The line is slung with bait to attract all manners of men
Trying to hook those that are swimming along aimlessly or too fast
So if you see it and feel so compelled take a bite of zen
And join me in the fringes, blissing with the outcasts
Tag Archives: Metaphysics
Journey to the New AGE
Some use the old adage others are hampered by a blockage
still more complain of the contest’s early stoppage.
It used to be about all types of suffrage
or the top quality of your package
but thankfully that unique carnage
has given way to a growing spiritual assemblage.
The great advantage of our marriage to each other
and our growing courage
is releasing us from bondage, giving us strength as the right arm
or should I say appendage
of a collective that is our right and our secret heritage.
This is not the hopeless wreckage.
It is the total package
waiting for you and I to manage our miscarriage
and unpack our baggage.
What waits for us? Only limitless advantage
and the demise of outrage as we celebrate a brand new image,
and the obsolescence of preface as we engage in this great and complex voyage
that will lead us to love and ultimately safe passage into the new frontier of a
perfect AGE
The Archer
Arrows fly as do accusations.
Spirits soar to meet expectations
Fingers no longer point
Because the archer’s aim was true.
A collective gasp is heard
And panic ensues
Hard to walk across these floors
Because they’re littered with the corpses of dinosaurs
With arrows protruding from their eyes.
Tripping the antiques that don’t share in the indigo hues
that the elevator brought down to change the faces of the bright red blues.
Was all this murder necessary just so we could recognize peace?
It seems so,
It bleeds so ,
As it continues to bring us to our knees.
One day we’ll get back on our feet,
Find a new color to anoint
Something that deciphers these words for their reader
But for now we will have to adhere to the glorious wisdom of our money, politicians, and so-called religious leaders.
Breathe slowly and steadily…
The last “Simple Tip” (look under the categories menu tab) I shared was utilizing the complete relaxation technique. In the systematic style of meditation expounded in the Himalayan Tradition, complete relaxation is only the second stage–it follows a postural practice. Let’s pause for a moment– if you’re new to this blog, or yoga meditation, no worries–you don’t have to have a perfected postural (asana) practice to continue. Furthermore, if time is a constraint, simple stretches– even a nice walk– will get you “into” the body.
Now, assuming you have worked with relaxation, which is a necessity– you cannot meditate if you are anxious and distracted— you begin to move further towards your Self via the breath.
We have all heard, anecdotally, about the importance of breathing deeply. But, it’s more than just the decompression of a sigh– shallow breathing negatively impacts our physiology. It is further exacerbated by, to name a few co-factors: poor posture, obesity, and incorrect breathing techniques.
In this tradition, the breath is the more “gross” manifestation of the “subtle energy” (prana) that animates the physical body– like electricity conducted along a wire. Therefore, we must refine the breath: make it deep, smooth, even (or seemless), and silent. The key to this is diaphragmatic breathing. The following video by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati elegantly explains the physiology of the technique.
It is important not to get frustrated if the technique feels alien at first–no one would expect us to run a marathon without training. The upper abdominal muscles have to become stronger; furthermore, the chest and the belly have to be reeducated.
After your complete relaxation–or while you are lying on the back in savasana– you can sit tall and well and begin to work with the breath. Take your time with it. Keep the facial muscles and shoulders relaxed. As I have mentioned in previous posts, less is more in the beginning. Focus, completely, on diaphragmatic breathing for a predetermined amount of time–five to seven minutes. You may find this metronome helpful to keeping a steady cadence; I set it to 60 bpm and then inhale for about 5 to 6 seconds and exhale for the same length. After a while, try to lengthen the breath cycle– but, as a beginner, keep the breath even. Then just notice the difference in your body. What sensations do you feel? You are laboratory and Yoga practitioners are scientist who explore themselves from the gross to the subtle– and beyond.
Strong Arm
This powerful arm leads to an even stronger hand
that holds you fast as this majesty expands.
There is nothing that this embrace can’t outlast,
There is nothing we can’t withstand.
Finding peace
even in the shadow we cast.
A renewed belief
in a world we can understand.
A sigh of relief
and fellowship unsurpassed–
restores faith throughout the land.
Shiva and Shakti
Thank the great mechanism for feminism
An elevator for masculinity
Conjuring the flawless interplay of non- dualism…
…So deftly propelling the organism
into the arms of divinity
Soul Renewal
Sorrow is a vivid sculpture that takes shape,
Revealing itself on your sweet face.
Joy, in this very same case, is a fresh coat of paint,
Renewing the soul of a saint.
The Crush
That is the crush of love flattening it all out for you.
The absolutely giant heart that falls from above
coming down hard, evening out the landscape.
The universal solvent melting mountains into streams.
A thing of awe,
a transformative energy so powerful, so raw it sends all of the unevenness up like the elevator it is.
The maker’s sweet kiss,
from sacred tulips.
Before our eyes,
delivering a simple beauty of foliage and fauna.
That gifts us with pervasive peace and let’s land become sky.
May these boundaries remain imaginary and imperceptible,
so my eyes and spirit can rest within you.
Taking refuge in the amazing that is everyday ordinary, beautiful plentiful.
Where two or three have gathered…
This week has been one of many opportunities to connect, spiritually, with many similarly minded individuals. I travelled to my teacher’s ashram in Fort Walton Beach and participated in meditation sittings and two group discussions, I had a birthday and (experienced Facebook at it’s best) received prolific blessings from loved-ones and associates, I lead an ongoing meditation group, I participated in Unity’s World Day of Prayer, I began a new weekly meditation group, I participated in the Women of Unity meeting, and lead a workshop in the North Georgia mountains–phew! Now, that is not a typical week; I feel as though my spiritual cup is full to the brim. I also feel that this chance to share sacred space was a reminder of the importance of satsang–keeping company with the truth.
It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane: work, family obligation, and general busyness. Therefore, the Himalayan Tradition recommends sitting to meditate daily– connecting with your source regularly. When you are “plugged in” to the source, you are more inclined to remember that all that is “outside” of you is merely the “Divine Play“.
However, sharing space adds another dimension to one’s spiritual practice– above and beyond merely sharing similar ideas. When you are with other sadhakas (aspirants), you are reminded that your center is the same as theirs. It injects you with an optimism that there are others on this quest and reminds you, that despite all the negative images and sound bytes in the media, that there are others who are on a quest to really know themselves as well.
We all here about retreats; it is good to get away and be alone. But, propagate that energy and get together are share sacred space too!
The Gift
It is a gift to be in tune with the transcendental.
A great reward, to be so aligned.
It takes prodigious strength to be gentle and kind.
Let us commune and become instrumental
in a pervasive happiness and peace of mind.
From the Gross to the Subtle 