ZenLife Blog
Be a person who knows love
Maui has been on my mind. Wild hurricane winds combined with Lahaina’s bone dry ‘aina was primed for a spark maybe from a downed electric pole that caused a horrifying conflagration. The death toll continues to rise (115 at this writing) and the number of missing continues to fluctuate. Many of the dead were burned alive as they could not get away from the fire in time. The New York Times had a riveting interview with a survivor who had to jump into the ocean to escape the fast-moving fire.
Carry Grief in One Hand, Gratitude in the Other
I’ve noticed how being embodied and dancing is not only about joy, but it’s an integral part of a healing process. It’s about opening your heart or starting the process to open. Like learning anything new, at first it’s difficult, but as you keep going, you’ll be surprised by how much you’ll learn about yourself and the world.
If Only We’re Brave Enough To Be It
When a storm comes and confusion or strong emotions arises we lose our way. With practice we have the presence of mind to pause and reflect. We dance asking Kaiona for help, for insight to point out the pathway. We practice patience through sitting or dancing and we find that we are the flower most fragrant right before a storm. We sense a deep stirring of courage and love within. We see that our sparkle, our light, has always been here, and we have always been it.
One Who Remains Calm in the Face of Difficulty
I started volunteering again at the Cook County Dept of Corrections - the county jail - teaching mindfulness meditation to incarcerated women awaiting trial for whatever crime they were accused of committing.
Tears and Bundles of Love
After the mass, I thought about the line that caused my tears to spontaneously arise. What were those tears about? They definitely had to do with the heart and beauty. I finally realized the deep abiding love that Our Lady of Guadalupe represents is in each one of us, whether we see it or not.
Your Own Heart, There is the Practice Hall
Such work with your heart is spiritual practice. Itʻs about building patience, discipline, courage and love. Itʻs important for waking up. Your own heart, the practice hall.
Wildflowers Grow Everywhere
Amy mentioned in her talk why she named her zen community Wildflower Zen Sangha. She said that wildflowers grow everywhere - in cracks of cement, in rocks, on mountainsides - everywhere. Theyʻre all different according to their particular environment. She also said , “Our nature, is also wild in the sense that we are not limited by what we think we are. We can free ourselves of these identifications - we can be free. we can be anything…”
It is Recognizing of the Right Thing
How do we cultivate pono? We have to look deeper into the meaning of pono to be able to understand it. Pono means realizing your kuleana (responsibilities) which includes traditional and current protocols or procedures. Then we must follow these procedures with disciplined intention. Pono blossoms when we are mindful and aware of our actions and how they impact others.
Son’s of Halawa by Jason Poole
This practice of staying present is intense! It’s hard to stay in the moment. I struggle to not get tangled up in thoughts of “I should have done this…” or “Someday I will…” And coming back to the present moment can be exhausting! But the most beautiful thing about this practice is that my teacher offers me the same presence.