As I was working with this photo in preparation to post, I received the news that two acquaintances–both active and respected members of one of my spiritual communities–died today. Each had been ill, and both were able to be with their families. They were inspirations of love and patience, shining lights in their own unique way, and I wish I had known them better. How timely for me this exhortation I saw earlier this week, this reminder to face fully whatever comes.
There always seem to be heart shapes when I am walking over to William Penn House to lead the Tuesday night yoga practice. In the winter it is dark walking to practice. In the summer it is still light walking home. This evening I noticed how much earlier dusk is now coming than it did at the solstice.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
When I was walking past this sign with a regular reader of my blog and stopped to take its picture, I said in response to the raised eyebrows, “found exhortation–triumph New York City.”
“It’s just the local Triumph dealership.”
“If one just read the sign, though,” without knowing of the brand, it surely could be read as an exhortation to New York City.”
What a perfect example of how hard it can be to understand each other through only language. That words can have so many ways of being construed shows how much empathy and compassion for ourselves and those with whom we are in communication we need to foster in order truly to listen and be heard.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
I took a very enjoyable class this morning with Sue Elkind at Dig Yoga. It was a very full class, so the mats were several inches apart–far enough not to feel too crowded, but close enough to be able to do standing poses supporting each other.
We did tree pose holding or pressing into the arms/hands of the people on either side of us. Sue invited is to close our eyes and lean/hold more heavily on each other to stay balanced. (It is a lot harder to balance when we close our eyes; try it if it has been a while or you’ve never tried it.)
One of the people next to me got off balance and fell out of the pose. The instinct to keep from taking anyone else off balance was to withdraw from contact. But leaning farther into me would have increased the possibility of the other yogi regaining the pose and would have kept needed support in place for me.
A good lesson for these stressful times that continuing to lean in for support instead of withdrawing can enhance the whole support network.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Both the beautiful and the beastly archtypes. Dwell together inseparably within us. No light without shadow. No shadow without light.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Probably intended to represent beseeching compassion or assistance from a judgmental male god, not a gesture meant to honor the light within each one of us. But I could be wrong; its the same hand position after all.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
The grapes are not nearly as bountiful as last year. The first 90F week was too early and sudden, which blasted dozens of newly formed grapes. And then it was too wet and cool. The few figs dried before ripening. But it was a great spring for kale and chard, and the cherry tomatoes are pretty happy. That the weather makes some things happier and some less happy is a tangible reminder why mono-cultures are so risky a venture. One of the greatest gifts I get from the “failures” in my edible garden is gratitude. I am reminded of how fortunate I am that the only repercussions of something not growing or producing well is that I have to buy more produce at the farm market or the grocery store.
The rains and now the heat are wondrous lovely for the mosquitoes. Here’s me dressing for a morning’s work in the garden. You might laugh, but I only got two bites in over three hours in the garden, which included watering. It likely would have been at least a dozen in loose trousers or shorts and a t-shirt. This is also the outfit of choice when hiking in the woods filled with deer and mice and lyme-disease bearing ticks.
I picked the marigolds yesterday to put on the altar. The puja card of the day was “balance” or “samtulana.” It was a perfect concept to meditate on for the day because little brings me back into balance better than spending a few hours gardening, and I’ve been feeling off-kilter.
Uma, of course, was there to lend moral support.
The “before” picture gives some idea of how simultaneously overgrown from the rains and heat-blasted from the past week everything was.
The “after” picture doesn’t reflect as much as I would like how much of a difference three and a half hours of weeding, deadheading, clipping, rearranging, harvesting, feeding, and watering made. When I got hungry, I just picked sun-warmed, just ripened grapes and then got back to work. Lunch, of course, emphasized contributions from the garden.