Arise

When you've been living entirely in the dark, the wavering light of one candle  is a miracle so gratifying, the idea of a Sun might be too much to conceive. One might stop just at the candle. One might stop just at the Sun. The idea of abiding, steadfast light from Within could be so extraordinary, one might never recognize it. 

A long time ago, I had a dream.  Not like Martin Luther King.  I mean, I was asleep.   This dream contained a message, a stepping stone on my Arise journey path. I was enjoying a conversation with two people I never could have met in "real life."  No, not Jesus or Buddha or Gandhi. Far less impressive, and far less real.  My lively discussion took place around a folding table in a tent with Hawkeye Pierce and B.J. Hunnicutt of M*A*S*H. Yes, it's funny!  But let's focus on the message, not the context.  As I said when explaining what this blog is about,* per Paul Coelho's advice in The Alchemist , " “In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens."  Guideposts can and do appear in odd places. Schmoozing with Hawkeye and B.J., I marveled that there we were, enjoying this time together as peers, yet I was only born in the mid-1950's.  Hawkeye -- or maybe it was B.J. -- told me, "Well, our bodies are made of cells. T...

In high school physical education classes, we did exercises to limber up.  Sitting on the gym floor or the field, with legs extended, we were coached to do repeated forward bends.  The prompt was, “Kiss your knees.” In yoga practice, we sit on our mats, with legs extended, and do forward bends.  The prompt is, “Fold from the hips, leading with your chest.” The spine is to remain straight.  No knee-kissing! Leading with the chest is leading with the heart.  Many yoga postures are designed to open up the heart, the center of compassion. It takes confidence to go through the day with an open heart.  At the postural level, it requires holding the body in a particular way. To prompt proper alignment for postures, yoga instructors will say, “Move your shoulders away from your ears.” In standing postures, they advise, “Lower your shoulders!” or use the metaphor,  “Tuck your shoulder blades into your back pockets.” In practice, and during my day, I b...

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “oasis” as “a  pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult or hectic place or situation.”  So, my yoga mat or meditation cushion is an oasis. I’ve found it helpful to create additional peaceful places. One is my pillow, at bedtime.  As an oasis, my pillow is a place where my mind is not permitted to work or to worry.  If my mind wishes to be active, it must choose pleasant or neutral things.    A walk can be an oasis.  Thich Nhat Hanh describes mindful walking, whereby you “make a contract” with a particular distance you walk every day, such as a staircase or a hallway. “Vow that when you walk that distance every step will be solid and mindful; otherwise you will go back and do it again.  He advises, “Walk with your feet, not with your head.” My workday provides many opportunities to practice this.  I walk to and from my office to various destinations throughout the day.  Si...

in our quiet times alone sometimes we are tempted to wear our worries to the bone feel in the dark, and so alone. why alone? now see yourself reflected in the sunlight! wear it well, and dwell on joys for Love is your true Home.

Practicing asanas, deliberate initiations of movement vs. stillness, does develop an appreciation of the utility of the physical body.  I have legs, feet, arms, hands, and so forth.  I never considered my arms or legs to be my “self,” though. Practicing deep relaxation and meditation, cultivating the “space” between inner experiences, develops a similar appreciation of the utility of the mind.  I can perceive and interpret sensations, emotions, and experiences. I think in words. pictures, and so forth. My mind recalls the past and anticipates the future, able to reconsider, to plan ahead, to imagine things beyond direct experience.  Is my mind my “self”?   More and more, my “self” is experienced as one ray, one photon, of a great Light.   And though the mind is much less obviously material than the body, it seems just as much to be a tool for the Light to participate in, and navigate, the material world. 

A theme of this blog is that enlightenment appears to come in many ways.  Even if you have not set out on a spiritual path, I think glimpses of Universal Wisdom sometimes sprout along your way.  As Ferris Bueller might say, i f you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss them. When I was little more than a child, I wrote this: Humility does not mean being lower than others, but realizing others are not lower than you. Where did that come from?   And here’s some whipped cream for this sundae! Today, in my inbox, I found this post from Center for Healthy Minds: Is Humility the Soil for Happiness to Grow? https://centerhealthyminds.org/join-the-movement/is-humility-the-soil-for-happiness-to-grow May your happiness grow!

The word is ink stains the paper finding the fibers  it spreads darkly illuminating these thoughts I try to share   As a teenager, filled with emotions and ideals, I wrote many poems and songs.  This one still means a lot to me. Indeed, in this very moment, why am I writing these words, if not in an attempt at illumination? But let’s be still for a moment, and focus attention on the most unseen.  The space , between and around the words.  The blank space, unchanging, endless (HERE) and timeless (NOW) that makes the words possible. That spark of potential, the pure essence of Being.                                                                                                           ...

Practicing alignment of the body, breath, and mind increases ability to differentiate between activity and inactivity, activation and stillness. This includes a growing awareness of a constant, unchanging center, building one’s ability to find the eye of the hurricane. No matter what is swirling about the eye of the hurricane, the center is calm and steady. Nestling into this center, it is possible to maintain balance and to detach from discomfort or irritation during a challenging pose. Asana practice that leads to “the eye of the hurricane” supports meditation.  It is possible to sit in unruffled stillness for an extended period of time. This opens space to observe the mind. On my meditation cushion, sometimes I visualize sitting alone in a small boat in the center of a large, calm lake on a beautiful day.  The gentle swaying of the boat has no more movement than my heartbeat.  My steady, sweet breath settles to the lightest touch of a breeze, the barest of ri...