The Burrow

I missed it when I stopped, then I forgot to notice its absence.  But COVID was getting me down last month, so I started up again. Deepak Chopra's collaboration with Oprah passed me by the first time it was aired, but the interwebs are a wonderful place to find that which has passed.  And so, on YouTube, I bookmarked the 21 Days of Abundance , and started my practise again. The sessions are about 15 minutes long, and begin with a vaguely woo-woo talk touching on the philosophy of Abundance.  He tells me that I create my personal abundance from an infinite source , and my snarky New York self battles with my open-to-new-experiences self as I try to still my mind and absorb the peace. It's a challenge. There's a summary statement at the end of each presentation; some of them made me open my eyes and write them down. There is a way I can fulfill my true purpose in life. Today, and every day, I give that which I want to receive. Today, I focus on what I want to attract to my ...

I was cranky and I didn't want to go.  I was hungry and there is no time between Pilates and the start of Meditation to eat anything but a Kashi bar in the car as I drive.  I have so many rooms to clean at home and so little energy in the evening; I thought I'd go home and straighten out some piles.  Somehow, my better self prevailed.  I drove down Campbell to the hospital, parked and strolled across the concourse to the Cancer Center, where Yogi Marsha leads us in contemplation. As I drove, I inhaled Peace and I exhaled Calm and by the time I arrived in the lobby I was surprised at how ready I was to be there. I didn't judge my emotions.  I noticed them.  I remembered Yogi Marsha's three options: pleasant, unpleasant, neutral.  I noted that my emotions were unpleasant.  Actually, I said it out loud, to myself and whatever spirits were in The Schnozz at the time.  " So, these are unpleasant feelings." I didn't try to change them....

Miss Vicki came with me last Monday.  She'd tried to sit before, on her own, but found it difficult to concentrate.  Tempting her with lunch at Prep and Pastry  beforehand, she was willing to try Yogi Marsha and the group at UAMC. Over chicken and brie on focaccia and roasted beet salad, once we got the ice tea situation squared away we talked.  Her life is changing and, as always, I had an opinion on everything.  Luckily, she sometimes finds my opinions to have value; she always encourages me to speak openly. Yes, denizens, she's a brave one, indeed. When she told me that her mother had once said the same thing, we both took a moment..... and then we moved on.  As she drove us down to the hospital parking lot, encountering the first ever traffic jam at the entrance gate, she wondered what the group was like.  Settling, introducing, listening, sharing, meditating in the silence, first sitting, then sharing, then, usually, walking ever so slowly a...

Yogi Marsha sent me a copy of the Metta Sutta to share with you.  I'm using it for today's post, hoping that you will read these four lines, repeating them three times for each person/group described below.  Just change the I  to "the patients in the hospital" or "the survivors in Oregon" or whoever else you've chosen. I'm overwhelmed today.  There is so much bad news.... like the shooter who heard school was closing in a few days so he rushed over for his fifteen minutes of fame.  It's too much of a stretch for me to send love his way right now, but those on the receiving end of the bullets will be in my words and heart today.  It's not enough, it's just all I can do. Repeat it softly, slowly, carefully.  Pause after each period.  Share the love and kindness.  The world needs it. Metta Sutta May I be filled with love and kindness. May I be well. May I be at peace and at ease. May I be happy (contented). When you rad...

https://tinyurl.com/mxk4z4e I couldn't get into it today.  I arrived early and nestled into a comfy padded chair until the door opened.  I crocheted and chatted and then joined the group in the circle.  Yogi Marsha instructed the newbies on comfort techniques as I crossed my legs (my feet don't reach the ground when I sit up straight in the chair) in half lotus. Just getting into that position on the chair was an accomplishment; six months ago it was a fantasy, an intention, a desire.  I took a moment to compliment myself, and to let that sink in around the edges.  Being kind to oneself is the first step in our mindfulness practice. It's hard for me. There were twenty of us saying OM together and breathing together in the same space.  Yogi Marsha brought the conversation around to LeBron James, which got more of my attention than her soothing words usually attract.  I try to turn off my thinking brain as soon as I enter the room because I've fo...

I wish I understood the physiology behind mindful meditation.  I can feel that its effects are real.  I just don't understand how it happens. I was delayed at Michael's, caught up in the multiplicity of choices for FlapJilly's crocheted layettes.  If anyone is looking for a project, creating an attractive pink yarn might be right at the top of your list.  The skeins in the bins this afternoon were harsh, or rough or paler-than-pale; nothing jumped out and said buy me .  So, I wandered up and down the aisles, fondling and cogitating and then it was seventeen minutes until I had to be in the Kewitt Auditorium, prepared to commune with myself.  I checked out with what was in my cart.  I'll figure out what to make with it later on. Leaving my car with the free valet parking service at the UAMC main entrance, hugging the woman who took my family's cars while I was an in-patient and who took mine when I was able to drive to my own appointments and who ...