Looking out the front window, I notice that the crab apple tree, in full bloom just days ago, is dropping her petals and decorating our driveway's dark asphalt in a blanket of white.  I'm reminded about the temporary nature of life's beauties and that, often, one beauty is replaced by another.  I'm called toward deeper appreciation.

       Memorial Day, celebrated today in the U.S.A., invites us to remember those to whom we're connected – which is another way to remind us about who we are.  We're asked to re-member, re-mind and re-orient to the passages of life and to the beauty of the temporary.

       Here's a poem by William Stafford – circulated in group on Thursday evening when the crab apple blossoms were in full glory, sharing their beauty and sweet fragrance with group members as they approached our front porch. 

Our Story

                        remind me again – together we

                        trace our strange journey, find

                        each other, come on laughing.

                        some time we'll cross where life

                        ends.  we'll both look back

                        as far as forever, that first day.

                        i'll touch you – a new world then.

                        stars will move a different way.

                        we'll both end.  we'll both begin.

                        remind me again.

Mirror Meditation

       At a recent retreat with Richard Moss and a special group of sojourners, I focused on inhabiting the body – appreciating its wisdom, attending to its physical sensations and feelings, interrupting ingrained patterns where I disregard my senses and move automatically to analysis and stories – a movement away from what's real to thoughts about what's real.  During the retreat, I realized, once again, that connection "in here" is the basis for all connection "out there".

       One difficult morning, as I sat in meditation at a desk facing a mirror on the wall, some affirmations arrived.  I wrote them down, faced myself in the mirror, looked directly into my eyes, and spoke each affirmation out loud.

       I invite you to try this practice.  Breathe, relax gently into the body, and let the affirmations emerge from quiet connection within.  Take your time.  Wait until you feel connected before speaking.  Let each message resonate in the body, before moving on. 

       Here are the affirmations I used.  The last one is a quote from Richard Moss.  You can use these or create your own version of a mirror meditation.  Enjoy.

       You are a unique expression of infinite vastness.

       You dwell in a body that's intimate with the universe.  Listen to this body.  Trust its wisdom.  It is your pathway to the infinite.

       The vastness within is larger than any feeling or story or problem you can have.  Let it hold you.

       Soften to this vastness.  It loves you completely.

       You are, already, that which you seek.

Home Body

Inhabit the body

Let it be home

Sensation and feeling

Ground and guide us

At home in body

We connect to self

Connecting with self

We connect to other

Humans and critters

Planets and plants

All one playing in the Field

The Big Body we all inhabit

Little body nestled in Big Body

Home within HOME