Tag Archives: Contemplation

invocation

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— read at the interfaith thanksgiving service on 19 november 2018 —


Inviting of the Bell —

The sound of the bell is an invitation to
inhabit body, heart and spirit with full and loving awareness.

[Sounding of the Bell x 3]

 

Be Aware of the Earth that Supports You —

May we remember and appreciate the First Peoples of this nation
and the indigenous land upon which we all live.*
May we commit to being just stewards of this Earth.

[Sounding of the Bell]

Be Aware of the Space that Surrounds You —

May we appreciate all who are present to share in this experience tonight.
May we honor all that makes us wonderfully different
and that which connects us as people of Faith and Wonder.
May we remember to look upon ourselves and others with eyes of compassion.

[Sounding of the Bell]


Be Aware of the Air from which You Draw Breath
to Nourish, Energize and Sustain You —

May we remember to appreciate each and every precious breath.

[Sounding of the Bell x 3]

 

*Here in Michigan: We are inhabiting the territories of the Ashininawebaki, Haudenosauneega Confederacy,  and Peoria, to name a few.

This invocation was inspired by the gratitude prayer written by the late Angeles Arrien.

mutual care | locating needs

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?

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embodying radical self-expression


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.

embodying refuge

i am a dwelling place of spirit, hope, healing and possibility.

a resting place for doubt, grief, fear, uncertainty, worry, frustration, disappointment and anger to be aired out with breath and tender patience.

an abiding of body, heart and mind in joy, equanimity, compassion, transformative love and freedom.

a sacred space.

new moon meditation | trusting your process

This. Right. Here?! So on time for this season of transitions and ascensions. Trust the process and who you’ll be and what you’ll see on the other side of it.


“whatever you are struggling with, whatever feels heavy and hard to hold,

remind yourself that there is something sacred about the way

you are learning to hold it.

you don’t have to do it well yet.

you are allowed to learn along the way.

you are allowed to make a mess.

just do so with a lot of compassion for yourself.”

— chani nicholas

new moon meditation | lunar wisdom

This world has tried to convince us to mark our days by the standards of industry, technology, and empire — productivity, performance and pursuit — and to measure and define our lives by the tempo of striving.

Yet the rhythms thrumming in our veins remind us that we are guided by forces more powerful than the promptings of a civil calendar.

Those drawn toward the earth will feel the pull of nature in the change of seasons, calling us to burrow, germinate, root, sprout, blossom, harvest, release what has gone to seed, compost…then (re)cycle through this organic unfolding again and again.

Those drawn toward the sky will feel “the full and change of the moon” summoning us to align with its peaks and plummets in order to discern from its energetic flow when to build, create, amplify, illuminate, pause, contemplate, rest, release, dismantle, renovate.

Whether we are drawn to one source or both, the call is the same:

  • Cease striving!
  • Release yourself from the matrix of scarcity that tells you there isn’t enough, that you don’t do enough, that you don’t have enough, that you are not enough!
  • Rest in the rhythm of Spirit!
  • Replenish your energy by relishing in experiences that delight you!
  • Nurture and trust your intuition!
  • Know that there is an optimal order, timing and season for all things!

I was blessed to be introduced to the we’moon calendar almost 16 years ago and have found freedom in reclaiming my connection to moon wisdom.

I’ve learned to attune my teaching and practice schedules with the seasons, encouraging those who study/practice with me to do the same.

Listening deeply to these guiding rhythms has helped me live a life more sacred.

embodied prayer | transforming the heart

Through our collective musing last Sunday, it became clear to me that “Transformative Love” is the energy that changes the shape of our hearts and minds.

As I become more and more of who I am — and something new — I am contemplating the question:

What does this look, sound, feel and act like in practice as we cultivate, celebrate, nourish, sustain and dissolve relationships?

Larry Yang’s aspirational prayer reminds us to lead with love girded with the honest and discerning awareness that — where love is not possible or present — we can at least commit to minimizing the harm.

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full moon + new year blessings

First of all: Y’all already know that every breath is a new chance to begin anew so today is no more special than yesterday for aligning your clear intentions with skillful actions!

For those who are already clear about what you’ve been called to manifest — the energies to conjure up and call toward you, the aspirations to crystallize into visions that contribute to your legacy — then it’s a beautiful day to draw on the full moon’s power and level up!

If your vision is not yet apparent, then invite the luminosity of the full moon to reveal your divine order, timing, purpose and placement. 

I’m calling in clear vision to cultivate lasting legacies rooted in transformative love and elder wisdom.

#HowWeSunday: Sangha resumes Sunday, January 7.