Fires, Smoke, Poetry and Song

Hello, Dear Ones, as fire season begins, we're entering week 3 here in California. My spirits were a bit dampened yesterday as smoke 5x its toxic level hung heavy in the Tahoe basin.  I found myself wondering, is this how summers are going to be from now on? Then, beautiful lines from Hafiz interrupted the resistance and wove their nectar into heart and mind...

Even 

After

All this time

The Sun never says, "You owe me."

Look

What happens

With a love like that,

it lights the

whole 

sky. 

The sun, a star, the moon, never complains, never casts blame as it hangs in the sky, obscured behind a smoke screen, why must I? I'm caught in the idea that it shouldn't be this way and I'm caught in the idea that this might be the "new normal." Those ideas are the source of my suffering. Thank you, Hafiz. 

The second thing that happened to clear away the smoke blues was that the lovely lines of Hafiz generated a question--how can I loosen the resistance? Instead of focusing on what I can't do, what can I do? So, of course, I reached for the beautiful bell and got down my drum. It's probably not recommended to sing in smoke haze, but...well, you know my motto--sing it into submission. Please enjoy this offering of a total relaxation on the Five Mindfulness Trainings ~ Stay well, stay safe and stay connected....

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mBOErS45WIRGMK6-EKY0rP21pfX0WrOZ/view?usp=sharing

   

Summer Mindfulness Retreat: June 24, 2021

 

July 22, 2021 

Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community will be gathering this coming Saturday with happy hearts
to be together again! Our last retreat to deepen our practice was in January 2019, weeks
before the pandemic erupted. 

Our intention is to practice outdoors primarily. We will begin a morning sit at 8:00am beneath
the big Juniper outside our temple at The Studio Lake Tahoe, then, flow into walking meditation
at Paradise Park to enjoy Lake Baron, the shade of the gazebo and our elder, giant Juniper.

During this last year and a half, it’s been a blessing to have a concrete practice, orienting us
towards what matters most during the upheavals. We will dive deep into the 5 Mindfulness
Trainings and look at our personal study of the trainings and how they have studied us!

We will be enjoying a guided meditation to soak up the goodness of 1) Reverence for Life 2)
True Happiness 3) True Love 4) Loving Speech and Deep Listening and 5) True Nourishment
and Healing (More on the 5 MT here)

Please join us in a day of pure summer nourishment!