Happy Good Friday. Kind of an oxymoron if you want to believe in the good of this day. They say Jesus was put on a cross to die for 3 hours today, and it is important to remember the days in our lives are all meant to bring out the good in each one of us, and the good in all of humanity. My favorite quote today is this; “Always maintain a joyful mind.” Pema Chodron re frames the statement. She says “Have a sense of gratitude to everything, even difficult emotions, because of the potential to wake you up.”

I am looking for the good in the not so good in this day. Careers and life can throw us some curve balls in what we “thought” our future was going to look like, and then we realize we can create something new out of the rubble. It has been awhile since I communicated through this space, and want to know how you are doing out there. Are you struggling to find the good in the bad, and coming to the place where they simply co-exist at times? Can you believe that “this too will pass”? The uncertainty of jobs, people, and gas prices? Well, sit with it, and allow it all, the good and the not so good, to wake you up!

A joyful mind is found in meditation and awareness. Will you join me for a sit? I will meet you in the peace and calmness of the moment right here, right now.

 

So much of our life at times rides on the decisions of others. I am in wonder of what to do next as a teacher and leader, all the while knowing in my heart it will happen as it happens, and all will be well. I work for the Kansas City Missouri School District, and the Senate voted last Wednesday to dissolve our district. I am standing in unity with the teachers and leaders who love these urban core children and their families, and wait with the rest of us for an answer.

Today in our meditation I want you to be “your” answer to whatever question burns in your heart. How much balance must you create with your busy lifestyle to meditate on a daily basis? What action steps can you take to insure you are spending meditative time with your children and your family? And how much time are you devoting to your health and well-being so that you can focus in your own practice of meditation?

Things happen, bosses demand more time and less money, and your children’s schedule are as busy as your own. The question remains. Stay at this meeting, or go home instead of eating out? Stay at this fundraiser, or go to the gym? What works best for you?

You decide. The Universe is happy to oblige whatever direction you decide to take.

I wish for you peace in your travels, and the wisdom to know when to go home.

There are so many quotes on peace, and ideas on bringing about peace. When I was little, one of my cousins was a nun, and for some reason she gave my mom a tiny plaque that my mom put on the frame of the back door, which actually was our front door. In the 40 and a half years my parents lived in that house, it was the only thing I saw my mother put up on the wall. It said, “Peace to all who enter here.” Mom said she just loved it. And that was enough for me. So, Peace to you who enter here, on this website. And may you give peace to absolutely everyone who enters you home. As we near Valentine’s Day, may you be peace to all you let enter your heart, and visa versa.

Peace in every step is a beautiful little book and meditation about bringing peace into our movements on the planet. I so appreciate all the lessons others can teach us and encourage us so we can be more peaceful. As you walk through your day, I want you to slowly and delicately put one foot in front of the other, and be mindful of how hard you are walking, or how easy it is for you to slow down. At my college graduation, our administrator said there are only two times in life you will walk with such intention, your graduation and your wedding! Well, I believe each time we walk, run, skip or jump we can do that very thing with intention.

Enjoy this present moment of mind fully walking to and from work. Take time to check out your surroundings, and stay calm and quiet. Silence is an excellent way to recharge your brain and begin your day.

Well, everyone said January at the church where I hold meditation will be packed with all kinds of adventuresome folks curious for a new way of being. It is true, and at my teaching job there were more busyness and meetings than you could “shake a stick at”, as my mother would say.

So, here we are. This happens. We are too busy, we get too busy, we just can’t seem to slow it down. Slow it down enough to meditate, to even ponder why in the world we are so busy.

My advice is simple. Look at your week and pick a day where no one needs you.

Or carve out a day when someone else picks up the kids, the dry cleaning, and the groceries.

Now, stay in your pajamas and breathe. Ahh, do it again. Breathe in the goodness of nothing. Certainly your busyness is a reflection of your contribution to the planet.

Nothing can replace you and your input, but your input needs some refreshing.

We all have triggers for stress and we all know it is time to slow down. If we are responsible for children as well, they are in our cycle of rushed existence, and they cannot say with words how frustrating it is to be them.

So, make a cup of tea, and light a candle. Place a notepad with a pen next to you, and as you begin to relax, if an important fact or idea comes up, write it down to handle later.

Did I mention breathe? Take three deep breaths. Take three more and remind yourself why you are alive and here at this present moment.

Now, what is it that makes you smile when no one is looking? For me it is riding my bike, and playing my piano. Commit to doing those acts of kindness for yourself today. At least for one half hour.

Now, get present to you. What aches? Breathe in around the pain. What is confusing you? Breathe in around the confusion. Just let it be. Name it and let it be. What is going right? Yes. Sit still with it all. What is going wrong? Sit tall and still as an oak tree. Breathe in the goodness of you, and breathe out any discomfort.

Now, promise yourself you will stay in balance this next week. That means carving out time for you. Thank the universe for being there, always there, to listen and comfort your soul. Grab your bike, or your guitar, and make yourself smile.

Your act of kindness to yourself, your quiet easy fun adventure can be a form of meditation as well. Stay quiet and focused and enjoy your immediate smile.

See you on the road! I am the one under the cycling hat grinning ear to ear.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, gang of cheers, I went back to school for a professional development day. At lunch, most of the teachers were picking off various parts of the sandwich, or not eating the bread, and lots of mumbling could be heard from the painful bites of what was left of lunch. I kept asking the question why.

Here is what I suggest to all of you that are worried about food now. Take three deep cleansing breaths. During the holidays, you may have been right on track with your healthy eating habits, or possibly indulged some extra sweets, so start this moment by relaxing. Put two feet flat on the floor, and get present to who you are in this moment. Breathe in, breathe out, and breathe in your beautiful body. All parts of it. Embrace the idea of your perfect body. Now breathe.

The next time you will eat a meal, have it be something delicious and healthy you prepare at home. Take your time to wash the vegetables, prepare the table, light a candle, make a nice cool glass of water with a slice of lemon. Put on soothing music, and use all of this time as an eating meditation. With gratitude in your heart, thank the farmers and every person who had something to do with your food. As you savor each bite, enjoy the flavors and the time you are spending on yourself. Eat slow, be intentional, be present. Maybe a meal without words. When you are finished, clean up the kitchen slowly.

Before bed, do some qui gong or some stretches. Remind yourself how much you love yourself. Now promise to slow down and take care of you. There is no need to diet. You do not need to lose anything. You have everything to gain by mindful eating, stretching, and sleeping. End your day with a ten minute meditation and you will be sleeping like a precious newborn.

Time for you to relax. The present wrapping, mailing, giving, and getting is over. The gifts adorn your home, the treats fill your belly, the lights still twinkle, and if you stay out of the mall, the masses of shoppers have subsided.

Time for you. Let’s take a minute, or ten, to take in all that has occurred in the last week. Some good, some tolerable, all part of your wonderful life.

Did you get yourself a bell or singing bowl for the holidays? Go ahead, ring the bell. You can find bells anywhere. 3 times. Now breathe. Notice your breath. Notice the beauty of the silence. Or the noise. Just notice your life. Glance around the room and absorb it all. Now breathe again. Close your eyes. You have only this moment to be grateful. Imagine a round stairway leading to your heart.

Walk down the stairs and into your heart. With each careful step you take, think of someone or something you are thankful for and say thank you. Now you have reached the center of your heart. It is beautiful, the way it keeps time, the way it pumps blood in and out. What is it you would like this new year? Is it more quiet time? More grateful moments? More understanding of the benefits of meditation? How would a daily meditation practice enhance all of your life?

Ask your heart the beating question. How can you become more calm? Pleasant? Grateful? Energetic? Breathe into the answer. Wait for the answer. If it does not come now, it will come soon. Hearts are for loving, and thank your heart for all of the times you choose love. Walk back up the stairs and feel your connectedness to the center of your being. Believe you will attract the goodness you want to occur this year. this time. this moment.

Thank your heart for beating without you being in control of that, too. Thank yourself for showing up for all of it. The easy, not so easy, and the somewhat confusing. You made it to the end of 2011.

Promise yourself to come back to yourself soon, if not tonight before bed, tomorrow before the daily activities. Put your self on the list of things to do.

You will listen to the beating of your heart. You will be present to your presence.

You will be one with you.

You are all that is holy and sacred in your life.

Namaste

Can you believe it? Tomorrow is Christmas and everyday can be, for that matter, if we choose to love and be loved, be fully present, and to enjoy the now of each moment.

I wish you a merry night, a restful sleep and a peace filled tomorrow.

I also secretly hope we all see a shooting star, who just might be Santa with his 8 magical reindeer!

As you read this love note, may you know how much I am grateful for you, exactly the way you are!

Many people focus on Mary saying “yes” to a crazy notion of being pregnant without sex, but I can’t help but wonder about her continuing to say yes in that stinking stable. Sure, they were lucky to birth the baby in a shelter rather than on the road, but having a few horses in Steamboat, I can tell you I would rather camp out next to the stable, up wind, rather than “in it” with the horses. Not to mention the angels singing all night in the sky, rather beautiful, but still interrupting sleep. And the baby Jesus, hidden in the smelly hay, might have been crying as well. Three men in horses stop by, adding to the already crowded space. More poop, more noise, more gifts, more confusion about his true identity.

The whole scenario reminds me of the days leading up to Christmas. Busyness, buying, partying, singing, wanting each moment and gift to be precious and meaningful, Maybe the goal of true meditation is to begin the day with a lit candle, a ring of the bell, and to sit in the stillness before entering the madness. That way, when you walk out the door, you can be “in it” all the way, whether you are downwind from the smell, being crowded by a bunch of “horses” moving you faster than you would like to go, or struggling with interrupted sleep.

End the day the way you began it. Stop, light the candle and ring the bell. Be Mary for a moment, and simply say “yes” to your self, to the life you have chosen, and to the miracle of your own stable, however it looks or smells at this present time!

Here it is, the time of year where other people decorate for us, stringing lights all over trees, neighborhoods, houses, wiggly Santa’s with their reindeer’s, and businesses outlining every inch of concrete imaginable.

Now it is your turn. Get in the car, on your bike, or bundle up for a nice walk directly into the magic of the season. Although it is true all of us have varying traditions, beliefs, and memories, the present moment of grandeur awaits us.

So, refrain from buying, eating or drinking anything, and just cruise through the mystery of lights.

Listen to soothing music, or take in the noise of the area at the time.

You are meditating! You are present to your present moment.

Hey, I have an idea. Let us meet under the Mayor’s Christmas tree. Usually imported from another state, I will stand under it, as close to the trunk, and raise my head with my eyes closed, and breathe in the unbelievable smell of pine cone! Now, look up and admire the biggest Christmas tree, and how long and hard it took to grow into this towering force of nature.

Ahhh, I feel your presence. What a great way to spend my time, enjoying my life with you.