Ruminations from the Temple

[This was written back in May of 2018 for a discussion posting for my master's program. I thought it was worthwhile to revisit. It is a good reminder how quickly things change and why it is important to maintain a committed mindfulness practice.] "And what is the all that is burning?" The only way to know if progress is being made is through trial. We show that we have the appropriate depth of knowledge through the fire of finals and we demonstrate our consistent, persistent practice and study through the flames of life. We move through a world that is burning. I live far enough away from family that they don’t expect me to show up for every crisis. But yesterday, I needed to go, and everything was burning. "Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?” In 2010 my mother, of blessed memory, passed away. As it happened, my father and a close family friend, Connie, whose husband had died a year or so prior, got together. For the p...

Speak only if it improves the silence. ~Mahatma Ghandi (and Zen saying) " Silence soothes us and brings us back to present moment.  Today take time to be silent, just breathe and honor the here and now."

All beings are the owners of their intentions, actions, and results. Their level of happiness depends upon their actions, not on my wishes for them. May we all accept things as they are. May we be undisturbed by the comings and goings of events. I care for you but cannot keep you from suffering. I wish you happiness but cannot make your choices for you. No matter what I wish for, things are as they are. It seems to me that there are two sides to the concept of equanimity: dealing with our own expectations and reactions to happenings, and holding a balanced view of happenings in the lives of others. I have a long history of suffering for others and have struggled to maintain balance. I have tried to help, advise, make way, bear their burden, ‘take the hit,’ and be available to all who are in need, often to my own detriment. It is my intention for the above mantras to become so familiar and practiced that they will become my go-to response to the pain, suffe...

It is so pleasant to be able to get outside after, what seems like, such a lengthy winter. I have taken more time this last week to just sit outside. I have been enjoying meditation in different parts of my garden listening to the birds, hearing the wind chimes, and watching the ducks. I can’t imagine not being grateful for the moment – practicing metta for all that is around me is a natural response. May all the animals find what they need to nest, may the plants thrive in the sun, may the peace I feel now sustain me through times of stress and unrest. Just being in the garden, mindfully considering the springtime rebirth, is refreshingly healing after such a stretch of weather that takes your breath away and chases you back inside the house. Chuck and I have been taking more walks in the fresh air and sunshine – we have naturally made them into more of walking meditation. Just quietly and mindfully walking allows time to note the sounds and sensations within as we stroll alo...

our view of the world It has been 7 months since I graduated and we moved to the coast. It is idyllic, really, as you can imagine. It is quiet, and it rains quite a bit, which often keeps visitors to our little resort town away. Living in a little town you are forced to make your own lifestyle - the town will not provide it for you. This is very unlike where we moved from. We made the two-hour trek to our old stomping grounds yesterday. But, as we sped closer to more populated areas, I started to feel the tension creep into my shoulders and down my back. My now-accustomed relaxed state of mind was slipping away to make room for the overstimulated state I experienced the majority of my life. It used to be so normal, but now it feels like such a uncomfortable blanket being draped across my shoulders sucking away what peace and equanimity I have worked to build. In the South-Sound area, the traffic is always an issue - so competitive and crowded. There is just not enoug...

I am in week 6 of my first semester of a master's degree program in Mindfulness Studies. As part of the Theory class, the professor assigned reflection and analysis of our practice, as it stands now. This is my reflection.  I started setting time aside for a committed practice prior to the term starting. I knew it would be required, so I figured that I should just get a start on it as soon as possible. So, after our move, getting settled, and recovering from graduation, I got serious about meditation. I picked up my yoga practice again in earnest, since it had fell by the wayside in my sprint towards graduation. But, it wasn’t until we started class that it really sunk in that I was building something consistent and enduring, as opposed to a hit-and-miss hobby or comfort measure in times of crisis. As I reflect on these past 6 weeks of meditative practice, I realize I have become comfortably addicted to what has become a morning ritual. Upon awakening, instead of lying in ...

I suggest reading THIS . Then, add her blog to your blogroll. Next, follow her advice. I certainly have. I challenge my readers to abstain from social media (facebook/twitter/______) for one week. Take back your life. Quit feeding the monster.

This simple question has been bouncing around in my brain for the past day or so after it was posed by a social media friend. The question begs an answer, and several friends came forward quickly and claimed their beliefs confidently. I, on the other hand, considered it less of an opportunity to proclaim my lack of doubt in a deity and more of something to chew on it for a bit. What do I believe? In my history I have worn many labels. When I wanted to raise my children in the church, I took on the label of a Christian, even without fully knowing all that the label entailed. After a decade of wearing that label, I removed that one and took on another – Messianic Jew. Another set of rules, another group of people all wearing the label proudly, and another decade. And in that wearing of the label was buried my beliefs. The strange thing is that not all individuals who wear a particular label actually believe the same things. My fledgling beliefs and curiosity about religious dogma...

I am an HSP, a highly sensitive person. I am also what is called an empath. This is my experience. I take on these labels readily because it helps me understand my self and explains why I react in certain ways. I don't expect other sensitives or empaths to share my experience, and I don't consider myself an expert, other than through my own experience - this is the story of a subject-set of one . This is also my response to the many online articles and self-tests that may or may not determine whether one is highly sensitive or empathic. It has become rather vogue or faddish, it would seem, to label oneself these things. I understand - we are all in search of self-identity and self-awareness. You may see yourself in my description and experiences, perhaps not. It is my hope that my personal experience of 50 years will shed some light on the life of a sensitive-empath. Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, nor a scholar on this subject matter. I encourage all to do th...

If you haven't yet heard of the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM), surely you will soon. This method has been around for a long time, and I know even the inhabitants of the Ancient Near East used oil as a body cleanser and beautifier. So, the premise is that soap and chemicals strip and dry the skin, as well as result in sensitivities over time. The consequences of stripping the skin of its protective skin oils can lead to acne, itchiness, extreme dryness, eczema, premature aging, and more. In my ongoing effort to combat all of these nasties (yes, I do suffer!), I am giving the Oil Cleansing Method a try. my new cleansing routine - no chemicals! To further research this well-attested method, check out these links: Oil Cleansing Method Trying and Troubleshooting OCM Oil Cleansing Method on Acne.com Everything You Wanted To Know about OCM on Reddit Alright, are you convinced yet?? Yeah...I was, too! So, here is what I'm doing. I have been using a Clarisonic too...

is this the definition of what it means to be masculine? I will assume that you may not have heard this song before, but it is worthy of a listen. When I heard it on satellite radio, it was intro'd by the artist saying that he was so excited to perform it in concert. Well, hell yeah...doesn't it have all the markings of a perfect party-concert song? Let's take a peek at the lyrics and see what the song is really saying, shall we? "That's My Kind Of Night" sung by Luke Bryan I got that real good feel good stuff Up under the seat of my big black jacked up truck Rollin' on 35s Pretty girl by my side You got that sun tan skirt and boots Waiting on you to look my way and scoot Your little hot self over here Girl hand me another beer, yeah! All them other boys wanna wind you up and take you downtown But y ou look like the kind that likes to take it way out Out where the corn rows grow, row, row my boat Floatin’ down the Flint River, cat...

It has been a long, arduous road. Since I made the decision to be a part of organized religion, some 20 years ago or so, it has been a very interesting journey. And now...now that I have broken the bonds of obligation, judgment, and guilt, I am finally free . My mother saw it coming. I just want to put that in writing somewhere, although I wish she could see it. Long before her passing, she questioned my involvement in a religious congregation. Oh, she most certainly believed in the Most Holy G-d of the Universe, without question. What she didn't have any faith in was the people who gather in His Name. "You are going to get hurt, Liz. No really, listen...I've walked this road myself, and it was painful." As usual, she was right. Even with that warning, I was unprepared for what awaited me. The sheer shallowness and aloof judgement was something it took me all those 20-ish years to wrap my head around. And here is the crux of the matter: just because I make ev...