The season of spring is vigorous and forceful because things have to grow. We need to move like the wind and in fact, wind is the weather of spring. Spring is the the color of bright green, the element is wood, and the organ is liver. Liver’s partner is the gall bladder. Anger is associated… Continue reading Liver spring
Category: Mindfulness
Dynamic situations
I made a photo booth without walls to mindfully receive images of happy birds landing into the frame by choice. I fired up the Canon Rebel XSi with a zoom lens and braced myself against a tree. The camera would not focus on the subject because I was impatient and had not allowed enough time… Continue reading Dynamic situations
That Clear and Certain Sound
By Pamela Haines Book review by Mary Ann Petersen What rings true? Something with “that clear and certain sound.” This book by Pamela Haines is short and dense with content. It is part of the series Quaker Quicks. As Haines describes it, she assembled the book from a series of essays and meditations she had composed over… Continue reading That Clear and Certain Sound
Thresholds
In the darkness of winter, I have many questions. I woke up wondering if snowy owl should be capitalized. It shouldn’t. Mona Lisa should be capitalized. Big Dipper is capitalized. Plants and animals are less consistent. Aside from punctuation, I wonder about how we’ve been trained to not speak negatively and how sometimes this is… Continue reading Thresholds
Passing through
To make courageous decisions I practice feeling temporary. Pretend life is temporary and eventually none of this will matter. Imagine we are here a very short time and then disappear leaving no trace. I practice doing now what I feel drawn to. I am not going to be remembered. We are all hounded relentlessly by bullshit… Continue reading Passing through
Give an hour
The universal switchboard is lighting up and I’m taking a lot of calls. The message came through quickly, as they do, you just have to pay attention. I happened to hear it. It said, give an hour of help toward someone. Don’t hesitate. Act on this. Need help? I’ll give you an hour. Sign up… Continue reading Give an hour
Flow
I wasn’t lost but I didn’t know exactly where I was. It was a beautiful place to be disoriented. I considered freaking out but decided to use my compass instead. I found my way back. “I know no one wants unsolicited advice”… she said to me, and then gave it. It reminds me of when… Continue reading Flow
Comfort within
A man made bird sounds on an early morning bird walk. He tweeted, squeaked, squawked, whistled, buzzed and whooshed with his mouth making him my favorite bird that morning. A couple weeks ago, two people I’ve never met stood at my front fence and voiced observations: “I love your squash forest!”“I love your amaranth! It… Continue reading Comfort within
Summer
Summer can be a peak experience and that is why people like it. Summer feels generous. There is a bumper sticker that says “Be Love.” This is the season to be love. Fire is the element of summer. Fire is also spirit, the universal life force that supports matter and form. This is the time… Continue reading Summer
What’s your suchness?
I woke to two cats fighting inside my house. One of them was mine. This is part of the tension that holds the world together. It was the suchness of the moment. Suchness is zen talk for the natural state of reality. I am practicing using it in a sentence. How’s your suchness today? What… Continue reading What’s your suchness?