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.

Relaxed Reflection

Thank you for being part of our circle of loving kindness . . .  We can imagine our circle is one of many circles practicing kindness . . . compassion . . . caring. . . . acceptance . . . tolerance . . . Now as we begin to reenter our communities and real life activities we need these qualities more than ever.  Human beings need to feel belonging and connection, wellness and safety, happiness and ease.

In the stillness of our practice we become like Earth’s fertile soil . . . Even when nothing seems to be happening, life is happening. Stillness is a form of action . . . in the rests and the pauses growing and healing are happening.   This beautiful Spring reminds us of life’s persistency as trees and animals awaken from winter’s sleep.  Stillness readies us to re-enter the world.

We can reflect on how Earth holds all beings human and more than human beings. Reflect on how Earth is held in a solar system and a vast universe. We all are interconnected. Our bodies . . . Earth, . . . Sun and stars, are composed of the same matter—the same basic particles, joined in different ways. Feeling into that sense of connection and interconnection that we are all made of stardust. Each and everyone of us belong here . . . we are part of it all.  All are part of us.  

Each and everyone of us . . . breathing in and out in this moment . . . receiving the grace of the universe . . . this precious life. . . All are deserving . . . all are worthy . . . of breath . . . of belonging . . . of safety . . . of wellness . . . of happiness . . . of ease . . .   In our loving kindness practice we wish these blessings for all beings . . .  

Being alive and awake brings awareness . . . Awareness holds everything: our blessings and our suffering.  We live with the knowledge of the human and more than human beings who struggle.  We learn of their struggles and hope for their well being.  Right now we can reflect on those who are touching our hearts.  Bring to mind a person or people, a more than human being who may be struggling . . . perhaps they need health and wellness, safety and sanctuary . . . belonging and happiness.  You can visualize them or sense their presence.  You can wish for their happiness – may you be happy . . . may you be healthy . . . may you be safe . . . . . . may you live with ease . . . may you know belonging.

We can think of them as we hear the words of Bhavya, a poet on All Poetry:

A sense of belonging

We belong in our belongingness.
When conversations run deep,
deep and then deeper until words become echos and echos transform to a healing silence.
When music brings us lyrics,
lyrics that stir the strings of our beings
in a rhythm that resonates, sometimes piercingly, sometimes gently, healing unfailingly.
We belong in that belongingness.
When you acknowledge me in you and I acknowledge you in me.
When barriers turn into bridges,
When we help each other evolve.
When ego dissolves,
When love surrounds and peace engulfs,
When there is nothing to prove but a yearning to piece up the scattered blocks of the puzzle to see the whole picture.
We belong in our belongingness.
When you and I dissolve and a greater we evolves.

As our body meets Earth’s body we gradually shift from doing to being . . . Earth offers us her body.  She supports our breathing . . . our living . . . She freely offers us the meeting places of our belonging.  We meet in deepening conversations whose echoing words transform to a healing silence.  We meet in poetry, in music and lyrics in healing resonance.  We meet in meditation circles all around the world – part of the boundless living circles around the world.  

We practice to steady our minds and open our hearts.  When the mind is settled we can sense how we are held in awareness just as we are held by Earth. When we attend to our bodies, attend to our breathing we can offer loving attention as a way of holding and being held.  Awareness and Earth abiding . . . 

We can practice being held.  Starting where we are . . . on the chair, the cushion, the bed or the floor – the shelter of our homes.  Can you feel them beneath you, holding you up, surrounding you?  Can you relax just a little bit more into the support you’re given?  Can you enjoy the next effortless in-breath . . . and out-breath?

We can call to mind the many things enabling us to live . . . the comfort of our homes, the nourishment of our food, a simple cup of tea . . . We can follow the currents of support as they course through our bodies . . . Can we abide within those inner places of safety?  Naturally our loving aspirations arise that all beings know comfort and safety.  That all beings enjoy nourishment and support.  As Bhavya writes when we acknowledge ourselves in each other “barriers turn into bridges . . . we help each other . . . love surrounds and peace engulfs.”

Hospice carer, teacher and author Frank Ostaseski suggests that :

. . . . when we feel the safe holding environment of awareness embracing us, it allows our fear, pain, and ugliness to come out and show themselves and to be gently held without judgment so that they can be healed.  We feel the support and courage to go beyond our previously limiting beliefs. . . .

Feel how you are held . . . There is nothing more you need to do, nowhere you have to go, and no one you have to be.  Just being held in the heart of kindness and letting be.  And just as we are being held and nurtured . . . we can cultivate a loving awareness and our feelings can belong.  Together we can take the small and large steps so that other humans and more than humans can belong.