"Taste the beauty of being alive"

This is just one nugget of the thoughts, quotes and conversations that are being shared in my insight meditation series that began one month ago.

I admit that I am so thankful to take the leap and seek out a teacher to guide me through a more mindful way of life. There is a supportive peace in the room which arouses the curiosity and encourages further study of the practice. Yes, some days to sit for 15 minutes has been unproductive (I think, but maybe not) and focus on the breath entering and leaving my nose.  Its amazing how quick your mind can jump ship after three breaths, but the kind manner that you draw yourself back in is therapeutic in its own right; no frustration, no condemning, no 'give up' attitude. 

I believe that one of the most important aspects of a meditation practice is your 'comfortable seat' . If you can't sit comfortably on the floor then sit in a chair with whatever you need such as lumbar pillows, ‘o’ ring cushions, sturdy chair with feet flat on the floor.  If you can sit on the floor with a meditation cushion or bolster but start to fatigue after several minutes, then consider propping yourself against the wall for support and use blankets or a lumbar pillow. Don't allow your seated position to sabotage your meditation. 

Here is an abbreviated list of the books on meditation and mindfulness provided by my teacher for you to explore and fuel the spark of your mediation practice. 

Mindfulness in Plain English. Venerable Henepola Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications, Boston

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness, Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications, Boston

The Meditator’s Atlas: A Roadmap to the Inner World.  Matthew Flickstein, Wisdom Publications, Boston. 

The Experience of Insight, Joseph Goldstein, Shambhala, Boston

Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom by Joseph Goldstein. Shambhala, Boston

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation. Joseph Goldstein & Jack 

Kornfield, Shambhala, Boston

A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life. Jack Kornfield. 

Full Catastrophe Living Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dell Publishing, New York

Wherever You Go, There You Are. Jon Kabat-Zinn 

Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living. Pema Chodron

When Things Fall Apart. Pema Chodron

The Places that Scare You, all three by Pema Chodron, Shambhala, Boston

Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg, Shambhala, Boston.

Insight Meditation Society, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and Sharon Salzberg’s and Joseph

     Goldstein’s Home Pages<http://www.dharma.org/>

Insight Meditation Society is one of the major insight meditation centers in the US. Barre Center is loosely associated with IMS. Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein are two of the founders of IMS and a wonderful teachers.

Spirit Rock Meditation Center<http://www.spiritrock.org/>

Spirit Rock is one of the two major insight meditation centers in the US. 

Life Shared

That’s when the light goes on...

I took this photo Tuesday night just outside my front door because it just struck me in some odd way. I used a soft focus to emphasize the obscurity and struggle that the light appeared to have. Of course, the light still prevailed and illuminated my pitch dark, icy front yard. 

We are in the midst of getting our home ready to list on the real estate market and while we are busy attending to our own punch list, there are these other home issues that are raining down one us. First it’s the leak in the upstairs bath tub, a screaming seven year old washing machine and wall patches in the laundry room that need to be repainted (along with part of the kitchen), and finally-two new roof leaks. These roof leaks sprung up in the same rooms where I had the ceilings painted last spring. So while I am trying to bid out and hire sub contractors for the master bath update and cabinet painting in the kitchen, there are other holes in the dike that need to be plugged quickly... due to the nature of water damage. 

I have to admit that Angie’s List has brought me a great deal of happiness and homeowner repair success, but you can still acquire a dud in the batch. That dud happened to be the sub contractor who updated the kid’s bathroom, so much to my dissatisfaction that I would not give him the job on the master bathroom. With that experience under my tool belt, I decided to ask one of my A+ rated subs for recommendations on this particular project. I called my drywall/ceiling contractor and he gave me the number of his cousin who specializes in this field. Keith had referred me to a painter on one of his jobs when one of his employee had shoulder surgery; the crew was extraordinary and I felt safe with trusting Keith’s word again. 

I put a call into ‘Sledge’ and he arrived this morning to bid out the job. In comparison to my original design plan, Sledge had some great alternate ideas on the update that made functional and aesthetic sense. He also gave me his countertop suppliers name in order visit their shop and scout out remnant stone tops to save money while increasing home value. Somehow we got on the subject of my father (I had gutted and sold my dad’s house two years ago), and told Sledge that my father had Parkinson’s and dementia and my mother is in the severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Unbelievably, Sledge tells me his father had passed away in October from dementia. As I listened to his caregivers story, I began to to realize that God is good at details and directing us to answers and solutions. The light in His wisdom may be the luminosity of fizzling embers in the family room fireplace, or the brightness of the skylight in your kitchen ceiling, but if we trust in the light of God we will see the way. We will also see others He has sent to help and mentor us in the journey and we will likely know who they are from the light that radiates in their hearts. God knows that I don't need an irresponsible jackhole (pardon the french) in charge of these renovations, one that will create worry, delays and added expense, there are more important things that need my attention. This contractor completely understands what is going on in my life and I have confidence that he will do his absolute best on this job. 

I have another contractor coming out this evening to bid the job as well, and for some reason I have a feeling he is going to ‘no show’. I’m not really concerned because I already have entered an appointment into my calendar tomorrow to go down and  find those counter tops and get this project moving, I know who to hire. 

Life Shared

Pursuit of Dhyana

Step Back from the Asana.

Set the New Year on a stable track

“But I’m addicted to it. I have been working on pincha for nine months, I can’t back off now!” Does that response speak to you? During this first quarter of the new year step back from the asana and be still. How? By practicing fewer poses...practicing restorative yoga...practicing seated poses to ground and prepare yourself. And do what? Meditate or meditate more. Why? For the peace, connection, and clarity from meditation feed your spirit and transform your asana practice. Join me in this path of enrolling in an insight meditation course, or some form of mediation workshop even if you meditate at this time. Scout around your local yoga studios as well as the universities and holistic centers to find a workshop near you and enroll in one.

Just as we ‘begin from the beginning’ occasionally in our asana postures, take yourself back to the bottom rung of meditation with a mentor or guide. I have enrolled in a six-week meditation course because I have found the power of attention by stepping back to an environment of simplicity to strengthen me in many ways. I have found this from my own meager (version of meditation for dummies, I suppose) and virtually unguided pursuit of dhyana. But now, I seek more direction and understanding from a mentor who has studied and practiced 

for many years, I guess I also enjoy being a student!

My class begins in two weeks and the enthusiasm is building, but I avoid building expectations. Good or not so, or indifferent, I should have a few blogs to document this adventure. I look forward to hearing about  your journey as well. 

Life Embraced

It's been a while...

My decision not to write was a wise one. 

This fall, I was met with another rough spot in the road...I suddenly lost my mother-in-law and my father had to be moved into an Alzheimer's residence. But when family heart aches occurred earlier in 2012, I thought I could take my time to formulate my thoughts and words about the "senioritis" I was experiencing and blog about them in the coming weeks. I realized that writing about certain events, people and situations are sometimes better left untouched. The potential to harm, expose and hurt people in my life seemed to loom over me, as they may have felt that the family's business was being publicly laundered. 

Throughout 2012, I have observed and witnessed self-destruction and implosions on the blogosphere by numerous bloggers. Their 'bear all to cleanse myself’ about personal moments in their family, matrimonial or professional life back fired by alienating friends, partners, peers and family members. In one particular instance a mommy blogger doesn't back away from the keyboard after her child 'comes out' to the world. Taking some time to absorb and become comfortable with this revelation could have prevented her from blogging the most disjointed, snarky, mindless and scattered jibberish content for more than a month-further discrediting herself. Then there was a post from a yoga teacher/blogger (remember that?) about her sultry hook ups with one of her students, it came off like she was bragging about the conquest.  I quit reading blogs for a while because I felt that the content was turning into episodes on reality TV shows (that I also avoid.)

My blogging intention for 2013 is to do my best to write when appropriate and not force the pen for blogging’s sake. I hope to bring light and humor to those who click on my blog, and hopefully some fascination or intrigue causing readers to seek and dig deeper for more knowledge on the presented subject matter. It’s a lost opportunity if we do not learn something new each day!

Life Simplified-

Sondra

Beaches and Bolsters

You realize you are a seasoned yogi when you open the hotel suite door and spot a bolster on the bed along with a pile of pillows and think...”restorative pose!” The bed full of supportive fluff smiles back at you and whispers “How was that looong car ride? Didn’t have time to stop and really streeetch those legs out?  Too confined for a spinal twiiist? Awwww, poor baby!” This cooing and persuading persists as you survey your temporary digs and check out the ocean view.  

No arm twisting needed, as soon as the husband steps downstairs to take care of business you go to work:

*Blanket on the floor? √

*Bolster under the knees? √

*Pillows stacked to support back and head? √

*Washcloth over the eyes? √

“Siri, set my clock for 5 minutes please.”

Ahhhhhhhhh.

You quickly replace the linens and accurately reset the pillows in place, otherwise your husband would accuse you of having a pillow fight with yourself. Then you muse about how you can sneak that bolster down to the beach.......

Namasté

Prana on the Porch

"Have you practiced #yoga on the front porch of a bed and  breakfast? #imagineit #365yoga"

Tweeted by @neshobayoga

An early morning began with seated pranayama amongst a row of rocking chairs. I then rose and stepped over to the sunlit side of the porch to awaken a downward facing dog and flow through several surya namaskar A’s. I continued with some standing poses and an upright pigeon variation (I squatted deeply and extended my arms laterally while I envisioned a heron perched on a fishing pier.) Savasana was swapped for tadasana with hands poised at anjali mudra for several minutes-to provide myself with a grounded clarity for 

the day.

This grand Victorian Lady presides on an urban Pensacola street corner, it’s been her post for over one hundred years. I can imagine that she has witnessed some unusual events in her city, but has there been anyone else to practice yoga on her porch...or am I the first?

The Double Vision Was Always One

I love Art. It doesn’t matter if it is painting, drawing, sculpture, needle arts, photography or pottery, I love the expression of an individual’s vision and creativity. I also like to meet the creator of such fine work and learn of their background and beginnings into their prospective art form; quite often they are some fascinating stories. 

As a yoga teacher, I do have some creative souls who share their practice with me. I am writing about two in particular, and since it is the summer blockbuster movie season dominated by super heros...I will affectionately call them the dynamic duo. The yogi and yogini are Dale and Brin Baucum of Baucum Pottery in Memphis, Tennessee. “Potters, ok...well that’s a nice hobby”, you say? Not at all, this couple has been spinning the wheel for four decades...it’s their livelihood. The couple met in the spring of 1972 at the Memphis Academy of Arts (now the Memphis College of Art), Brin was focused in photography and Dale was immersed in ceramics. It wasn’t until 1983 that Brin joined Dale in ceramics and began channeling her expression of the relationship between man and nature from photography into clay. From a yogic perspective, it is easy to see how yoga immediately resonated with them. I can just imagine how the turning of the wheel is a moving meditation for both of them, creating such pure beauty while spinning darkness into oblivion.

They have such an impressive portfolio of work that the Dixon Gallery and Gardens  has arranged a “Retrospective in Clay”, displaying pieces of their work over the past 40 years. This exhibit runs through October 14th, 2012, so set aside some time to  explore this as well as two other interesting exhibits and The Dixon Gallery and Gardens.