See the Things Worth Seeing

The Inner Constellation January theme of diligence is winding down. I'm reflecting on this lovely, fast-paced world of many options, and I don't know about you guys, but--it's easy to be pulled away: phone notifications, daily maintenance, work and life commitments...how do we stay on course?

I'm convinced one answer to this question is--everyday (every moment!) practice what matters. Practice love, compassion, understanding (whatever your North Stars may be) in the hurry scurry whirling world. Begin with yourself, be gentle, stop, breathe; the ripple effect will impact others. Then, to stop the spinning, take time for stillness. Find the calm center, where we remind ourselves, and nourish what matters most. In essence, one might say--REORIENT.

Ha! Look up, open wide those beautiful eyes, locate that North Star and breathe, baby. Grab the jump rope, call your grandma, skip to work after your lunch break, hold someone's hand....diligently turn yourself North, my friend. And, if you're feeling brave and committed, find other star gazers (like Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community) and diligently pursue happiness and True North together. Community committed to higher purpose will keep you grounded, together and less likely to spin off into another galaxy! 

True North is shining bright, and available every day, in every way to navigate you through the storms and joys of life! If you would like Mon-Fri email inspirations as my gift to you, guidance in discovering what matters most, or tools for an individual or community practice, please contact me.

No Coming, No Going--Practicing for Carson May

Hello sweet ones, I entered a practice space this morning without knowing why, but let the morning unfold in stillness and awareness. Minutes ago, I received a text that shed light--the rescue attempts for skier Carson May have been called off, avalanche danger is too high. This young man has been missing since Thursday. His mother is a member of a sister sangha in Sacramento, and Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community has been practicing since we heard the news. At 1:00pm today (January 20, 2016) there will be a ceremony for Carson at a place where he has skied. We're asked to join in where ever we are in wishing him a good journey. The following song will be sung, if you're so inclined to sing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvch42FjWs

We are connected, we are one. Life is too precious to not care for one another. The Inner Constellation Blessing* today is dedicated to Carson May:

"No Coming, No Going"
I am in you,
you are in me.
No separation.

Breathing in, breathing out...Going outside now to join the gathering of life.


*If you would like to receive  Mon-Fri inspirational blips to your inbox as my gift to you please contact me

Diligence Practiced Beautifully

It’s a miraculous process that when we place our attention on something (become mindful), the opportunities to practice present. January Inner Constellation theme is diligence, and yesterday I had the awesome experience of witnessing a student with a disability overcome a challenge in the class room, exhibiting determination that was heroic. The student is legally blind and we made adjustments such as his and my positioning, marker color, the size of my writing and a plan for how to convey visual communication among students. I was grateful for the lesson he modeled —how to set up conditions for success.

I left the classroom asking myself how I set up conditions for success, so I’m able to practice my North Star of compassion and keep love alive?  Self-care is a huge condition for success in addition to having time, not rushing so I can notice opportunities to practice my North Star.  I asked a question of a colleague yesterday that brought tears to his eyes, “How are you nourishing yourself?” He’s struggling to take care of two immediate family members suffering with terminal cancers. We take care of the InnerConstellation so we can generate the compassion it takes to notice the suffering in others and help alleviate and bring joy into their lives. Without a personal practice, it’s easy to be swept away by strong emotions, the to-do list, and general pace of life.

Diligence and setting up conditions for success translates into “Chart Your Course,” in Inner Constellation language. Every moment we have the opportunity to orient toward our North Stars or go in other directions. How will you “Chart Your Course,” in the direction you wish to go? A huge compass for me is my community of practice (Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community), cherished friends who are dedicated to peace, understanding and love. Even just one solid person in your life can provide the support needed to move in a beautiful direction. I would love to hear about your practice of diligence this month of January, please feel free to contact me so we can build our community of practice. 

Happy New Year 2016

Hello Beautifuls, on this bright snow-covered Tahoe New Year's Eve day! I woke with one of my favorite gathas (practice poems) from Thich Nhat Hanh sounding like a bell of mindfulness (pic on the left).

It seems a most appropriate aspiration for new year 2016 and the January Inner Constellation theme of diligence. In this high-paced age, it takes tremendous fortitude to find time in the day for stillness and live connected to peace, understanding and love. In the last 24 hours I could have been pulled away by the plethora of phone calls, emails, personal computer crashing (!), warnings of terrorist strikes, drama of an intense family session...or, use each and every experience as an opportunity to practice what matters most--my North Stars. It takes diligence to stay oriented and not be carried away by ever-changing circumstances. It also takes diligence to stay grounded in the present moment and not let the past or future pull us away. Thich Nhat Hanh points out (and I'm paraphrasing) that the past has informed this very moment in time and this present moment creates the future. It's possible to heal the past by choosing love, understanding and peace today, right this very minute. In so doing, we transform beautifully into the future. Ahhh, I'm looking forward to practicing diligence with you guys in the coming month of January.* 

I have found the single most successful tool for keeping me on track is community. Please consider diving even deeper by joining Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community upstairs in the Lotus Room every Wednesday morning from 7:30a-8:30a (we meet diligently:). It's a blessing to have a group of people devoted to living beautifully. Love you each to the moon and back and wishing you and your loved ones a blessed 2016!

*If you would like to receive the Mon-Fri Inner Constellation email blip as my gift to you, please contact me. It's short, sweet and sure to inspire!

Winter Mindfulness Retreat--December 5, 2015

LTMC is looking most forward to hosting the Half-day Winter Retreat coming up in a few weeks. Please invite your friends and family to join you for a day of restoration as we prepare for the holiday season. Bring a cup, spoon and napkin to enjoy a warming agent as we take our practice to Paradise Park for walking meditation and enjoy the sanctuary upstairs in The Studio. It promises to be a special day of relaxation, concentration, insight and sweet community. I can think of no better way to introduce our Winter Retreat theme of "Stillness," than with a poem:

Stillness of the Dawn
©Karla Johnston 2010

As I slumber,
perfect peace covers the land.
Bird spreads its wings in flight,
soaring entirely of its own volition.
Tree synchronizes a slow, bending dance
to extend a providential resting place.

Might I,
upon waking-up to stillness,
embrace such intimate rapport?

 LTMC looks forward to seeing everyone on December 5 and wishes everyone a treasured Thanksgiving. 

Solidarité

I've spent the last few days mindfully attending to the sadness that I felt watching the attacks in Paris over the weekend. I was reminded of Thich Nhat Hanh's insight that understanding is necessary in the midst of violence. How can we understand such acts?

I posted to my larger OI community, who support me in my mentoring process for lay ordination (in Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition). I received much calm and steady support, and these resources are shared on the Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community Facebook page. Then, as is my deepest practice, I began to write--my way of gaining understanding. This blog article and this week's Inner Constellation Blessings* are the start. Before I began my writing practice, I consulted Hafiz (remember my love affair with this poet began a few weeks ago). Here's what he had to say about the events in Paris:

I Have Learned So Much

I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself

A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
A Buddhist, a Jew.

The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me

That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,
Or even pure
Soul.

Love has
Befriended Hafiz so completely
It has turned to ash
And freed
Me

Of every concept and image
My mind has ever known.


Beautiful Hafiz, you are nectar to my sadness, and it transforms as all things do. Now it's time for skillful action. I look forward to continuing the discussion in Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community, a group that meets weekly, dedicated to practicing understanding and love within ourselves and with our loved ones. The writings will continue...for now, today's Inner Constellation Blessing:


11/16 Inner Constellation Blessing: Solidarité
©2015 Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com
Fixed views have the potential for much violence and intolerance. True peace and understanding is born when we relinquish our claims to the truth and listen deeply to the suffering and joy of others. Daily, constantly--let go and listen. 


*If you would like to receive the IC blessing gift, a short blip of inspiration sent to your inbox M-F, please contact me. 

"Letting Go"

Yesterday Tahoe received the first snow fall of the season. As I watched the autumn leaves release from the branches, the November IC theme emerged--"Letting Go." I'm inspired to practice holding onto nothing, being as the leaves and letting go of the past beautifully.

I had an opportunity to look deeply at this theme yesterday, as my work took me into a situation with an enormous amount of suffering. Today, I sit in front of my crackling fireplace in comfortable layers, having just finished a bowl of warm oatmeal. I sip my cinnamon tea and contemplate the happiness in my heart, even though the conditions of yesterday transpired. What is this ability to be present with suffering and yet still find the qualities of peace, compassion and joy? I believe "letting go" may be one ingredient and the understanding that my love is greater than my suffering.

I've come to a monumental conclusion of late in my daily practice--suffering seems a result of holding on; the more I can let go, the more my suffering ceases. When I let go, my peace, compassion and care can grow and interestingly, my capacity to be with suffering increases.

Sitting in front of the fire, writing this article, I am warm, comfortable, empty, and in this state, it's much easier to be filled. I look forward to practicing "letting go," with you all in the month of November. May your day be filled with sweet practice opportunities.