"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.

It's Turned Into a Love Affair!

Hafiz

©2015 Karla Johnston, InnerConstellation.com

What to do with this man who moves me to tears? 

No longer a man, in truth,

or perhaps he never was—

for now, I call him

“Breath of God.”

Entering my center and stoking a fire

too often grown cold 

by my own negligence.

How do I keep this fanning Breath of God?

I know the answer:

Bow deep, 

Be still…

hold the flaming torch

and pass Eternal Light to others. 

Poet, Hafiz, alive 700 years ago has penetrated me. If you're a soul who needs nourishment in a busy world, please spend time in his verse (The Gift). I promise, the watering will be deep. Here's a taste of one of my favorites: short, sweet, true: 

The Sun Never Says  ~Hafiz

Even

After

All this time

The sun never says to the earth,

"You owe

Me."

Look 

What happens

With a love like that,

It lights the 

Whole 

Sky.

I swoon! Sweet blessings this weekend, Dear Friends.  

Hafiz, Beloved Friend

A few weeks ago, I discovered the Persian poet, Hafiz, who lived during the 1300's, about 100 years after Rumi. A collection of poems, "The Gift," sat on my shelf close to a year until I finally cracked it open, shortly after the Fall Mindfulness Retreat. As I read, I smile, remembering our retreat theme of "befriend" and how this new companion, Hafiz, has made his way to me. The above poem seems to sum up the Inner Constellation ideal and the practice of mindful living:

I am
A hole in a flute
That the Christ's breath moves through--

I am an animation of the divine: a living, breathing, pulsing life force.

...Listen to this 
Music.

Listening to how life becomes alive in us is the practice of mindful living--attending, paying attention--When I interact with my world, is my breath tight, restricted, even or flowing? Do I have resistance to what presents or am I free? Is holy breath animating me or have I plugged up the flute holes?

I appreciate the metaphor of "A hole in a flute," implying more than one hole and more than one flute. It describes perfectly the interbeing nature of us, our connection to others and the fact that I am one expression of many. My experience of "God" will differ from another's experience of "God"--many flutes, many flute holes, animating us.

Listen to this music...honor ourselves, honor one another, pay attention, listen deeply and appreciate the beautiful expressions we encounter. Today, Hafiz's remembrance will serve as my mantra, a sweet gatha to guide my practice and interactions with others. I am, you are, Holy beings; Listen, listen, to the music.

Fall Mindfulness Retreat 2015: Befriend

Join us for a morning of mindfulness which will include walking meditation at Paradise Park or another lookout point option. Bundle up, bring your layers and a cup and spoon to enjoy warm victuals to support our practice. September 26 promises to be a day of beauty in our Tahoe community. Please join our FB event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1647122015546252/

Leaves change,
a gentle wind blows
and with you, my friend,
we breathe in, we breathe out....

Chants of East & West Benefit for Mitch Adams Family

Happy to announce that Chants of East and West is back! Recently, Lake Tahoe Mindfulness Community facilitated a  Loving-Kindness practice called Metta for a very dear friend who had a loved one in critical condition. We invited this young man, Mitch Adams, into the center of our circle and then the invitation was extended to anyone else in need. What followed was a stream of loved ones who were close to our hearts and whom we wished to see their sufferings alleviated. 

After we wrapped up, I began thinking of the role of song in restoring well-being and balance and in being a skillful vehicle for releasing our ideas of how things should be. This class is an invitation for people who carry the weight of care for others. You'll have the opportunity to bring a representation of the person, place, thing who is struggling to our group and place the item into our circle of care. Songs from Native American and Eastern tradition will be sung to deepen our meditation, our Loving-Kindness practice (Metta) and strengthen our devotion. This class is a time to not only release but to be nourished--these songs are amazing. Consider joining us, and the best part is 100% of all proceeds will be donated to the family of Mitch Adams for his amazing sacrifice and continued longevity. See you upstairs in the "No Mud, No Lotus" Room. 

Miracle of Nando Parrado

A few days ago I had the good fortune to hear Nando Parrado speak under the stars in the Sand Harbor amphitheater. As soon as I heard his first words, I knew it would be an unforgettable night...."Before we begin, take a moment and look up at the stars overhead, take in the beauty of the water and the family and friends who may have accompanied you...." He then spun a tale that was almost unbelievable had he not lived to tell.

Nando was one of fifteen rugby players who survived the 1972 airplane crash in the Andes Mountains. He survived for 72 days--an avalanche, severe dehydration, hunger and cold, the death of his mother, sister and teammates--his life is an incredible story of endurance and human survival against all odds. Amazingly, before the crash, he and his team mates had never before seen snow! After a desperate ten day trek, Nando and fellow team mate Roberto Canessa found a farmer who then alerted authorities and the group was saved.

What impressed me the most was two-fold. First was the intimate way he spoke of breath--how it became sacred: when holding his dying sister through the night, as a way to monitor and be with the injured and dying, breath as the only heat source to stay alive through the night by lying face-to-face with a team mate and breathing into each other's cold body parts. Breath became the indicator that he was alive:

Breathe. Breathe again. With every breath, you are alive. After all these years, this is still the best advice I can give you: Savor your existence. Live every moment. Do not waste a breath.

He spoke deeply about the love of family and friends and how this love sustained him. He continually thought of his father and how after the loss of his mother and sister, Nando wished to see him again and be a source of comfort. He spoke of his teammates, how they worked not only for individual survival but for the whole, the pact they made that in the event of death their bodies be consumed as nourishment for the survival of their teammates, and the precious gift of life given in this way. North Stars abounded, keeping him focused during his ordeal: love, personal sacrifice for care of the whole, team work, breath....

Second, what impacted me was the last half hour of the show, when people in the audience introduced themselves. They were from all over the U.S.A. and the world, having come to hear Nando speak because their lives were changed when reading the book/seeing the movie, Alive. One adult, to whom the night was dedicated had survived being hit by a drunk driver in elementary school and was paralyzed from the waist down. After struggling to adapt to the wheelchair on ice and snow conditions, this young person no longer wanted to survive and voiced as much to a teacher, who then gave her student the book, Alive. It proved to be a pivotal moment in the choice for life. There was a person who had survived as a driver in a fatal car crash, where the spouse and child had died. The entire night and the stories of transformation were a blessing to witness. If you wish to be inspired, connect with powerful North Stars and be deeply moved, check out Nando Parrado and the resources below:

Tedtalk
Website
Nando's book Miracle in the Andes

Nando Parrado is a Freedom Series Star for the Inner Constellation Blog--a true embodiment of the truth that we are expressions of the Eternal, and the IC Truth that everything, no matter how challenging can be transformed. Bless each of you today and the holy breath that animates life.

Fall 2015 Mindfulness Retreat "Befriend"