A dear friend sent this song to me the other day and, given all that we are holding in this week of mourning, remembrance and appreciation, it feels like timely medicine.
May it help ground, center and fortify you
in the face of any static you may encounter.
Join Sangha for “Post-Holiday” Refuge + Relief,
this Sunday, 11 AM – 1 PM, at Heartdance Studio.
This Election Tuesday is momentual for me personally as I get to support two amazing women in my life in their campaigns for office — my cousin Shauna Dunnings, who’s running for Probate Judge, and my friend from high school Elissa Slotkin, who’s running for the 8th District U.S. Congressional seat!
(I also went to junior school with a third woman who is a candidate for another local judicial office.)
Heartened and hopeful as I am, the reality is there are elected officials who still refuse to acknowledge the humanity of marginalized and oppressed communities and actively create policies that continue to jeopardize our well-being on every level.
So these words from adrienne maree brown are a timely centering prayer and the soulful lyrics from Jill Scott’s song My Petition (which I’ve been playing on repeat lately) captures a sliver of my current mood.
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In this 4-hour immersive experience, practitioners will be guided through embodied meditations and self-inquiry exercises to:
Awaken and strengthen the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness and 5 Spiritual Faculties;
Deepen skillful understanding of their relationship to privilege, power and oppression;
Move toward skillful and sustainable action to cultivate justice, liberation and healing within themselves and their relationships.
[radical bodhicitta is a module from the When + Where We Enter program]
*The sliding scale is offered to widen the invitation to practitioners of varying financial ability. Paying at the full rate sustains this practice. Practitioners may also donate additional funds to sponsor fellow registrants. Contributions can be made in advance (via PayPal; see registration form) or upon arrival (cash).
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Grateful for the collective imagination and wisdom of Sangha!
Last Sunday, our contemplation on Mutual Care inspired new queries to support us in identifying our current needs along with practices for honoring those needs.
How do we assess when our needs are being met — by asking what fuels, inspires and restores our body, heart, mind and spirit?
This Sunday, Sangha will open our season of contemplation and discernment with an inquiry into Mutual Care — with a specific focus on how we collectively respond to the new and/or changing accessibility needs of fellow practitioners.
Some of the queries that will guide our discernment:
Read here about Mutual Care related to accessibility practices: Sharing Sacred Space.
Naps on naps on naps! In this season of soul-tending, I’ve been relishing a slower pace and a quieter schedule where I can rest in the mundane. A key part in spinning down from the fullness of activities in previous months has been to recognize and accept that everyday doesn’t have to be purposeful or productive!
Discovering the nap ministry during this period of reclaiming rest was a clear co-sign from Spirit to reset the tempo of my days.
Even if I don’t actually close my eyes, I’m enjoying the horizontal repose as often as possible.
i am fierce, flawed,
fragile, fear-facing
and, above all, free.
a decolonized mind,
tearing down false refuges + unhooking from the iron yoke of twisted mores that decree how to love, learn, worship, succeed.
a liberated soul,
living into the sacred —
on spirit’s clock, wisdom’s rhythm + body’s intuition.
a rebel heart,
pumping joy through blue veins,
blood rich with resistance.
i am a miracle of my ancestors.
my breath is their legacy,
a continuation of their resilience,
a commitment to brave on
in any + every way
i magic.
i am lungs springing back oxgenated, fueled and aflamed to burn off toxins and tensions.
the softening fist, fingers extending in a mudra of receptivity.
emerging grace, wobbly-kneed and raw-skinned soles finding its footing, rebounding from stumbles, rising from falls.
the heart willing (sometimes wavering), nevertheless ready to face the tenderness of being alive.
i am an open heart —
strong, free, full and clear as the bell itself.
i am soft-flexed knees,
gravity centered and recaliberated,
surfboard-steady and supple
to ride the waves of challenge and change.
turning away from that which seeks
to diminish, defeat or undo me —
i protect my borders,
restore breaches,
preserve the sanctity of
wisdom well earned
and compassion long cultivated.
turning toward that which fuels and fortifies me,
i am a commitment to liberation —
transmuting hurts,
cutting through artifice,
toppling the false idols of oppression,
and living (w)holy unperturbed
in the unalterable truth of my divinity.
more contemplations:
embodying refuge
refuge, resistance, resilience + radical self-expression
Holy-Ice Storm, friends!
Sangha is cancelled due to this stunningly bizarre weather. With the news reporting that the road conditions are sketchy (and my car being completely covered in ice to the point where the doors are frozen shut), it just doesn’t make sense for us to take any risks.
May you find moments of quiet contemplation and refuge today within the safety of your homes.
Hope to see you next week!
tscottmiller 