Greetings! I recently gave a talk on meditation which my husband recorded; we have it posted as an audio and — you may enjoy this:
kindness
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I am teaching a 3 week workshop on Aging as a Spiritual Practice at the Center for Spiritual Wisdom in Brevard. We have an amazing group of elders who are so wise and engaged in this process, I am truly humbled and in awe. I think some of you who are readers of my blog would appreciate the information from our last class.
The invitation in the second class was to review our place in the context of our lineage by entering deeply into the awareness of our mother (for the women)/father (for the men). Imagine living their lives – in their times – under their circumstances. Then zoom up to a birdseye view to observe the patterns of the lineage into which you were born. See how you fit into that, and continue to play out the patterns of your heritage. Notice of that what is helpful/useful – and what you might want to change. You can. This is free will and choice.
The homework for the week was to continue to notice the patterns – and making conscious choices relative to what you see.
Then we wrote – and read – the obituary that might be written for us NOW and most especially we noticed what we wished could have been in there. And, again – realize that now is the time to address that! Choices.
Insights from this class:
All of us feel a certain vulnerability at this time of our lives. If we stay with this – sink deeper into it as an invitation – we can see a way of being that is more honest. More grounded. More real. More truly present with life and those around us. Be very patient; kind to self. All we’ve done has worth. Now we can see/appreciate God’s creation more deeply. By being more quiet, we can invite the Divine in – right in and through us while still on earth.
Paradoxically, while feeling less able to “do”, we can practice more deeply the doing of the Divine through us. It is the will of the ego that is getting weaker here. Don’t fight this. Let it be. Let it rest. Lean into, open up to, allow the breath of the Divine to penetrate more deeply. As we are less ego driven – more present without resistance – we become part of the Gift of God to the planet.
This is the invitation of this time of our Life
Welcome that! Be curious – Let yourself be supported by the Hand of the Divine.
A friend was recently complaining about not being able to have spiritual conversations with her sister. Even though this particular woman isn’t exactly great at communicating, she cares for their mother, volunteers at a number of charities and has sent my friend money when she wasn’t making enough to make ends meet.
I used to think that to be spiritual looked a certain way. I’ve chosen friends and relationships based on whether I felt understood or able to communicate on my own terms. Even worse, I have judged others for the ways they don’t line up with my idea of “spiritually evolved.”
But I wonder.
The image we have of what spirituality should look like – how often do we question that?
My image has mostly centered around an unruffled, peaceful countenance and basically infinite equanimity. Since I and no one I know actually ever quite fits that image it has given plenty of free fodder for the harsh critic in my mind.
I’ve wondered though – where does the raging part of the river fit into that schema? The turbulent waves of a storm?
Aren’t they all part of this – God’s great world?
I also notice that when I embrace every single aspect of what arises in me as – just that- yet another aspect of the creative force at work, I get ever so much (paradoxically) calm about it.
The thing is, when there is room – for it all – we do feel more peaceful. We aren’t trying to push away anything. Which takes energy and creates tension.
This isn’t to say we should not use discernment in who we hang out with or with whom we develop deep relations.
But, sitting in judgment – there’s the boil. When we realize that inherent in their lives, every person is suffering – in some big or small way, it becomes easier to accept them where they’re at. And to accept with equanimity each thing – inner and outer – there is the peace we’ve been seeking.
There truly is room for it all.