When the news is mostly
Bad, and the ground has been
Parched into dust, and tree
Leaves are withered brown with-
Out the solemn beauty
Of Autumn flame. When the
Cycle of dissolution
Doesn’t take the course
Seeming most benevolent.
When it’s been like that:
Cool rain good.
Even though we had real, hard frosts this winter, there are already aphids on my roses. I went out this morning and picked the aphids off of the new buds — yes, my roses are budding. It was too cold to stay out long, but I did a little weeding and planted a couple of pots of pansies.
I was thinking about how I garden in my tiny space — using my fingers to take the aphids off of each rose bud, pulling up individual weeds between new plants in containers, choosing to let some volunteers come up between bricks because it expands my planting area. How different it would be if I even had a small yard by suburban standards. It would not be possible to attend to all the detail that I see, unless I were to spend every waking hour in the garden. If I had an acre, it would take three full-time gardeners to attend without tools and sprays the small things I touch by hand.
It seems we make our world as big or as small as we want it. My tiny garden is as much a universe for me as a gardener as would be an acre garden — though of course I cannot grow sprawling things like melons and potatoes and fruit trees.
But the fullness of how much I see and experience, how much calls out for love and attention, how much I am enriched by tending and observing what is there, is not diminished by what I do not have. Rather, I am called to expand to the greatest what I have within my limits. This is true, too, in our yoga and meditation practice, and our lives. We can choose to live expansively no matter what our limits or we can choose to feel bound and diminished by our limits. The garden, this morning, helped me remind myself of that choice. It helped me turn towards possibilities for growth instead of towards constriction.
At Eastern Market metro stop in a patch of brown grass surrounded by concrete–brave and bold these delicate yet hardy blooms.
My long-time friend and yoga/meditation buddy Suzanne Lynch extended a warm invitation to lead a practice on her nascent on-line yoga and wellness platform for the next difficult several weeks, and feeling a strong need for such myself and a calling to make offering, I extend the invitation to you:
On-Line Practices October 17-November 28, 2020–Saturday Mornings from 8:30 to 9:45am with Suzanne Lynch Wellness
Please join me, Suzanne, and her wonderful group of practitioners to focus time to maintain our collective grounding so we can better be of service to others, while taking care of ourselves. Practices will be omni-level, with the intention of being inclusive for all bodies (and a warm welcome to feed back to help make it more so) and will include intentional movement and asana, breath and body awareness explorations, meditation, perhaps a dance move here and there, and the connection that comes from live classes–even if by video.
To participate in the practices, you will need to become a member on Suzanne’s website, which requires a monthly fee. In addition with practice with me (at $27 a month, that works out to about $7 a practice, even if you were only to do practices led by me, but I expect you would do more; Suzanne offers 12 live asana practices a month, plus live meditation twice a week, and access to videos for all practices. I like Suzanne’s classes, and those of you who have practiced with me will recognize shared points of practice and teaching methodology.
To sign up, go to Suzanne Lynch Wellness and register for the Reset for Resiliency course. Your code for the special rate of $27 per month (you can cancel any time) is: Elizabeth27. Any challenges signing up, please contact customer service through the SGL website. Any profits that are attributable to my leading these practices will be donated to causes that serve justice and equality and wellness for all.
Hope to connect with many of you.
I’m a nontheist. I therefore reinterpret this quote through such a filter to meld with and inspire my own spiritual engagement. Does this speak to you?
