Eternal Expressing

So many people have expressed astonishment that I would actually enjoy a week-long silent meditation retreat. I admit that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but silence—to my heart—is golden. 

I treasure the deeper seeing that occurs naturally. For example, the awe that I felt when I saw these two dandelions growing side-by-side in the labyrinth. They were the only two in the whole area, and instantly, I was aware of the profound reality present in the old is the new not yet come. 

The theme of the week was Self or No Self. Imagine my shock when I crawled into my bunk the first night, looked up at the bottom of the top bunk and saw dozens of eyes looking back at me! 

In meditation training, it is said, "The one who is aware of anger is not angry." As I was drifting off to sleep, I wondered who is the "I" looking, and who is the "I" being seen?

While we might argue these ideas until the cows come home, it is very simple to experience truth beyond ideas when  you are intentional to notice the ego perspective and do as Jill BolteTaylor describes as stepping right of your left brain. She is the author of My Stroke of Insight, and if you have not yet seen her amazing Ted talk, check that out. 

I am slowly settling back into a routine here at home, but I am being very intentional to integrate the expanded mindfulness my week of silent mediation gifted me with. 

For today, let me remember you can see the eternal expressing itself in the impermanent moment-by-moment. It is so reassuring to know this is the truth of each of our lives.

The Better For It

I was sitting out on the Zen walkway, sipping a cup of tea with a dear friend. Our sharing naturally included reports of many of those we "hold energy" for: friends and family, folks personally known or those who have come into our hearts and minds via the many-threaded web of our intentionally conscious life. 

I mentioned one dear friend, Bernie, having recently been in the hospital with pneumonia—having complications including MRSA. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is far-too-often contracted in a health-care facility. It is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Nancy got quiet… then she said, "What is your sense of this challenging time with all this?" 

"You mean with antibiotic resistant infections? With all the challenges?" I queried. 

"All of it," Nancy nearly whispered as the hummingbirds zipped around the feeder hanging just a few feet from where we were sitting. 

My heart felt soft. Just looking around at those in my immediate sphere of influence could bring tears to your eyes unless you can see the bigger picture. "Was it not just in the 1940's that antibiotics were first used on humans? We have been in a pattern of fighting against. We know that when you pick up a stick, you pick up both ends…" 

Nancy nodded her head, and we sat in silence for a few moments before talking a bit about how each of us can meet challenges with unlimited optimism and faith. Nancy told me earlier that morning she had heard Oprah Winfrey speak of Maya Angelou's having taught that message to all blessed enough by grace to hear. 

This morning I am listening to Maya's memorial service for myself. Oprah shared a time she had called Maya, hysterically crying about something so devastating at that moment, but the subject of which Oprah cannot even recall now. Maya immediately spoke truth and wisdom that has benefits for each of us today. 

Maya's beautiful words:

Stop it.

Stop it, now!

Stop your crying now.

Stop and say thank you, because whatever it is, you have the faith to know that God has put a rainbow in the clouds, and you're going to come out on the other side of whatever it is the better for it.

How will we humans navigate the current and coming rough waters of our individual and collective lives? 

We can navigate with enough faith to know that God has put a rainbow in the clouds, and we are going to come out on the other side the better for it. 

Rainbow Flying photo from my dear friend, Dahlis Roy.

Make Friends

"Let me take some time each day to look within the self and experience the beauty of my inner qualities," is the thought for the day that accompanied this photo:

This photo and the words were such a timely message, as I had just spent yesterday in a silent meditation retreat with a small group of others. In some unspoken (yet understood) way, each of us—including our retreat facilitator—was there to do just that: Make friends with yourself.

Even before I left the house, the content for my process was showing up. A friend who was supposed to attend sent an email message: "Too little sleep. Too much driving. Not coming today, have a blessed day." 

Then, as I was shutting down my phone, ready to give my attention to the inner world, a text from my sister saying she would not be coming to the Holistic Alliance reunion the following day. Her stated reason, "Looks like most of the people I would like to see are not going."

The fertile soil of my soul searching had been planted, and my unshed tears watered the ground. Stinking thinking was the manure of rapid growth. The warmth of love in the room gave energy to the hell-of-my-own-making as I translated my sister's message to "nobody I am interested in seeing." 

Monkey mind was off and running wildy.Would I give it the keys to my heart?

In the sacred (and safe) container of the days meditation, I had the gift of choice to hold my inner being with compassion rather than to play the role of abuser and neglector my ego had already assigned to my friend and to my beloved sister. I had the opportunity to feel my own disappointment at not having the blessing of sharing time and experience with those I loved. 

The door was open to self freedom, and it also offered grace to the others in my life.

Thank you, Lisa Zucker, for being such a wonderful teacher/learner. It is a humbling role we each play each and every day….