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    A Black Rat Snake

    I have not picked up a snake since junior high when I was old enough to begin working and the days playing in streams and ponds pretty much came to an end. It’s not something one forgets. And today, there was a black rat snake in the garden (Note: they are harmless and eat small rodents.)

    By the time I noticed what was going on, it he snake was completely terrified from having been pulled out from under some heavy farm equipment with a rake. The goal was to bring it to the woods behind the garden, but first to make sure it did not get caught in the machinery.

    I invited myself into the fray, gently and securely held the snake about an inch below its head, invited its release from below the rake, and then gave it my other arm for it to wrap around, and it hugged me around my back and to the top of the arm that was holding its head.

    Someone else opened the garden gate and I went into the trees and released it into the underbrush. I doubt it helped that I talked softly to it, acknowledging its fear, and apologizing for dislocating it.

    It felt like an honor to have this short dance. The musky odor was not so nice; I also appreciated it as a very cool super power.

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    Prop or Crutch

    “Liberty” is again encased in scaffolding, though it hasn’t been that long since she was taken down for a good cleaning. Seeing her thus supported while simultaneously blocked led me to think about the use of yoga props.

    I am a big fan of using props to discover places one thought out of reach, either because an injury is limiting range of movement or because intelligent or inspired use of a prop can teach where the next step could be in practice.

    Liberty’s scaffolding might be necessary for structural repairs or cleaning, but it is obscuring the view–her view out and our view in. We wouldn’t want her bound and stuck unless it was truly necessary for her full beauty and integrity to be maintained and revealed.

    So, too, with yoga props. As beneficial as they can be, we do not want to rely on them automatically without seeing whether we can open to and discover the full flourishing of ourselves in a pose without them by being open, sensitive, and discriminating about our physical boundaries; applying the alignment principles to the fullness of our knowledge; and using just the right amount of effort.

    By all means use props, but use them to find and witness new freedom (ultimately, svatantriya) not to bind or obscure it.

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    Afternoon Walk

    After eating homemade popsicles.  This week’s variation:  lemon, lime, with white nectarine.  The liquid was an chilled tisane with herbs from the garden; the sweetener, local honey.  The farmers at the market were packing to go home.  Tomatoes and peaches only $1 a pound.  Tonight–cucumber and tomato salad with the second cucumber of the year from my own garden.  The salad to accompany whole wheat pasta tossed with garden greens, herb pesto (basil, parsley, arugula; garlic in the pesto from a friend’s garden), and white beans.  Later in the week when it gets cooler, slow-cooked tomato sauce and white peaches poached in wine (perhaps turned into popsicles).

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    Of Moment

    The “occupy” movement has all but disappeared from consciousness. Other stories have grabbed the short attention spans of the press, hungry to be the one to be telling the nowest thing. Most of the occupations have long since been evacuated by the powers that be (in charge). The buzz words remain part of advertising and political sound bites, but not much else remains. Being of the moment is so very different from truly living in and for the moment.

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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