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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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  Today we explored the experience of inter-being.  The magic and miracle of our senses develop in relationship to the world around us.  In slowing down our practice enables us to deeply appreciate this truth and our kinship with all life.  I am so deeply grateful.  The sharing after class affirmed the beauty of our inter-being.

Our practice was informed by the third principle and practice of Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature. The third principle:  Nature expresses innate potential. The third practice is developing empathy for all forms of life.

We drew inspiration from Kim Stafford’s poem, All My Relations.  Kim Stafford is author of many books of poetry and prose.  He was named Oregon’s poet laureate in 2018. He “teaches and travels to raise the human spirit.”

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

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The Yogabliss, Two Rivers/RiverTree Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation classes met this morning.  We explored our willingness to change and learn.  We considered our inclination to learn about the natural world.  We imagined how Earth bears the weight of our activities and choices.  We considered our openness and ability to listen.  We reflected on how we are changed by what we hear and see.

Our practice was informed by the second principle and practice of Rhonda Fabian’s article, Engaged Ecology: Seven Practices to Restore Our Harmony with Nature.  The second principle: Nature adapts and self regulates.  The second practice is being open to learning and change.  In her editorial essay, Our Collective Journey, Rhonda laments the loss of migratory birds.  She affirms our inter-relatedness and encourages us to face the difficult truths of climate change.

We were inspired by Kathleen Raine’s poem:  Change. In Change, Kathleen gives voice to the sun and the moon and calls on us to care for the unknown and the unborn.

Poet philosopher, John O’Donohue’s essay, Rediscovering the Art of Reverence, describes the transformational possibilities of approaching our encounters with reverence.  In bringing our complete presence to who and what we meet we experience our own heart’s light.

We ended with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s poem, Breathing.  Thay evokes the qualities of flowers, mountains, water and space to express our inter-being with the natural world. Continue reading →

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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