Urban Wildlife

I’ve been told that the tantric yoga masters said everything is the emanating light of consciousness with a capital “C” (prakasha) and through certain esoteric practices we can come to know ourselves as reflecting back on (vimarsha) this exquisite light. Then we can experience the sublimity of oneness.
Intentional stillness makes reflections easier to witness. And so we sit. And we can reorient our whole view of the world and recognize the emanating light reflected in the play of patterns from our individual and relational embodied dances. And sometimes a trio of dogs and a pond just make a great opportunity for a photo essay.
This morning I stayed in bed after the alarm sounded and listened to the rain. It was peaceful and pleasant, but it was not meditation.
Listening to the rain made me extra glad to have spent so much of the weekend in the garden. The new plants are drinking up the fresh water and will almost soar when the warm sun returns at the end of the week.
Thinking about how the garden will flourish because I laid the ground to enable it to get the best of the rain and the sun inspired me to get up and take my meditation seat, even though I was late. It is practicing consistently that lays the ground for us to be ready to have the fullest, most joyous, and most optimal experience of ourselves, the world, and our spirit whatever comes and whenever it comes.
Today I harvested herbs to dry (lemon balm, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage). I froze a pint of garlic chive blossoms, made a green jerk sauce, a basil-garlic chive pesto–most went into the freezer, the rest I will eat in the next week or so. I started a mint liqueur and today’s bean harvest, yielded a pint of fresh beans that I put into the freezer. And I started stringing chili peppers to dry. I found it soothing and meditative.



Lights for Liberty, Lafayette Park, July 12, 2019