Village Christmas Poem Podcast

Posted on December 24, 2008 by carolyn

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Village Christmas

Driving into Fredonia from the dark

fields and vineyards outside

of my somnambulistic village,

the white lights wink alive and awake on Sycamore trees

while the old fashioned buildings

welcome the stranger that I am tonight.

I see this place as if for the first time, now.

My travels in cities blazing and dark

are over. There’s a welcome in these buildings,

handsful of comfort in old snow on the Commons’ Christmas tree.

The 19th Century fountains dance with lights. Village

hall smiles, full of white lighted windows. Village

gazebo appears a playful carousel of spirit tonight.

Shocking wind rustles the last leaves on trees

lining Barker Square. Snow clouds pounce, dark,

and laden with Erie’s energy on Temple and Main. Outside,

the green bushes wiggle with chill. Brick buildings

croon comfort to the traveler. Stalwart buildings

stand the lake storm now buffeting the village.

And I, weary with this century’s motion, lean outside

the Opera House humming an aria. Tonight

I hum fiercely, letting loose the dark

tones I have collected. Evergreen trees

blow back the tunes on their boughs. Silver maple trees

drop their dead limbs. Watch them bounce against buildings.

They fall quiet. They do what the they must tonight.

I stop humming, disoriented in this village.

Confusion is striking on Christmas Eve.

The world, tearing itself apart, tries to break me. A facade

of a quiet birth is miracle enough to have survived outside

this numbing storm. The bare Ginko trees

on Central Avenue are as foreign as Bethlehem tonight.

I hold on to the solid brick of the Russo building

and wait for the snow to pass through the village.

Then there is only the winking of little lights in darkness.

The century turns outside these buildings.

Lit spires of trees in Fredonia

on Christmas Eve, glimmer in winter’s storm and dark.

divine dissatisfaction

Posted on December 23, 2008 by carolyn

Texas Rainbow (Mark Knight photo)

How much happiness can a human heart can hold? I feel as if I may break into pieces if any more love comes my way. . . . if one more good thing happens. . . yesterday was my birthday. . . I was able to celebrate with all three kids, one son’s girlfriend, and my hubbie–partner of 30+ years. Received messages and blessings from many old and new friends & far-flung family members…geesh, I get teary-eyed recounting it all. Boundaries dissolve as energy quickens.

I’ve certainly been in the opposite position, asking the universe how much grief and sadness a person was capable of feeling. This happy mode is kinda new to me, but I’m getting used to it — sort of.

Here is a piece that was given to the retreatants at the porches writing retreat in October – a la Hip Tranquil Chick, Kimberly Wilson. Check out her blog; this is excerpted from October 27, 2008:

there is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and (will) be lost. the world will not have it. it is not your business to determine how good it is; nor how valuable it is; nor how it compares with your other expressions. it is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. you do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. you have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. keep the channel open. no artist is pleased. there is no satisfaction whatever at any time. there is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others. – martha graham to agnes demille

Any strong emotion fundamentally ungrounds and uncenters me, but I am practicing watching the feeling rather than engaging. . . And learning to accept the dissatisfaction inherent in living a human life, the blessed unrest as Martha Graham calls it. Holidays really stir up my restlessness — good and bad — sometimes both at the same time. In response, I fill with ambivalent emotions, both loving and hating this tilting off-center.

This is a time when I really need my practice but when my practice is thrown out off kilter because all semblance of schedule is disrupted. Simply remembering that my feet —or whatever — is connected to the earth really helps. Breathing helps. Sitting or savasana helps, even if I do it for only ten minutes.

These can be very rich times to practice because it’s endless …..the depths of *stuff* I’ve been oblivious and/or numb to. I dedicate my life to increasing this awareness.

Is this what is meant by awakening: The pieces of insight or vision that grow larger and deeper with practice? Aspirations and intentions are best stated in the present tense: I AM enlightenment…..I AM lovingkindness compassion….I AM flexible and strong…..

embodiment

Posted on December 21, 2008 by carolyn

What dies it mean to be embodied? . . . . to inhabit this pound* of flesh?

In the Eucharist Christ gives us His very Body, “Take, eat, and drink . . . .” It is a sacrament reenacted in every Catholic Mass. The Faithful take the Body of Christ into their own.

In yoga, which grew out of the Hindu tradition, though it is not connected with Hinduism, nor does it call for its adherents to follow Hinduism, the body is used as a vehicle for awakening greater spiritual awareness.

As a yoga teacher, I try to nudge folks into self-acceptance and embodiment. This of course, is a two-way street because it is through my students’ struggles that I stretch deeper in my own physical self.

Being embodied is a practice. It doesn’t happen in a zen flash of enlightenment. It doesn’t happen in a three minute head balance. It doesn’t happen while eating the most delicious Gala apple in the world.

All of these lead to degrees of embodiment and we need to keep practicing all of them so that embodiment becomes a state of mind. Ironic, huh?! Really, though, we need our conscious mind in our body and our body to inhabit our conscious mind.

An embodied awareness knows no limits — we just keep going deeper.

This is an amazing three-dimensional form you are in! What are your toes up to at this moment? Can you feel every single one of the ten distal phalanges? Don’t waver. What about your ten long fingers? Can you keep them in your mind’s eye along with the toes? What about your heart, breath, triceps, jaw?

JOURNAL EXERCISE: write a piece using the point of view of your toes OR your fingers. Let them tell you a thing or two! Feel free to talk back to them. Write for twenty minutes.

MEDITATION: As you sit, BE in your body. Let your consciousness roam around inside. Afterwards you can write about the areas you found that were feeling really great, the parts that were tense, the territory that was a black hole to you, as well as whatever places you felt you met for the first time in a long time.

WELCOME TO YOUR BODY!

Just Another Day, Another Gift

Posted on December 18, 2008 by carolyn

As the days pass one after another and we tumble towards the holidays with all of the attendant socializing, as we are pulled from our routine and from our meditation and yogic practices, as we get swept up in holiday traditions that don’t suit our present lifestyle or values, it’s worthwhile to take a break from it all, and pray with Brother Steindl-Rast for gratitude to fill our lives. It’s such a cliche, but come on, what IS really important? What is the most meaningful gift we can give to our family, friends, to the world?

In a way, all of our practices are geared towards cultivating an attitude of gratefulness. Gratefulness grows out of mindfulness practice. Each and every breath is unique. Multiple gifts: both the breath itself, the prana that flows, as well as the ability to see and feel it. Gratefulness radiates from a healthy asana practice. Again, we observe many gifts in a single pose: the physical ability to “perform,” the areas of personal challenge which push us to go deeper, the beauty of synchronizing mind, breath, spirit when it happens. Gratitude showers upon us in sitting meditation when we recognize the gift of the practice itself in our lives, the boon of insight when it occurs, the attendant emotional states that teach us about our hearts.

JOURNAL EXERCISE: In this season of gift giving, it is very worthwhile to compile one or more gratitude lists BEFORE any gift exchange you may be involved in. What are you grateful for in your partner, your parents, your children, your coworkers, your neighbor (especially that really annoying one!), your gramma. How about creating a new list each morning before the day rumbles into full gear. Be sure to give yourself a list too. There is after all, no one more deserving of your love!

If any of the above are difficult, then try ramping up your lovingkindness or tonglen meditation practices.

Here is a seven minute lovingkindness meditation with insight meditation teacher, Sharon Salzburg if you are unfamiliar with this practice.

And here is a five minute description, also from Beliefnet, of Shambala teacher Pema Chodron leading tonglen practice if you are unsure of this technique.

Let’s head into the holidays with a commitment to being grateful for every single moment in our lives and for every single person in our lives. The blessing of every single day will then become the most meaningful gift and truly, one that radiates outward as it “keeps on giving.”

NAMASTE!

Broccoli Tofu Stir-Fry

Posted on December 15, 2008 by carolyn

A Yogin’s Cuisine,

Recipes for Health & Happiness

This stir-fry is a delicious and nutritious meal that easily serves 4. It’s a staple of our house.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1″ cubes

1 bunch broccoli or 3 broccoli crowns cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion chopped

3-4 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

12 oz. mushrooms sliced

1/2 lb. fresh green beans cut into short pieces

thumb size piece of fresh gingerroot grated OR 2 t. powdered ginger

3 T.Teryaki sauce (I use Kikkoman’s)

2 T. Tamari (again, Kikkoman)

3 T. Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine) or other sweet white wine, such as Liebfraumilch

1 -2 t. Cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C. water

2 T. Canola oil

1 – 2 t. hot sauce or hot oil

1 c. unsalted cashews, optional

DIRECTIONS

Fry garlic in 1 1/2 T. oil for one minute – Do not brown.

Add onion, broccoli, red pepper, and green beans.

Stir fry for about 5 min.

Add mushrooms and ginger and optional cashews.

Add Teryaki sauce, Mirin, and 1/2 the Tamari Sauce

Cook for a few more minutes until vegetables are cooked, but still firm.

In another pan, saute Tofu in remaining oil with 1 1/2 t. Tamari and hot sauce or hot oil until slightly browned.

Mix Tofu into other ingredients with cornstarch and cook 1- 2 min. until sauce thickens.

Serve with rice OR Serve in a bowl as a vegetarian stew (add additional water at the very end after the sauce thickens to make it more soupy).

Cosmos (Barefoot Photos)

Beginner’s Mind and Body, one-legged yoga

Posted on December 11, 2008 by carolyn

Dipti lifting foot into Tree with strap

Day after day, month after month, year after year, practice can grow stale and arrogant if I don’t re-invigorate mind and body in what zen master, Suzuki Roshi refers to as Beginner’s Mind. In yoga asana practice I need to remind myself to approach the physical aspect of any pose with “Beginner’s Body.”

If I return to the mat each day with an intention to open myself to whatever the practice (the universe!) can teach me, if I approach every class—whether I am teacher or student— as if it is my first, yoga will continue to inspire and embody its own motivation.

Fortunately, there’s nothing like an injury in one part of the body to jolt me out of my usual routine. An injury that requires resting, like the neck strain I have today (due to doing something I KNEW I shouldn’t do, but did anyway!!!) forces me to lay off my usual inversion practice for a while and spend more time in other poses and sequences—an opportunity to practice with Beginner’s Mind & Body.

As all of my teachers have stressed, yoga is not about becoming “a little more bendy;” it’s about how deep and how quickly I can drop down into the center of the SELF. It’s about attempting to stay connected with my center for as long as possible. To do this, I MUST practice Beginner’s Mind.

Dipti in Revolved Hasta Padanghustasana

There’s nothing like a one-legged sequence to shake out whatever remains stale and “old” in my practice. My teacher Dipti introduced a challenging sequence in last week’s class. What made it different was that nearly all of the poses were practiced on one leg and then the class switched legs and did them all on the other side. This required balance muscles in the core, ankles, and gluteus medias as well as intense concentration to remain upright!

For the dark, cold days that are upon me now in the western New York, a great way to stir the inner light (without straining my neck!) has been playing with these one-legged poses. Remembering the stability inherent in correctly practicing the individual poses, I gently try combining them. I pay particular attention to stabilizing my pelvis to protect my lower back and I press down through the inner leg and ankle of the standing leg to avoid my tendency to roll onto the lax outer ankle.

I’m starting with just a couple—3 at first—and trying to move through the poses without touching the lifted leg onto the ground as I transition from one to the other. I figure that as soon as I get used to the first 3, I’ll add another one or two as I become comfortable. I’m shooting for stability and grace in the sequence.

If you decide you’d like to spice up your practice and develop your Beginner’s Mind/Beginner’s Body with one-leggers, start slowly and carefully with strong focus on building alignment in each pose before moving on. Use ujjayi breath to build the position. As always, listen to your body, especially your vulnerable lower back and knees and stop when you feel pain.

Read the Introduction to Home Practice and Asana Practice if you haven’t yet and be sure you have permission from your medical practitioner before embarking upon any asana practice. Everyone should work at their capacity, not beyond—and make use of blocks, straps, or chairs if the full pose is presently unattainable.

One-leggers are not recommended for pregnant women, folks with current spinal disc or sciatica issues, or anyone who experience dizziness,

D. in Revolved Lifted Bent Knee Pose

Here’s a list of possible poses that I’ve been fooling around with:

Vrksasana – TREE
Virabhadrasana 3 – WARRIOR 3
Natarajasana – DANCER
Utthita Hasta Padanghustasana -STANDING BIG TOE
Ardha Chandrasana – HALF-MOON
Urdhva Prasarita Ekapadasana – UPRIGHT EXTENDED ONE-LEGGED (standing splits)
Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana – HALF BOUND LOTUS
Garudasana – EAGLE

I have to resist the thought that “Now I have the pose- and i can relax my attention.” I keep reminding myself that the journey is the pose and attempt to stay mindful coming into, during, and transitioning from pose to pose. If I fall out, no big deal; I can try again or move on as I feel prompted from within. Practicing this way over and over again helps to relax the grip that the past has on my mind and allows me to breathe and “pose” in the present.

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The audio version is great listening while walking deep in the forest, or on a treadmill:

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

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TODAY’S MANTRA:

HONOR,

BALANCE,

LIGHT

bird watching poem

Posted on December 5, 2008 by carolyn

Bird Watching

The red-breasted nuthatch

persistently flies

to the feeder

then dips returning

to the broad boughs of pine

Snow falls on top of old snow

All of it silent

and cold-turning-wet

Upside-down

the sleek nuthatch spirals

around a tree trunk

foraging for insects

Snow drifts on snow

The bird searches for food

and the world spins and spins

and spins

Kundalini, Breath of Fire

Posted on December 2, 2008 by carolyn

Ed Woods & Yoga Teacher, Theone Wilkinis

Ed and his yoga teacher, Theone Wilkinis

One of the high points of visiting Dave & family for Thanksgiving holiday was checking out long-time family friend, Edwin Woods’ Friday morning Kundalini class at Spring of Happiness in Manlius NY. Greeted by teacher, Theone Wilkinis in her studio, I immediately relaxed and found “my space” on a blue mat in the corner. The ambiance and energy were friendly and supportive; a cd of Wahe Guru chants drifted in the background adding aural comfort to the setting.

What was most different for me from classes I teach or attend, was the practice of Breath of Fire (Bhastrika) during most of the poses. Breathing in this manner required great mental focus, not to mention abdominal control. In addition to helping us maintain a meditative mindset, the rapid fire breath work had many physical benefits. We all built up a lot of heat, evidenced by our sweating — and the steamy windows lining the studio wall.

Here’s a video that shows Breath of Fire taught by Alyssa, a Kundalini teacher from Mind Body Soul Yoga:

Learn More about Kundalini Yoga:

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The 8 Human Talents: Acceptance, Creativity, Commitment, Compassion, Truth, Intuition, Boundlessness, and Radiance, Restore the Balance and Serenity Within You With Kundalini Yoga.

Gurmukh with Cathryn Michon.

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Meditation as Medicine, Activate the Power of Your Natural Healing Force.

Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth.