She Let Go

This really touched me today.  Floated into my awareness and stayed with me all day .. and so I am sharing with you.  The reading in the video is by Michiko .. the poem is ..

She Let Go
by Reverend Safire Rose 

She let go
She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go. She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it. She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go. She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

*In meditation we are constantly learning to 'let go' .. and that is all we need to do .. just. let. go.

the message today ..

Amazing photography from Aquabumps

'The clear blues of Lembongan Island, Bali today'

JUST

LET

GO!

to breathe and be

It only takes a reminder to breathe, 

a moment to be still, 

and just like that,

something in me settles, softens, 

makes space for imperfection. 

The harsh voice of judgment drops to a whisper

and I remember again that life isn’t a relay race;

that we will all cross the finish line;

that waking up to life is what we were born for.

As many times as I forget,

catch myself charging forward

without even knowing where I’m going,

that many times I can make the choice to stop,

to breathe, and be, 

and walk slowly into the mystery. 

[by Donna Faulds]

The sound of the bell ...

This sweet Meditation video continues to be one of the most inspiring and gentle of reminders to me .. of the magic of meditation .. and I am transported to a quieter and stiller place.

The magic of silence ...

I am often asked about going on a meditation retreat .. and 'what about those 10-day silent retreats' I keep getting asked? are they any good?

I have completed a number of one and two day silent retreats, and one day soon plan to tick off the Vipassana 10 day retreat .. even a day of silence can be pretty intense and challenging .. and enlightening.  After a long period of sitting, listening, observing, being distracted, returning and being distracted again (a thousand times over) all in silence, alone, with oneself .. we find that our mind does almost blow open and therein lies the magic.

MeiMei Fox (author and freelance editor, who also writes for The Huffington Post)recently posted a great video '10 Ways Meditation Can Change Your Life' ..a “light-hearted day-by-day recounting of my first Vipassana experience"

“Even if you’re terrified, even if you have no interest in being a monk and you’re not an extremist by nature, I know that sitting in silence for 10 days will blow your mind".

MeiMei has attended three such silent retreats .. “And when you come out the other side, you will feel a tremendous sense of freedom. You will know, really know in your heart, that you are your own master. This practice dos not rely on belief in any gods, trust in any higher power, or the blessings of any guru or teacher. It is simply about you learning to tame your own wild mind. How incredibly liberating is that?”

Mindfulness to start the day

Bondi Red 6am Monday 7th May 2012 from Acquabumps Surf Photography

Starting the day.  Mindfully.  Having a morning routine certainly helps me in finding my 'flow'.  I have spoken previously about some of my morning rituals here.  Sometimes just watching the sun rising, my daughter breathing still asleep, listening to the birds wake each other up .. all provide a moment of mindfulness before the days activities begin.

Sometimes it is grey outside, too cold to get up, too many jobs awaiting my attention.

This is when a morning mindfulness routine is such a blessing.

And part of my routine (the fun part) is to spend the first few minutes of each morning, prior to starting my 'work', looking at the beautiful images from Aquabumps.  Bondi.  Ahh.  Sydney-siders who have found their perfect morning mindfulness routine to include bare feet in cold sand, the smell of wax and wet wetsuits, salt on the skin, sun on the face .. the blue blue rolling water.  Puts everything into perspective.

Just a few minutes spent resting with images that inspire and calm.

Like this one yesterday.

Appreciating the amazing wonder and beauty of mother nature.

Taking a breath and just observing.

http://www.aquabumps.com/

Om Shanti Shanti (Peace .. Peace)

Sad news this morning that Dr David Simon passed away today.

Co-founder of the Chopra Center, Ayurveda master, and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine .. and of course, loved friend, colleague, father and husband .. over the years I have spent many hours listening to his meditation instruction and reading his wise words.

From Deepak this morning a few beautiful lines from the poet David called “my beloved Hafiz”:

The Sun Never Says

Even
after
all this time
the sun never says to the earth,
“You owe me.”
Look
what happens
with a love like that —
It lights the whole world.

Words from the Chopra Centre at http://www.chopra.com/files/rememberingdavid.html

Om Shanti Shanti

'My body travels. I never leave home'

About a year ago I chased down Sarah Wilson’s blog because I loved her weekly column in Sunday Life magazine .. a weekly journey to finding out how to have a better life.

And I love reading her blog because there is so much interesting ‘stuff’ out there in the world that Sarah shares with us, in such a way that I am intrigued, challenged and broadened, and also because I am a little in awe of her ‘better life’ .. a life that I dream about when I am tediously tired of my own (lately .. often) . eg. Sarah is currently living in Byron Bay (swoon) after de-camping from her Sydney beachside home, garage sale-ing most of her possessions in line with ‘better life’ de-cluttering (swoon) .. she rides a vintage bike about Byron, and has a deep and passionate interest in food and eating for wellness .. and is tucked away birthing a new book (double swoon – tucked away and writing a book).  Then of course she gets to meet, research and write about amazingly interesting people (for work!). I think she is ‘living the dream’ .. but I digress.

What I wanted to share here .. were some words of wisdom that emerged from Sarah’s recent meeting with Deepak Chopra.  When Sarah asked Deepak how he manages it all .. the appearances, the travel, the writing, the computer games (another story altogether!) .. Deepak said:

“My body travels. I never leave home.”

And that is so brilliant! A little like a new mantra (although it also sounds  a little like a New Age car sticker) .. but these words totally resonated. This is something I ‘know’ and believe. This is what meditation has shown me.  MEDITATION is said to come from two Latin words; ‘medio’ which means CENTRE and ‘sto’ meaning TO STAND; so in meditation we learn to stand in our centre. When we are truly in our centre, then we can stand in the thick of life, in amongst the busyness, noise and competing demands .. grounded in the understanding of self and stillness within.

We might be in ‘the eye of a tornado’ but meditation shows us that we need never leave home; wherever the body might be travelling, consciousness can stand in that centre of absolute peace and calmness.

I love it when words of wisdom jump out at us .. at the most unexpected times.

Read more at Sarah Wilson’s blog at http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/

Easter Gift

A wonderful quote to meditate on this Easter .. thank you to the blog Love More Fear Less

my practice isn't working

From one of my favourite bloggers .. finely targeted, heartwarming and wise words that pop into my inbox most days and inspire me to keep breathing and practicing! Thanks you Karen Maezen Miller - find her here

my practice isn’t working

If my practice doesn’t make me more tolerant, humble,
and generous,
my practice isn’t working.
If my practice doesn’t make me more respectful, loving, and
sympathetic,
my practice isn’t working.
If I can’t forgive and forget
begin again
stop, drop
turn around
wake up
say hello say goodbye
be kind be quiet be still
listen laugh
cry it out
give it time
sit down stand up
get over myself
smile
admit I don’t know
then my practice isn’t working.
If I’m not less cynical, less critical, less arrogant, less mean
then my practice isn’t working.
If my practice doesn’t fill me with wonder, gratitude,
fearlessness, faith and trembling doubt
my practice doesn’t work.

Does my practice work?
Only when I practice.
Let’s do it. Soon.

The Breath is Life's Teacher

This beautiful poem was written by Donna Martin .. and she tells me the poem came to her in a meditation some years ago. My own meditation practice is grounded in the breath and this lovely poem is a timely remind of the beauty and power of the breath. Donna has given me kind permission to reprint here and you can find out more about Donna (who is a Hakomi therapist, stress management consultant and speaker based in Canada) at http://www.donnamartin.net/.

THE BREATH IS LIFE'S TEACHER

Observe me, says the Breath, and learn to live effortlessly in the Present Moment.
Feel me, says the Breath, and feel the Ebb and Flow of Life.
Allow me, says the Breath, and I’ll sustain and nourish you, filling you with energy and cleansing you of tension and fatigue.

Move with me, says the Breath, and I’ll invite your soul to dance.
Make sounds with me and I shall teach your soul to sing.
Follow me, says the Breath, and I’ll lead you out to the farthest reaches of the Universe, and inward to the deepest parts of your inner world.

Notice, says the Breath, that I am as valuable to you coming or going… that every part of my cycle is as necessary as another… that after I’m released, I return again and again… that even after a long pause – moments when nothing seems to happen – eventually I am there.

Each time I come, says the Breath, I am a gift from Life. And yet you release me without regret… without suffering… without fear.
Notice how you take me in, invites the Breath. Is it with joy… with gratitude…? Do you take me in fully… invite me into all the inner spaces of your home? …Or carefully into just inside the door? What places in you am I not allowed to nourish?

And notice, says the Breath, how you release me. Do you hold me prisoner in closed up places in the body? Is my release resisted… do you let me go reluctantly, or easily?

And are my waves of Breath, of Life, as gentle as a quiet sea, softly smoothing sandy stretches of yourself….? Or anxious, urgent, choppy waves…? Or the crashing tumult of a stormy sea…?

And can you feel me as the link between your inner and outer worlds… feel me as Life’s exchange between the Universe and You? The Universe breathes me into You… You send me back to the Universe. I am the flow of life between every single part and the Whole.

Your attitude to me, says the Breath, is your attitude to Life. Welcome me… embrace me fully. Let me nourish you completely, then set me free. Move with me, dance with me, sing with me, sigh with me… Love me. Trust me. Don’t try to control me.

I am the Breath.
Life is the Musician.
You are the flute.
And music – creativity – depends on all of us.
You are not the Creator… nor the Creation.
We are all a part of the process of Creativity…

You, Life, and me: the Breath.

(thank you Donna for sharing your words)

Nourishment for your meditation

So exciting .. this week (and way ahead of schedule) arrived my box of new books! I simply couldn't wait to open up and indulge .. and while I tried to focus on the 'work' I had to do, it was inevitable that I would be drawn away. I snuck outside and started reading .. drawn to 'Hand Wash Cold' and the sunshine beckoning .. yes bright blue sky and sunshine has arrived in Melbourne this week.

I thought I might share with you what I purchased, and later I will share some thoughts on each book. It is so important to keep nourishing our interest in meditation and reading about another's journey can be inspiring (that's why I loved doing the Focus On series .. see here .. sharing our meditation journey).

Hand Wash Cold : care instructions for an ordinary life by Karen Mazezen Miller
"It's easy to think that meaning, fulfillment, and bliss are "out there," somewhere outside of our daily routine. But in this playful yet profound reflection on awareness, the compelling voice of a contemporary woman reveals the happiness at the bottom of the laundry basket, the love in the kitchen sink, and the peace possible in one's own backyard" .. visit Karen at www.karenmaezenmiller.com (and read her inspiring blog)

Momma Zen : walking the crooked path of motherhood by Karen Maezen Miller
I had to purchase Karen's first book too .. "Drawing on her experience as a mother and on her years of Zen meditation and study .. charting a mother's growth beyond naive expectations and disorientation to finding fulfillment in ordinary tasks and developing greater self-awareness and self-acceptance".

Learning to Breathe : One Woman's Journey of Spirit and Survival by Alison Wright
Award-winning photojournalist Alison Wright travelled around third world countries as part of her work, then one afternoon her bus collided head-on with a logging truck in rural Laos and her life changed forever. "Drawing upon her years of meditation practice, she concentrated on each breath she took .. determine not to give up".

Will I get any work done this week?

Inspired by .. Mama-Om

There is something greater and purer

Than what the mouth utters

Silence illuminates our souls

Whispers to our heart

and brings them together.

~ Kahlil Gilbran

Some days, in my cyber-wanders, I literally trip over little gems of wisdom .. hidden just beneath the surface of day to day life. Meandering along, dipping in and out, and then woops I trip .. and have to stop and think a moment. Contemplate. Be still. A converging of thought, a synchronistic occurrence .. and so I think I will start an 'Inspired by .. ' post .. for these magical moments.

Mama-Om spoke today of her Begin with Silence days .. having experienced a silent retreat (Vipassana tradition) she decided to bring 'home' the experience to her actually family home life. So the family now embraces some 'Begin with Silence' days .. an intention to try to start those days, and all the interactions and tasks of the day, with silence. More than just not talking .. this mindfulness practice allows us some spaciousness to just 'be' with others (and ourselves) and stop filling the house/mind with chatter and babble. When we do move in silence we can listen more deeply and openly to others .. and also 'hear' why perhaps we talk so much (and our motivation for talking so much).

I too like silence .. more and more as I grow older .. there is an centeredness in silence that I yearn for. I have spoken previously of those Golden Moments of Silence when 'more than just holding our tongue we listen for the softest, most subtle sound of all - the sound of the soul'. In meditation 'rather than straining to quiet the mind .. we can simply relax into the quiet that contains the mind' Silence and Listening.

Mama-Om's post has inspired me to speak with my bella ... she's reluctant (as a teenager can be to everything) .. but I shall start and see how we go with a Begin with Silence day tomorrow .. will you try too? .. tell me how it goes.