Shine the Divine: Creativity IS a Spiritual Practice

Alien

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:01:00 +0000

Like Alice in a strange beautiful wonderland

light licked the perimeter of every leaf

I wandered feeling large small

alien

awed --weeks ago before
underbrush and brambles thickened,
closed. It will remain a lush secret until

the gracious spaciousness of autumn
leaves meander to earth
patiently waiting for
the portal to open
once again.

If you are wondering, yes my lens was smudged with pollen and water droplets, and that created some interesting "alien" effects, although these birthing plants were pretty mysterious all on their own.

55 FFF for the G-Man

Issue twelve of Buddha Chick Life will be posted Friday, June 1st.

Prayer Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 27 May 2012 19:48:00 +0000

engraved veins of a leaf lift a prayer heavenward

with gratitude to those who protect

we honor those who have fallen

may healing unfurl like a flag

for survivors strong broken

may hatred be uprooted

& love fill our hearts

may all wars cease

may it be so for

every nation

one world

in unison

singing

peace

A Silent Letter Holds One Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:37:00 +0000

God’s Presence came down

uttered Anochi I Am

love filled everything

aleph not a sound

a single letter held all

unity One heart

It is taught that when God spoke, all the people could hear was the first letter of the first word spoken, aleph, a letter with no sound of it’s own. The word was AnochiI Am. Everything else was perceived in the container of that awesome silence, while the whole earth trembled. Bet, is the first letter of the written Torah, B’reishit, “in the beginning,” yet in the empty silence of Aleph, all that would ever be was, is contained. The last letter of the written Torah is lamed. We read Torah again and again, a circle. The end connects to the beginning, and the word lev, heart, is revealed. (lamed bet…vet-is the same letter). We, humanity are One heart held in the silence of aleph, Anochi, I Am, the Oneness of ALL BEING.

Do you see the tiny heart of sky opening?

As Shavuot approaches I imagine God’s Presence descending upon Sinai as an enormous heart, engulfing not just the mountain but all of Creation with chesed, lovingkindness and rachamim, compassion, though from below it was experienced as a dark cloud, Mystery, so that the people stood back in Yirah, awe and fear. And when they/we receive Torah, not the words, but the inner teachings, the felt transmission that continues to be offered as we sit in silence and listen, their/our hearts open like the parting clouds, receiving the Or haTorah, the Light of Torah, anew, moment by moment, breath by breath.

Shavuot, often referred to as the feast of weeks falls on the 50^th day after Pesach. It is the day the Jewish people celebrate receiving matanah shel Torah, the gift of Torah. We will welcome Shavuot at sunset this Saturday evening here in the United States, Sunday will be the first day of the celebration, day fifty and the Omer counting will end at that time.

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Sacred Potential

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:38:00 +0000


one heart divided two seeds one good one evil such simplicity draw closer to see a new possibility do not turn away both seeds hold purpose light in dark and dark in light and all for blessing sacred potential roots and shoots growing toward one unified heart

I’ve been studying many texts this month on yetzer hara, “the evil inclination,” and how it is essential to step toward and dwell with the aspects of ourselves, that are difficult, uncomfortable, painful, that by acknowledging, witnessing, welcoming what is present, without harsh judgment but compassion instead, suffering fades and blessing blossoms. I have certainly seen this in my own life, though it is not an easy thing to do. It requires courage, humility, clarity and faith.

A particular teaching that stood out for me was found in an article by Rabbi JamesJacobson-Maisels titled Inviting the Demons In. In it he quotes Rav Moshe Hayyim Ephraim of Sudylkow, “…one who is wise…will understand that there is great light covered and hidden within that darkness for ‘there is no place empty of [Divine Presence].’ (Zohar).

I am doing a lot of studying, practicing, and teaching mindfulness meditation, in the midst of seeking balance between family life and my own inner life, creative energy and physical exhaustion. Some days it feels like I’ve taken on too much, other days I feel joy in the abundance of all that I am able to give and receive. There most certainly are some “demon” seeds for me to get to know better when I am feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I wonder what it would be like to be like the seed heart above, split in two, one part of me could “be” and one part could “do,” but then I’d never find my own center, or my boundaries. Unified, even if distracted and distraught at times seems the point of being human, and so I practice, practice, practice, finding wholeness; this is the wisdom of mindfulness, being here now, even in the busy, busy, busy, rush of life flowing, remembering to pause and notice my breath or tiny seedpods forming a heart in the muck on the forest floor, and Divinity in everyone and everything (the delicate pastel seed pods and the dark sticky mud).

I see two doctors this week for check-ups, neurologist and allergist, a transition meeting at the high school for my daughter who will be graduating in a few weeks, (graduating!!!! Prom pictures soon, I promise!) attending her senior project presentation, meeting with two study partners (meditation teacher training and Torah Yoga)…and teaching in The Healing Womb on Thursday this week. All of this after another full weekend, I cannot talk right now or walk very well either. My brain really is tired! Time for some compassionate rest in bed with the AC cranked up. Summer is rapidly approaching.

If you do not see me blogging as much or visiting your beautiful blogs, well, there are just so many hours in a day and I am sorry if it seems I am not generous to you with my time. I am giving what I have to give and that is all any one can do. Right now, for the blogging world that means mostly just sharing what lives here on my pages. I know, I know, blogging without obligation…still it makes me sad, and I miss “strolling” around this beautiful international neighborhood, and so here is another “demon” to offer tea and cookies to; Guilt, a longtime companion.

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Bayside

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

bayside sky drama

a performance not to miss

new show each evening

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Got my external drive back...LOTS of photo editing to do...whoohoo!

The Compass

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

antique stories of our days

retold ‘til we believe them

edges yellowed cracked

we open then refold

the map

with precision

as if the very process of aligning

crease within crease

will serve as an origami amulet

a hole punched in one corner

to lace around our necks with red

string

of course the map

is an imagined guide

tho shards of our stories are true

it is the compass

not the lines retraced

rubbed thousands of times

by our minds’ pointing finger

impossible to erase

that led us to this

moment

and yes

it too has been broken

yet it has no crisp edges

enfolded deep within

soft contours instead; ours

hours and hours this beating lullaby

a lifetime of gentle waking

wordless rhythmic song

a quiet message

we must be still

to discern

distill

the course changes

each vibration your guide

tho shards of the stories remain true

place your hand

(hand of the compass)

upon your chest

feel the pulse

release your fist to trust

you’ll hear it through your

palm

“leave the map behind

tucked in a drawer

or under a pile of books (more stories)”

it sighs

“listen

--listen to ME your heart

with the same devotion

invested into that map

ragged and worn too long;

you have already arrived”

and dear friends so have

My fascination for ferns wrapped in their own cocoons and the slow process of unfurling continues. I am still waiting for my external drive to arrive so I can upload new pictures. Until then, these photos from several weeks ago are what I have available to share. In a strange (creative?) way the images feel related (at least to me) to the poem and meditation practice I'm linking below. Everything is connected, sometimes we have to look harder to understand how.

Unfolding, releasing, surrender as a form of freedom from the stories we tell ourselves, believing--wishing that by following the plan, our beloveds and we ourselves will be protected, not so unlike these ferns wrapped “securely” in their frail translucent webbed wombs. One could construe the existence of these primordial plants to be mapped out in their very structure, yet this does not account for external events that could certainly change the course of their lives in the forest. As human beings, we have beating hearts continuously offering us direction when we stop and listen...ahh, when we listen. The 3O minute guided meditation practice from The Healing Womb (session 7 in the black box of podcasts), was inspired by the poem, which I read toward the beginning of the practice.

...and yes I've posted this fern with a heart in the center before, but it is such a beautiful tie in to the poem and other photos, it seemed worth reposting don't you think?

The Fragrance Of Love Exchanged II

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This is a repost of a popular offering from last spring. It feels like a good thing to share again for Mother's Day.

joy in a most delicate form

a single fuchsia blossom

plucked from a crabapple tree

by the generous slender fingers

of a fourteen year old girl

on her way home from school

because it was beautiful

because she is kind

the dog barks

excited for the return of her friend

footfalls are heard on the stairs

then a soft knock on the frame

around the open bedroom door

she enters and sits on the rocker

for a moment

for a breath

turns her head to the right displaying her treasure

centers her face again

eyes alight and smiling

reaching up she eases the small gift from behind her ear

where she’d tucked it with care

so as not to crush it in warm hands

because it is fragile

because she is compassionate

graceful movements

the slightest vibration of pleasure

gently oh so gently

she places it in her mother’s palm

both inhaling the fragrance

of love exchanged

THIS SAME CHILD WEARS HER HEART ON HER KNEE

LOVE AND BRUISES OFTEN VISIBLE

FOR SHE IS NOT AFRAID

TO BE VULNERABLE

TO TRY EVEN IF

SHE RISKS A

FALL

I am deeply blessed with two caring and compassionate daughters, both offer handpicked flowers with love. The day of her prom, my eldest brought in a gently held fist-full of violets, lupines and azaleas. I have photos, but can't access them yet. Still waiting for the my external drive to be fixed. Trust me, they were beautiful as was she on her prom evening...and every evening. A mother could not be gifted with two more beautiful and kind daughters than mine.

Happy Mother's Day to all of us Moms...whether our children were born from us, brought home to love by some other means, are children we connect with, teach and mother in other contexts, are smooth skinned or furry. Truly, we are blessed.

I am away this weekend and will be back home this evening...spending time with two of my favorite Moms, my "big" sister and sister-in-law.

Newly Birthed Each Day

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

nearly old as time

intricate details spun from

the same web of life

same web me and you

flowers leaves and spiders silk

newly birthed each day

Linking to:

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Not everything is beautiful, tho I look for beauty where ever I happen to be. There is deep suffering in this world; physical, emotional and spiritual. There is illness, hunger, poverty, violence, terrible injustice. AND we truly are all connected. If you are counting the Omer, today holds the spiritual quality of Tiferet she b'Hod, Beauty within Presence. Here is a link to a guided meditation based on a teaching by Rabbi Yael Levy that I shared with my home community for a healing service via podcast last night: Tiferet she b'Hod.

I can't go out evenings any more. My body just says no. If you enjoyed this 10 minute podcast please consider 1. Purchasing Rabbi Yael's beautiful book, Journey through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer and 2. Making a donation to Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua NH in honor of the compassionate work this community, my beloved community does to help those in need in many, many ways.

I won't be posting again or online until Sunday...a little weekend away planned with my sisters. My first time flying as a passenger who needs a wheelchair in large spaces. It will be an interesting experience, on many levels, the flying part...and joyful to be with Amy and MaryLou at the beach. Well at least the balcony. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to get on the beach a little if the weather is cool enough and my legs are in the mood:-)

Ever Enamored

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 05 May 2012 23:58:00 +0000

From the Mystery flows strength,

from the Mystery flows peace.

Psalm 29:11

ever enamored am i

of deep shadows and halos

kissing each growing thing

tenderly on mornings past

as i walked through the for-rest

and did rest soul restored lifted

ahhh— looking back

now our days have been rain-filled

a week of heavy skies

monotonous dove gray

such weight tends to cultivate

melancholy

i let that be what it is

witnessing the subtle shifts

choosing patience compassion to feel to be

drawn deeper into this moment

i am in love with life

past present future

one embrace

clarity springs forth

and i see

these blessed tears are simply

mercy from above replenishing this

parched garden of God’s grace

flourishing wild strong free

emergent life nurtured into maturity

the canopy thickens with each drop

and isn’t it so for all of us too?

cloaked in the mist of the Mystery

sustaining all the world

i remain ever enamored

Chesed she b’Hod

Love within Presence

This evening (May 5th) we will count day 29 of the Omer on this magical Mystery tour bamidbar, in the wilderness.

Rav Yael teaches: “Whatever is growing, whatever is coming through,

practice meeting it with love.

Where there is pain, offer compassion.

Where there is fear, reach out with tenderness.

When there is resistance, respond with patience.”

(Journey through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer, pg. 52)

I read this after sitting in discernment and writing the poem above. I find it remarkable how aligned my personal experience seems to be with the soul qualities designated for each day of the Omer. If you are counting the Omer, have you noticed this is also true for you as well?

To read more of this wise teachers offerings and learn about counting the Omer with lovigkindness visit this link.

Or perhaps purchase Rav Yael’s book, to savor for years to come. (I share this not because I am being asked to, but because I want to!)

I am ever grateful for the blessing of learning from this generous teacher.

Thank you Yael!

PS. I am having some technical difficulties...my external drive (where I store photos) is in the shop. I have a few archived in Picassa that I may share this week, we'll see:-) Good ol' patience my companion and I will be hanging out together in the mean time.

PPS. SENIOR PROM NIGHT!!! Oh my goodness, how did we get here and so soon? Once I get my drive fixed expect some glam shots. They just left and look so fantastic. I love that she is going with one of her best guy friends, the sweetest boy ever. I know they'll have a wonderful time. And did I mention that my daughter is gorgeous??? Just sayin'. I had a blast photographing them. I'm not really much of a portrait photographer, but when you have such beautiful people to photograph, it helps! Yay and I get to do this all over again with my younger daughter too...that's right watch out when Mammarazzi is on the loose!

linking to:

Posted for Poetry Picnic 5/6-5/13/12 on Gooseberry Garden

Too Heavy To Hold

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:47:00 +0000

grand blue umbrella

spread above this fragile world

white blossoms bow low

the weight of living

in the midst of such beauty

too heavy to hold

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Today’s Minucha B’Lev meditation captures this theme if you are interested in a half-hour meditation practice. (You don’t have to be Jewish to listen and experience this podcast, I explain the Hebrew words.)

Everything Illuminated

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

everything illuminated
would be

too beautiful
to hold
a heart would surely break
perhaps beyond repair

every thing

breathing

illuminated

clear

awakened

glimpses

we are offered glimpses

and that is

enough

every thing

would be too much

shadows serve

to protect us

from

DIVINE

brilliance we could not

cannot

fathom

with gratitude we inhale

hodaYa

with compassion we exhale

dayenu

enough

For more images of nature's eternal beauty and a sequence of poems to dwelling with them, please visit my post @ Buddha Chick Life, where you'll find many inspiring articles, poems and images from wise women gathered and growing together. This month's theme is Nature as Teacher and Healer. A topic you know is dear to my heart.

If you are counting the Omer, today is day 24, Tiferet she b'Netzach, Beauty that Endures. Rav Yael opens her teaching with this single sentence from Psalm 24:1

"The earth and all that is,

is filled with Divine Presence."

You can find the rest of her exquisite offering here.

And, this week's Minucha B'Lev meditation tele-circle on Thursday will be related to today's poem at the top of this post.

Compassionate Discernment

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:05:00 +0000

free to find the edge

where safety and too much meet

compassion begins

I looked out the window this morning and saw freedom; a new shiny black chain-link fence we had built to keep coyotes out while our dog is held in the backyard, safe to explore and play within these protective boundaries. One doesn’t typically associate the words fence and freedom. I know I don’t; not usually, yet my heart feels freer knowing she can’t run off into the alluring woods, she loves, and I love so very much. Any good parent knows the wisdom of safe boundaries, that they actually foster creativity and exploration by limiting too much stimulation and of course provide protection for our children and pets as well.

And what about us as adults? What are the safety measures we provide for ourselves so that we can flourish without overwhelm? How do we protect ourselves from doing too much while accomplishing what is necessary and still allowing time for play and rest?

I feel more and more that compassionate discernment, “finding our edge and then drawing back” as my yoga teachers wisely taught me is that chain-link fence guiding us to know when enough is enough. When we listen to our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, the boundaries that offer us freedom become clearer.

Right now it seems I have taken on a great deal, more than I can manage with the energy that I do have. I've gone from a life of many commitments, to one of few (because illness became my chain-link fence), to feeling better most days but still living with very real physical limitations. I love all that I am able to do, to be, to offer, to experience, and yet I am aware too that compassionate discernment means making choices about what I can do, want to do, is reasonable to do, is kind to myself and to everyone else too. And so, if you have noticed that I am not visiting many blogs lately, it is not a matter of not caring about YOU, it is because I have to make choices. I don't have the time or energy to spend online as much as I used to. This is a good thing, really, still it leaves me with some feelings of sorrow, knowing I am missing much beauty and wisdom from all of you.

I'll pop in now and again, for now, mostly I need to focus on studying, teaching, writing and being present to my family. My eldest will be graduating High School soon and there are many little things to sort out in this shift from here and now toward college in the fall. People have been asking, "Where will she be going?"...She was accepted into her first choice Franklin Pierce University, with an excellent scholarship. We are so proud. Prom is next weekend and if feels like time is whizzing by.

I'll still be posting, of course, it is part of my healing practice, and I pray that what you find here offers some nourishment and healing for you too.

gentle steps,

Laura

This evening we will count Day 23 of the Omer: Gevurah she b'Netzach, Strength within Endurance.

Rabbi Yael shares this very brief passage from psalm 23:5

"My cup overflows."

I feel completely in alignment with this and the teaching that follows in her book Journey through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer. Here is a link to the rest of her teaching you can read online.

Thank you Rav Yael for being a wonderful guide through this wilderness.

Whispering Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:30:00 +0000

whispering goodbye

setting sail upon the wind

in search of soft soil

Glory Between Storms

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:51:00 +0000

everything changes

low morning sun lights new leaves

through fast moving clouds

glory between storms

these impossible contrasts

are ever present

wake up wake up wake

up and witness the strangeness

of life unfolding

your heart unfurling

inhaling the Mystery

of this one moment

Hod she b'Tiferet - Being within Beauty

For this day Rabbi Yael writes:
"The light, the wisdom, the glory that rises from the unfolding of creation...Take notice of the sky and the glorious luminance of the day..."

To read more of her beautiful teaching for today click here.

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Time and Space Blurred

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:09:00 +0000

just so beautiful

this light this renewal this

moment full of life

tears of awe blur time and space

how had I missed this before?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it’s true the tears flowed that morning

unstoppable as yesterday’s rainstorm

until there were no more clouds in my eyes

and maybe that’s the secret

cleansing

purification through the fire of illness

a kiln so hot it burns away all illusions

until another kind of vision awakens

cleared of unessential debris

devoid of promises what ifs maybes

tears of wonder water Gan Eden

right here

right

now

looking back at these photos

they become this moment too

even if i cannot walk outside

today

i conjure the light

of that morning in my heart

awe restored with the garden

time and space

blurred

Veined Petals Will Fade

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:00:00 +0000

joyful hearts open

veined petals outstretched like hands

palms offering up

sweet perfume infused

air filling each breath breathing

a morning blessing

contentment is held

tenderly on palms turned up

veined petals will fade

witnessing this truth

does not diminish beauty

withered on the ground

living this moment

heals the rain of april’s tears

no denial—love

strength grows from remnants

of vulnerability

resting on our hearts

Today we welcome the qualities of:

Gevurah she b'Tifferet - Discernment within the Heart

"Cultivating the strength to live with what is true even when it is difficult

We notice the joys, pains, challenges of our hearts,

letting it all rise without judgment or shame.

The shining through of whatever is true brings healing."

~ Rabbi Yael Levy

Journey through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer

Tree of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0000

who are we

offering what we have

ribbons unfurling

down the length of our spine

aren't we all

torn away

still clinging

curling into ourSelves and the

Tree of Life

offering what we choose

who we want to be

withholding what we dare not shed

thin strips rent

by the gravity of time

liberated by the desire to give

cascading release and shadows cast

beneath textured layers on this

Tree of Life

who are we

offering what feels safe

simple complex beings

protecting what is dear

exfoliating cautiously

conscious though not always

radiance is revealed with or without skin

each of us a

Tree of Life

offering what we can

we are who

-le holy vulnerable

afraid

firmly

rooted to beliefs

that strengthen

and weaken the

Tree of Life

who are we

offering and relinquishing

love to all beings ourSelves too

perhaps it is not what we give freely

that is to be most treasured

but the armor sloughed

by the gravity of time

deep wisdom grown on this

Tree of Life

Flagrant Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:00 +0000

should be evening’s hush

as sky becomes blush upon

innocent flowers

rose haze blurs edges

heaven's riot burning bright

scorched silhouettes stand

tall black witnesses

pierce through this audacity

such flagrant beauty

I feel deep gratitude for everyone who took the time to read my interview @ LilyWheel Slide yesterday, and to Hali of course for inviting me. The support from all of you for the work I do in the world filled my heart and broke it open to receive and emanate more love and light than ever before. Thank you all.

B'rukhah at Ya. M'kor Ha-chayim,

ha-tomekhet banu b'haviyenu
Or l'choshekh,
marpei l'shever,
v'shalom l'khol yoshvei tevel.

Blessed are you, Source of Life,
Who helps us to bring
Light where there is darkness,
Healing where there is brokenness, and
Peace to all of the earth's inhabitants.

Source:

Ritual Well

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Healing

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Today is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time for sharing heartbreaking memories, courageous and heroic stories, a time for surrounding those who survived and are still living as well as their children who grew up cocooned in the shadows of their parents’ pain, with lovingkindness and compassion. It is a time for healing.

The relatives who I think of as family were incredibly fortunate; they emigrated to the United States from what was then called Austria-Hungary in the late 1800’s during the pograms. Fortunate is a relative term I suppose. Life was not easy when they left their homes and any family members who remained, nor when they arrived here at Ellis Island. Still my great-grandparents, grandparents and parents were not in Europe during the Holocaust in the 1930’s. We do know that some of my father’s relatives who stayed behind survived and some did not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More on healing in a different context:

I am deeply honored to tell you that I have been interviewed again! I was invited by Hali Karla, Artist-Healer, teacher, creator of LilyWheel Slide to write about being an artist/healer and share some of my work as well. This felt like/feels like a pretty lofty title for me to shoulder, one I would never have given myself. I worked very hard on this interview, digging deep to be as articulate as I could be in answering Hali's difficult questions. Really, they became a map for me to look at my life from a larger perspective. I hope you will come and see what I have written. She really has something special going on with all that she offers as well as the interesting people she has invited to contribute their artist/healer stories. Please come read my interviewHERE, it would mean a great deal to me to receive responses either here on my blog or on Hali's. As always thanks for your support. If I didn't feel so held by your kindness I would not have gained the confidence to write as much as I do, to boldly explore photography, or continue guiding others on their own healing journeys individually and through the meditation tele-circles and podcasts in The Healing Womb and Minucha B'Lev.

Nature Note: Can you believe I found a tiny black heart enfolded and protected in the spiral center of this plant? I think it will be a fern when it unfurls from it's furry casing. I discovered many more over the past few days and have been photographing them as they push up through the soil. There will be more macros to come as I mark their development.

Robed in Light

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:07:00 +0000

i saw the first one dangling high above

delight filled my heart as i gazed

longing to touch the softness

a miniscule colony of catkin flowers

embracing itself with

love

it-they shivered in gentle morning breezes

fuzzy acrobats

then i saw more

swinging gracefully

from their own tree branch

trapezes

they were too far out of reach

i released my urge to stroke them

sat on a nearby boulder

observing light gathered around their edges

pondering what it was they were here to

teach

sensing life’s uncertain towers

suspended above an endless abyss of anxiety

my human inclination rose up

yet i felt no fear emanating

from these strange

flowers

i contemplated light clinging to skin

illuminating the contours of each human

you have to step back sometimes to see it

a radiant shimmer

that begins deep

within

we wear this mantle Creation’s reflection

as we sway above and through the questions

drawn back again and again to the present

enveloped by the resplendent robe

of Divine

protection

Tonight we will count day eleven; netzach she b’gevurah, enduring strength. Read more about this quality here at around seven (est) this evening when Rabbi Yael's next teaching will be posted.

Stronger Than You Know

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

tender blossoms grow

born of scarred weathered branches

tissue paper thin

love whispers through each petal

you are stronger than you know

Chesed she b'Gevurah - Love within Strength

Today Rabbi Yael shares this portion of Psalm 8:5-6 as encouragement on day eight of our spiritual journey toward Sinai as we count the Omer.

“What is it to be a human being-- so vulnerable, so fragile and at the same time only slightly less than gods, strong and powerful, crowned with splendor?”

Every day offers its own life lesson; today I understand this as strength in fragility. Patience, compassion, lovingkindness, acceptance for how my body is able to function moment by moment, releasing expectations "If I could do such and such yesterday, today I should be able to________." With MS this just isn't so. And in truth the same applies to everyone. MS does not make me special. Learning to live companionably or at least with some equanimity with whatever comes our way allows us to find our strength in fragility, to love life simply as it is. For we are all fragile beings and I believe we are all far stronger than we know. (Or think we know.)

In the Heart of the Forest

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

in the heart of the forest

for the seeker there grew

a tree with a secret

a heart strong and true

awaiting the arrival of me or you

to find it still standing

if we would stand still too

with eyes clear

hearts open

soft

nothing to pierce through

just simple awareness

familiar becomes new

Painting the Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:17:00 +0000

new leaves wave goodbye

shimmer shiver as we pass

spring greens yellows reds

painting the morning

stretching toward cool azure sky

black boughs kiss heaven

rootless we drive on

seven hours of beauty

sustain our journey

haiku my heart at recuerda mi corazon

Netzach she b'Chesed

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:54:00 +0000

I will travel the path of connection

for You have expanded my heart.

(Psalm 119:32)

Each evening (which is the start of the day in Jewish time) I have been reading/working through/contemplating the teachings offered by Rabbi Yael Levy in her new book Journey through the Wilderness: A Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Jewish Practice of Counting the Omer; a wonderful guide for anyone aware that they are traveling upon a spiritual path.

Today is the fourth day, Neztach she b'Chesed, Eternity within Love.

Rabbi Yael writes:

"The transformative power of love and generosity

The acts of kindness that change us and the world

Cultivating the commitment to let what we most love and value guide our actions."

The teaching continues on:

"When am I acting out of fear? When am I acting from anger? What inspires me to act from love?"

Each question is a call to sit with, walk with and observe throughout this day.

When I look at the tears of dew collected upon this azalea bud poised to open I feel a sensation of swelling within my own breast, tears spill easily from my eyes, witnessing this tender beauty. Immediately I feel connected to the Divine flowing through all that is/was/will be, through me. Observing life, from death to birth and round and round again in the woodlands around my home, awakens and expands the wholeness of who I am in this moment, who I am continuously becoming, renews me each and every day, comforts me in the breadth of eternity sustained in a single breath as I inhale lovingkindess and exhale compassion, a gift for the gift of life. We are born with a great capacity for generosity and lovingkindness; it is in the nature of being human. We are imbued with qualities of the ONE who formed us; yet cultivating these soul traits is a daily practice for the benefit of all beings and all BEINGNESS.

I invite you to join me and everyone who chooses to gently discern what is arising in our minds, hearts and spirits today, paying attention to our actions and from where they emanate; fear, anger or love.

Thank you Rabbi Yael for this beautiful guide to counting the Omer, a practice in making every day count!

Old Shall Be New

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:20:00 +0000

old shall be new

on this you can depend

impermanence is one aspect of reality

yet nothing is lost

transformation transcends the edges

once perceived as fixed

opening to boundlessness

shakes the ground from which all life

perpetuates itself

the firm foundation

what we knew

as true

is soft enough to enfold
love

and give again

new from old