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Notes from Kripalu (July 2023)

The only way out is through. 

~Robert Frost  

The highest spiritual practice is self-observation without judgement. 

~Swami Kripalu

Let’s start by admitting that I am so happy to be back in Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, after staying away for so long due to Covid. That being said, I have been crying ever since I arrived. All good. I will explain and also try to write a little about the program highlights. It has been such a rich and cathartic experience. Hopefully my words will encourage you to inquire about these presenters or just plan a visit.   

Before I begin, let me relate a little vignette that happened today. We all wear name badges here. I walked into the gift shop to buy some chocolate (just a small amount – I still have cravings)  and the young cashier, said, “Hi Franny, that was my grandmother’s name and I loved her so much. I  have this tattoo with her name on it and she is always with me.” We had a little conversation about her grandmother that brought tears to my eyes. The tenderness the young woman held in her heart for her grandmother was palpable. I told her about the love I have for my adolescent granddaughter and how I am a support to her. We had a heartfelt conversation instead of just an exchange of a few words. This is Kripalu! A place where bittersweet tears create space to open our hearts and come to know our true selves.  Continue reading “Notes from Kripalu (July 2023)”

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Poetry

National Poetry Month is celebrated every April. This year I took time
to engage in reading a variety of poems. I was so moved by their
subtle beauty, honesty, and symbolism. Just a few phases
could evoke so much joy or sadness, insight, remorse or comfort.

I attended a meditation conference in April and I felt inspired to
express my own feelings in ink and so I wrote the following haikus.

 

 

 

 

 

Daffodils grin to
greet the rosy dawn, the fat
cat sleeps in the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpsing emptiness
on path to timeless zen, is
enough this Spring day.

 

 

 

 

 

Il Won hall sit to
cultivate awareness seeds
dharma flower mind.

 

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WINTER SOLSTICE:  2022 (Alban Arthan)

The Winter Solstice is on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 4:48 PM. This is the time when the Earth’s tilt away from the Sun is at its maximum and the Sun’s maximum elevation in the sky is at its lowest. In our Northern Hemisphere this marks the shortest day and the longest night.

From ancient times to the present, the winter solstice is celebrated in cultures world wide. Besides Stonehenge in the U.K., here are a few examples. 

Alban Arthan is Welsh for “light of winter”.  In Druidic tradition it is thought of as a time of death and rebirth when nature’s powers and our own souls are renewed. 

The Feast of Juul– This is a festival observed in Scandinavia when fires are lit to symbolize the heat, light, and life given properties of the returning sun.  

Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival – The ancient Chinese believed  that the yang or the positive energy will become stronger and stronger after this day, and so families would get together to celebrate.   Continue reading “WINTER SOLSTICE:  2022 (Alban Arthan)”

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Holiday Wishes for you

Earlier this week I woke up to a winter wonderland. The first snowfall of the season. A bright red cardinal was the only contrast to the glistening whiteness outside. Delightful!

Then, a shift!
“Oh no”, I thought, “am I snow bound? How can I shovel all of this snow?” Sciatica!

I called a friend to ask her if she knew anyone who could help shovel. Within minutes, she appeared and then two other friends, albeit young ones.

Then, a shift! A heartache? Yes.
“Why can’t I do this.” I was able to do it just a few years ago. “I can take care of myself” is my mantra. Continue reading “Holiday Wishes for you”

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Joy of Uncertainty: Embracing the Mess

“Even a wounded world is feeding us.
Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy.
I choose joy over despair.
Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy
Is  what the earth gives me daily
and I must return the gift ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer 

 

What is Joy?  Joy is traditionally defined as a state of great delight or happiness. Searching further, we find that joy refers more to an inner feeling, and happiness is more of an outer expression. We choose joy. Joy transcends. Happiness reacts. We find joy in spite of uncertainty. Joy endures hardships and connects with meaning and purpose. Joy is a constant, internal state on a spiritual level. Happiness is an external temporary emotion.  “Joy is in the heart. Happiness is in the face.”~ from compassion international. Continue reading “Joy of Uncertainty: Embracing the Mess”

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The Spiritual Meaning of Flowers: A Garden Meditation

Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow ~ John Lennon

The symbolic meaning of flowers has been accepted for centuries throughout the world and in literature as well. In the Victorian era, flowers were used to send messages that could not be spoken aloud. A “yes” answer came in the form of a flower handed over with the right hand and if the left hand was used the answer was “no”. If a flower was given upside down, the ideas being sent was the opposite of what was traditionally meant. Flowers depicted emotions such as love, strength, disdain, courage, pride, loss, joy, and sorrow to name just a few.  Continue reading “The Spiritual Meaning of Flowers: A Garden Meditation”

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