passions and be heard.  We can join our strengths to offer protection and support to the human and more than human world.

Mary Oliver’s poem asks Have You Ever Tried to Enter the Black Branches of Other Lives?  Her question is a wonderful invitation to explore stepping out of our domesticity and welcome the wild aliveness of the world.  The poem is from her collection:  West Wind: Poems and Prose Poems.

We also heard Maria Popova’s musings on the courage we can find knowing there are kindred spirits who share our struggles.  Maria is a cultural essayist who brings the wisdom of artists, scientists and writers to the contemporary concerns of our time.  This passage is from her book, Figuring, which is a compilation of her many essays. Continue reading →

The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we felt summer fading and we contemplated the falling leaves.  Deep within every fallen leave is a promise of new life.  This insight blossomed as an exploration of how the leaves, the trees, our bodies are all part of a greater cycle of Life.  As Earth citizens we receive Nature’s gifts.  We have our own gifts to give in reciprocity and practical reverence.

We worked with the last of  Rhonda Fabian’sarticle, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature. The seventh principle: Nature is a system of systems. The seventh practice is participating as citizens of the Earth.

We drew inspiration from Suzy Kassem’s book, Rise Up and Salute the Sun.  Suzy regards herself as a literary rebel.  You can find more of her poetry on her web-site and her blog site. Suzy’s work reminds us that we all have a little bit of the sun and moon inside us.

We drew inspiration from Toni Spencer’s beautiful poem Reciprocal Rhythm.  Toni is a Deep Adaptation Advocate, poet, mentor and teacher.  She “seeks to enable a richer engagement with the ecological, cultural and social issues of our times.”  You can learn more about Toni’s work and her seven week course, Living Deep Adaptation at her web-site.

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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The Yogabliss on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. Today we felt the presence of all our relations.  We contemplated our human and more than human kin.  Nature functions cooperatively in the great community of Earth life.  We sustain our communities with caring. To care is to be vulnerable.  To be vulnerable is to embrace Life.  We plant seeds of caring.  We nurture them with acts of courageous vulnerability.

Our practice was informed by the sixth principle and practice of Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature. The sixth principle: Nature functions cooperatively. The sixth practice is thriving as a community.

We drew inspiration from poet philosopher, David Whyte.  In his beautiful essay on Courage he reminds us that “courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future.”

We heard Planting Instructions by Rev. Margaret Anne Ernst.  Reverend Ernst is a writer, community organizer, and minister ordained in the United Church of Christ.  You can find more of her socially engaged writing on her blog site:  Planted More Deeply.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today felt our appreciation for the simplest most vital things:  “the quiet loyalty” of our breath.  Nature is efficient.  Our breath is given to us by Earth and Oceans.  We are literally breathing the out breath of plants and phytoplankton.  We considered how we, too, might emulate this amazing use of precious resources.

We planted questions like seeds in our hearts:  How can we align ourselves with Earth Wisdom?

Our practice was informed by the fifth principle and practice of Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature. The fifth principle: Nature is efficient. The fifth practice is is limiting consumption and waste.

We drew inspiration from poet philosopher John O’Donohue.  His Morning Offering acknowledges the gifts we are so freely given:  sunrise, time, beauty and consciousness.  He encourages us to live the lives we would love.

Daniel Christian Wahl’s Kosmos Essay, Indigenous to Life, speaks of aligning ourselves with Earth Wisdom.  His excellent essay asks vital questions:  What if we re-perceived who we are and identified more with life as a planetary process of inter-being? What if we aimed for being in right relationship to self, community and life?

What if we focused on our individual and collective potential of being and becoming healing and nurturing expressions of place?

We ended with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s affirmation of our breath and our inter-being.

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning. We contemplated our younger selves.  Experienced receiving life.  Cherished the Life we hold in our hands and our hearts. Nature regenerates and nurtures new life.
It’s up to us to nurture human and more than human life.

We can teach our children appreciation, bonding and deep caring for the more than human world.

Our practice was informed by the fourth principle and practice of Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature. The fourth principle: Nature regenerates and nurtures new life. The fourth practice is cherishing and nurturing the young.

We heard  Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s poem, Please Call Me by My True Names.  Thay recounts the waves of life arriving again and again into our inter-being.  His word portraits convey the joy and sorrow of our human condition.

We also drew from Darcia Narvaez’ Kosmos Journal essay, Reconnecting Children to Nature.  This excellent essay asks which culture we want to build:  “cooperative companionship or competitive detachment.”  Darcia is founder of Evolved Nest which offers scientific support and other resources for creating a culture of global flourishing.  This process starts with the way we nurture our children and the natural world around us.

We ended with poet Mary Oliver’s poem Sleeping in the Forest at Night.  Mary describes her experience of “nestedness” while sleeping on the forest floor.

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