Readings
During classes, I often share readings, poems and reflections, little pieces of wisdom that help us pause, breathe and remember what matters. This space gathers those words so you can return to them whenever you need a moment of stillness.
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
Around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
Where I left them, asleep like cattle…
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.
Wendell Berry
Lao Tzu
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
Earth, Teach Me (a Ute Prayer )
Earth, teach me quiet — as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth, teach me suffering — as old stories suffer with memory
Earth , teach me humility — as blossoms are humble with beginning
Earth, teach me caring — as mothers nurture their young
Earth, teach me courage — as the tree that stands alone.
Earth, teach me limitation — as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth, teach me freedom — as the eagle that soars in the sky
Earth, teach me acceptance — as the leaves that die each fall
Earth, teach me renewal — as the seed that rises in the spring
Earth, teach me to forget myself — as melted snow forgets its life
Earth, teach me to remember kindness — as dry fields weep with rain.
Energy is the currency of the universe.
Energy is the currency of the universe. When you “pay” attention to something, you buy that experience. So when you allow your consciousness to focus on someone or something that annoys you, you feed it your energy…
Emily Maroutian
Mindfulness in flowers
When it comes right down to it, the challenge of mindfulness is to realize that “this is it” Right now is my life. The question is, What is my relationship to it going to be? Does my life just automatically “happen” to me? Am I a total prisoner of my circumstances or my obligations, of my body or my illness, or of my history? Do I become hostile or defensive or depressed if certain buttons get pushed, happy if other buttons are pushed, and frightened if something else happens? What are my choices? Do I have any options? It is an important point is to grasp the value of bringing the practice of mindfulness into the conduct of our daily lives. Is there any waking moment of your life that would not be richer and more alive for you if you were more fully awake while it was happening?
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Your practice doesn’t expect you to show up happy.
Your practice doesn’t expect you to show up happy. It asks that you be present. It doesn’t mind if you are put together, or if you are a mess. You can arrive with a jumbled mind and a heavy heart. Your practice couldn’t care less if you can touch your toes or meditate for hours. It asks simply, that you show up.
Unknown
Letting go, or not?
They say that at some point you just learn to let go, I must disagree. If it just takes one moment to let go, then you never really held on tightly enough. To a dream. To a goal. To a place. To a person. To anything. I believe you let go little by little. You let go a little, then hold back on, but with a little less force until you fully release yourself. And the tighter you hold on, the more force you let go with. The deeper you dive, the higher you’ll fly. The closer you get, the further you’ll pull away. The weaker you feel, the stronger you’ll become. So, do not be ashamed of your weaknesses. We all have them. You must learn to be kind to yourself. You must believe in yourself.
Najwa Zebian