Bottom line....

Monday, October 19, 2009

Note to myself:

It's so clear to me after all these years on the planet and my "time-out" yesterday, that doing the inner work is what creates outer balance and helps me to reach my goals -- from loving care of the body-mind-spirit entity to excelling in classes, from reaching out to others and finding joy in the small pleasures to pursuing my dreams -- for me it all comes down to being attuned to the divine presence within.

Again, Eknath Easwaran has captured for me the essence of my work and my journey.



One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.
-- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

If you are determined to stick to what is really important in life, then from day to day you will see that the unimportant pastimes, the distractions that lead you away from your purpose, will gradually weaken their hold.

On the list of priorities, first and foremost is meditation. It will clear your eyes and bring the detachment and discrimination we all need to make wise choices. So right at the top of your list should be the resolution to practice meditation, and not to let anything come in the way.

Not even the greatest of worldly achievements will satisfy us completely. Nothing finite can ever satisfy us. Sooner or later, all the vitality that has gone into pursuing countless goals in the outer world must flow into one huge desire to discover the divine presence within. This supreme discovery is what matters most in life. We are all born to seek the supreme truth.
--Sri Eknath Easwaran
www.easwaran.org/page/188

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

STRAWBERRY*MOON 10/19/2009 9:31PM

Maha, Thanks for this blog entry and for stressing meditation. I do need reminding from time to time. Carli_Mae, I certainly identify with "The Meditative Cook." Most people look at me in bemusement when I say I experience the shopping for food its preparation, and feeding myself and other as a form of meditation. Often I can even extend this to cleaning up afterward. :-) Comment edited on: 10/19/2009 9:43:01 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

CARLI_MAE 10/19/2009 12:20PM

Yes, indeed. And while none of the earthly goals and achievements will ever, of themselves, satisfy us ... don't you agree that part of the purpose of meditation is to train the mind so that ALL the activities we do may become acts of meditation in themselves? In that way, we gradually release the results of what we do to Spirit, rather than trying to keep them or hoard them unto ourselves (source of most unhappiness), thereby achieving greater true happiness and freedom. Another thought provoking blog. WTG, Maha! Peace, The Meditative Cook .... Report Inappropriate Comment

FRANCESCANAZ 10/19/2009 11:56AM

You are so right about being satisfied! I was annoyed with my husband this weekend and was really brooding because he wasn't doing what I wanted to do. Then I thought about how he was 32 years ago when we first married and how far he has come and really how very little I have to complain about. Nothing really. I am ashamed for being so self-centered. I should realize that I have been blessed with much more than most women in my marriage. Why can't I be satisifed and not require more, more, always more? Report Inappropriate Comment

TAZMOMSGOL 10/19/2009 11:06AM

Truth is at the top of my list. Good going with the schooling, girlfriend! You are winner in my book! Report Inappropriate Comment

GBOOMER 10/19/2009 11:00AM

Love the Lindbergh quote! Comment edited on: 10/19/2009 11:00:51 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

LOLAGEEK 10/19/2009 10:51AM

Meditation has been very necessary to me this year. It creates a clear mind like a sword that is pure beauty in its craftsmanship, but sharp enough to cut away from the clutter that tries to distract it. Good work staying on your path. Report Inappropriate Comment

I'm lassooing my compulsive desires!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sri Eknath Easwaran is one of my heroes and teachers. The meditation center near Tomales Bay, California that he founded carries on his universal message and work.

I appreciate his simplicity of language in the small text below, in forcing me to question my behavior. I'm having a push-pull kind of day, and coming upon his words helps me to put my conflicting desires and resistance in perspective.

I've been struggling this morning with addictive behavior (being glued to this computer) vs. choosing how to spend the day. After reflecting on Easwaran's simple but potent-for-me reminder, here's how I intend to choreograph the rest of the day ~~

~ monitor and track all food (and exercise)
~ sitting practice
~ yoga asanas
~ work on debate material
~ complete Spanish commentary on art work currently on exhibition
~ consider doing Coach Nicole's cardio work-out DVD

Blessed be and may it be so!
Maha



"Most of us are not aware to what extent our desires are compulsive. We do not realize how often they push and shove us about without any say on our part.

"But when we think 'I would like a hot fudge sundae,' it would be more accurate to say that the desire is thinking us. Intellectually we may know that a hot fudge sundae means more calories than we need; but the desire has a hold on us, and we believe, temporarily, this is what will satisfy us. Not until we have eaten the sundae do we reflect, 'That's not what I really wanted. Why did I eat it?'

"Not that there is anything wrong in eating sundaes. The important point is having the capacity to choose. For 'hot fudge sundae' we can substitute our own favorite pleasures.

"Some may not be harmful in themselves, but when the inability to choose extends to destructive habits such as smoking, drinking, or taking drugs (or any other addictions), we begin to cause suffering to ourselves and to those around us."

-- Eknath Easwaran

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

FRANCESCANAZ 10/18/2009 2:21PM

Buena suerte en tus estudios amiga mia. Good blog! Report Inappropriate Comment

MAZZYR 10/18/2009 11:53AM

Well... this is something to think about... desire, compulsive desires and conscious choices. For me, when I make a conscious choice to exchange the desire to 'eat' with the desire to 'play on the computer' it's a good thing. LOL. Namaste, Mazzy Report Inappropriate Comment

JNEUBS 10/18/2009 11:48AM

Maha! May your Sunday be filled with enjoying happiness and the root of happiness! Peace and Love, ChiTown Jeff Report Inappropriate Comment

DOKEYOKEY 10/18/2009 11:03AM

Hey, I think this is just what I needed to read today, too. I just wrote on my blog about struggling with my compulsions, so I am grateful to read this right in this moment! Thank you! Kathleen Report Inappropriate Comment

CARLI_MAE 10/18/2009 1:21AM

Oh geeeezzzzzz!!! I'm behind by 7 (well, now only 6, but probably by tomorrow it will be 7 again) of your blogs! Aye, me ... what happened to this week? Or has it been 2? Now that I've stopped a moment to think about this, it is making me wonder, because while I feel good and really pleased with my productivity of late, I also realize I've been moving about at such a clip I can't really say it's been very "mindful." Not really mindless either. But have I broken away from the computer only to get into some other compulsive routine? Desire or conscious choice? Ah! There's the right question. For me this time it's definitely been a conscious choice, and one I'll be glad I invested the time in now rather than allowing things to pile up on me to the point that I feel overwhelmed and paralyzed by them. Thanks for another gem! And I hope you lasso that elusive bugger! Carli Comment edited on: 10/18/2009 1:22:42 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

BABYFACE26 10/17/2009 8:19PM

Oh Maha, how perfect. Yes, I AM aware - most of the time- of how much I am manipulated by my own Compulsions to do this, or that, or eat this or that! ...or even, to Think this or that! This is also a good reminder of how important Organization is, and lists...and to question how we are using our Time. Today I am being somewhat indulgent with myself, because I'm in a Mood, and I've already been out and about, and I am Tired. ....and thank you for posting on my blog page, sweetie. Have a good week-end. Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYIRIS313 10/17/2009 5:50PM

Thank you for sharing this - it was just what I needed to read today. My lifestyle seems to very often be informed by that is 'average' ... spending time watching television when it really isn't that interesting to me, or spending time cruising around the internet for no reason, when my body needs movement, or my home needs care. That creates stress that I have control over. Peace is always preferable. Just as sometimes our 'things' own us, so do our compulsions steer us when we are not conscious. Report Inappropriate Comment

PEACEFULONE 10/17/2009 3:01PM

I can so relate to this. It helps me to keep a list and try to stick to it. Still the computer is a temptation. I try an use it as a reward (just came in from 2 1/2 hours of raking). Wishing you a wonderful weekend dear Maha! Report Inappropriate Comment

CORPUSANNIE 10/17/2009 2:50PM

Maha my friend, I have also been glued to the computer today. I will do Coach Nicole's cardio workout this afternoon if you will. The weather is beautiful here for a nice change. I am going to deep clean my room with the windows open. Thank you for the blessings of your blogs. Peace Montie Report Inappropriate Comment

The FUN Theory of Exercise!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Two blog entries in one day -- UNHEARD OF! But I LOVE my weekly KarmaTube subscription. And I can't wait until tomorrow to share this week's video which I just received. It's just TOO KEW-EL! I want to go to OdenPlan, Stockholm, Sweden to play!



"If stairs played musical notes when you walked on them, would you be more likely to take them? Volkswagen has launched a popular new campaign called "The Fun Theory" which is "dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better." It turns out that 66% more commuters opted for stairs over the escalators! Take a look at this utterly clever (and fun!) idea."

Click on this link to check it out! --
www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=1761

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CARLI_MAE 10/18/2009 1:27AM

Love it! Report Inappropriate Comment

FETTERLESS 10/17/2009 1:52PM

I LOVE it Report Inappropriate Comment

LYNNANN43 10/17/2009 12:13PM

I saw this yesterday on a link through one of my teams:D I still want it for my basement steps! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEE803 10/17/2009 11:39AM

This is AWESOME! What a concept! (small children might make us go insane with it, but that's ok! LOL) I actually sent this via email to friends that aren't Sparkers! Hope you don't mind! Report Inappropriate Comment

ABQUEST 10/17/2009 1:59AM

WOW, that is SOOO Cool! Thanks for sharing! Report Inappropriate Comment

STRAWBERRY*MOON 10/16/2009 10:33PM

Maha, I saw this clip on KarmaTube this morning and loved it. Thank you for taking the time to share it with everyone. Now I wish all stairs were that way--especially the nine on so that take me from the sidewalk to the door of my flat. Cheers, Michelle Report Inappropriate Comment

CORPUSANNIE 10/16/2009 9:09PM

Thanks for posting this. Really like that website and joined it. Report Inappropriate Comment

DEUSMACHINA 10/16/2009 7:10PM

Oh, man! That is too groovy! Report Inappropriate Comment

TAZMOMSGOL 10/16/2009 4:18PM

that´s sooo cool! I want one in my house! Report Inappropriate Comment

DANCINGPENGUIN 10/16/2009 3:32PM

I saw this on YouTube and sent it to some collaborators in public health! Report Inappropriate Comment

SACTOKAREN 10/16/2009 2:45PM

I love it! I had to subscribe. Thanks for sharing. Report Inappropriate Comment

JNEUBS 10/16/2009 2:23PM

You are awesome! I just subscribed! Fun! Fun! Fun! It's all in our mind!!!! Peace! ChiTown Jeff PS...as for the picture...me show off...ya think? LOL Report Inappropriate Comment

ANMRUNNER 10/16/2009 2:10PM

This is so fun!! Thanks for posting!! Report Inappropriate Comment

GENKI_WARRIOR 10/16/2009 2:07PM

haha! hell yea--i'd be more likely to hop up and down them. Report Inappropriate Comment

PAIGE2017 10/16/2009 1:44PM

That is so awesome! I would love to see something like that in America. Report Inappropriate Comment

5 Weight-Loss Rules to Rethink

Friday, October 16, 2009

It's exasperating to me that achieving and maintaining my optimal weight has to be such a constant challenge, the endeavor of a lifetime, requiring non-stop vigilence. As I enter the latter years of this life, it becomes clearer and clearer that the things that count, that expand my consciousness and wellness of body-mind-spirit are the true "healing that I took birth for" and that OF COURSE these all-important aspects of my life require my ongoing diligence of attention and care. They're the things that really count.

I've been "off track" for a couple months...not tracking food and not exercising. Why? Oh, I have at least a dozen excuses...but all of the great teachers I have "bumped up against" say that WHY is irrelevant, that simply to pick up and continue where I left off is the point. And so, Wednesday I found the inner resources to assist me in picking up...in weighing (1.2 pounds up from SPage weight) and beginning to MOVE, tracking both food and exercise. So baby-step by baby-step I'm moving back to balance. I'm not going to change my SP weight, because I hope to be back to that point in the foreseeable future and I don't like that going-backward-stance that the posting requires of me. It's just how I'm going to deal with it.

This write-up spoke to me in its enlightened overview of health of body-mind-spirit, with the kind of dense and scientifically validated information that works for me and was one of several things encouraging me to reset myself on the path this week. I share the core of the text. The link to the article in its entirety is at the end.



Old rule #1: A calorie is a calorie.
New rule: All calories are not created equal.

It is true that if you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. But it's also true that the nutritional quality of those calories plays a big role in how many calories your body burns. So if you're simply counting calories without looking at the nutritional value of what you're eating, you're asking for trouble.

Why? Because our bodies require a consistent balance of healthy macronutrients (complex carbs, high-quality proteins and healthy fats), as well as micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals), plus adequate enzymes, fiber, water, and so on in order to function optimally. When we don't get these things, our energy levels drop, our hormones and neurotransmitters get imbalanced, and our metabolism stops working efficiently. We simply aren't as healthy as we should be, and our bodies don't regulate much of anything (including our weight and body composition) as well as they are designed to.

The health of our metabolism -- the machinery that dictates how we burn fat and produce muscle -- requires whole, "real" foods and the complex, synergistic blend of nutrients they contain in order to function properly.

A healthy whole-foods diet (one that includes a balance of unprocessed carbs, fats and proteins) will also naturally tend to offer a relatively low glycemic load (GL) and a high phytonutrient index (PI) - including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil, whole grains, teas, herbs and spices. Say no to diet plans that put concerns with caloric intake above concerns for whole-body health and vitality.

A low-GL meal slows the rate at which carbs turn to sugar in the bloodstream. And this "slow burn" allows your body to digest sugars, says Hyman, "without triggering the metabolic signals that promote hunger and weight gain." Phytonutrients, meanwhile, act as powerful healing agents and metabolic regulators in the body.

Old rule #2: To lose weight, go on a diet.
New rule: To lose weight, choose to eat healthy.

Many weight-loss diets call for a dramatic reduction in daily caloric intake, which tends to deprive the body of the very nutrients it needs to effectively release and process unwanted fat. But eating too little or skipping meals has another extreme downside: It puts the body in a starvation-like "fat-conservation" mode.

When you take in fewer calories than are necessary to fuel your resting metabolic rate (the base amount of caloric energy your body requires while at rest), your body simply compensates by reducing your metabolic rate. Goodbye, caloric burn.

"Your body thinks it's starving to death," explains Hyman. As a result, it not only cuts back on the energy you need to exercise and move about, it also "sets off chemical processes inside you that force you to eat more." Net result: weight gain.

You can get a very rough estimate of your resting metabolic rate, says Hyman, by multiplying your weight in pounds by 10 (if you weigh 150 pounds, for example, your resting metabolic rate would be approximately 1,500 calories per day). "If you eat less than that amount, your body will instantly perceive danger and turn on the alarm system that protects you from starvation and slows your metabolism," says Hyman.

A better approach: Decide to eat healthy for life. Enjoy delicious, high-quality foods in ways that nurture your body and your senses for the long haul.

Old rule #3: Eating fat will make you fat.
New rule: Good fats are your friend.

People have been holding forth on the evils of fat for so long now that many of us can't indulge in something other than a low-fat yogurt or a couple of Snackwell's cookies without feeling a Pavlovian sting of guilt. But avoiding fats is a mistake, according to biochemist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD, and nutrition researcher Sally Fallon, authors of Eat Fat, Lose Fat (Hudson Street Press, 2005). In fact, taking in an adequate supply of healthy fats is essential to proper body composition, whole-body health and long-term weight management.

One of the keys to losing weight, Enig and Fallon assert, is to understand the differences between bad fats (notably trans fats and rancid fats, found in most processed foods) and good fats (including monounsaturated fats, like those found in nuts, seeds and fish. They also advise eating small to moderate amounts of saturated fat, the kind found in real butter, cream, grass-fed meats and virgin coconut oil). Enig and Fallon recognize that it can seem counterintuitive that our bodies need fat in order to burn fat, but they say - and a great many other notable nutrition experts agree - that we must get over our fear of good fats if our bodies are to function properly.

Your body needs not only the much-touted omega-3 fats, they say, but also some plant-based omega-6s and a certain amount of the much-maligned saturated fat, in order to nourish your brain, heart, nerves, hormones and cell structures. Find out how to increase omega-3s with a plant-based diet.

Most nutrition experts suggest taking in between 15 and 25 percent of your daily calories as fat. Be vigilant about including it in the form of nutritious, whole foods (think avocados, nuts, fish), healthy oils (cold-pressed olive, seed, nut) and small-scale saturated-fat indulgences (real butter and cream, grass-fed meats, coconut, etc.), and you'll get all of fat's weight-management benefits -- without compromising your waistline. You'll also find it easier to say no to fatty processed foods and other unhealthy indulgences of all kinds.

Old rule #4: Exercise to burn calories.
New rule: Exercise to build fitness - and burn more calories with ease.

Yes, exercise burns calories, and burning calories can help you lose weight. But exercising for improved fitness has many weight-loss benefits that go beyond per-session caloric burn. Understanding this can make a huge difference in how you approach your exercise routine.

For one thing, being fit gives you a distinct metabolic advantage at a cellular level. Fit people have a greater number of mitochondria within their cells. Mitochondria are organelles (like mini-organs) that contain important enzymes associated with aerobic energy production. In fact, they are often referred to as "cellular power plants," because they are our cells' primary means for producing energy from food.

Mitochondria also handle the aerobic oxidation of fatty acids (fat burning!) that occurs even when we're at rest. Thus, increasing mitochondrial mass through exercise helps raise our metabolism so we burn more calories - not only with every exercise session, but also when we're not exercising at all.

Performed at the proper intensities and intervals, both cardio training and resistance training can help to build lean muscle mass, to increase mitochondrial function and, in turn, to increase metabolic rate.

Fitness-focused exercise also improves your strength and endurance, which makes activities of all kinds easier, and thus encourages you to be more active overall. And, since regular exercise also improves your energy level, confidence, emotional outlook and self-esteem, it can help you get through weight-loss plateaus when you're not seeing the inches melt off as quickly as you'd like.

Old rule #5: Weight loss is about changing your body.
New rule: Weight loss is about changing your life.

Maintaining a healthy weight involves both nutrition and fitness components, but very few chronic weight challenges originate exclusively in those domains, and neither do their solutions. "Weight loss starts with the brain, not the belly," says psychotherapist Doris Wild Helmering, MSW, coauthor of Think Thin, Be Thin: 101 Psychological Ways to Lose Weight (Broadway, 2005).

For many people, achieving a healthy weight is only possible once certain mental and emotional issues have been addressed. Why? Because many of us overeat or avoid exercise for reasons we don't entirely understand - or that we feel powerless to control.

Maybe we make poor choices when we're stressed out, sad, ashamed or angry. Maybe we make unconscious choices when we're tired, distracted or numbed out. Whatever the reason, says Wild Helmering, the excess weight we carry on the outside is sometimes the symptom of an unresolved problem on the inside.

In such cases, the first step is to turn inward and ask yourself some questions. "'What am I really hungry for?' Perhaps you need a hug or a word of encouragement from a friend instead of that piece of leftover chocolate pie in the refrigerator," she says. Perhaps you need to bust out of a stressful job track, a destructive relationship or a self-abusive attitude in order to make your personal health and well-being a priority.

It's worth noting that stress alone can create a biochemical profile that's antithetical to weight loss. When we experience stress, whether or not we are in immediate physical danger, our physiological "fight-or-flight" survival responses kick in -- and they set off a series of chemical reactions in our bodies that encourage weight retention.

Another important note: No single weight-loss approach is right for everyone. Every body, and every life, is different. And so, in the end, there are no hard-and-fast "rules" - only principles, evidence and guidelines that each of us must explore and refine until we find the mix that's right for us.

Perhaps that's the very best part. Eventually - once we've tried enough "miracle" diets, and once we've started and stopped enough "surefire" exercise routines -- the wisest among us settle into the kinds of stable-yet-evolving routines that bring real and lasting results.

Over time, we discover that the real rewards of healthy weight management lie in thinking and experimenting for ourselves, in doing it all for the right reasons, and in making the rules up as we go.

Virgil McDill is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.

www.care2.com/greenliving/weight-los
s-rules-to-rethink.html

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DOKEYOKEY 10/18/2009 11:41AM

Thanks for the reminders! I'm so glad to see see coconut oil getting its due, too. (There is some evidence that it supports weight loss directly, too -- http://www.coconut-info.com/weight- loss.htm). Namaste. K athleen Report Inappropriate Comment

CARLI_MAE 10/18/2009 1:40AM

... and to think somebody once asked me if I'd swallowed an entire encyclopedia after reading one of my blogs! Report Inappropriate Comment

DRAGONFLY7149 10/17/2009 8:38PM

Great article, Maha! /gem Report Inappropriate Comment

BABYFACE26 10/17/2009 8:33PM

Wow - this is one sensational article. It explodes so many ideas we have about weight loss and fitness! And I also love the asking yourself, What am I Hungry For? and Yes, it is usually a hug or a word of encouragement. The other night I causht myself thinking something negative, that created an emotion in response, and in a moment my brain lit up with - Sugar! I want Sugar!....not sure I understand about the metabolic rate, and what it means. Lets say I weigh 180 lbs (I am close to that) so my meta. rate is 1800 lbs. so I need that amout of calories to stay the weight I am. If I go under that, I'll lose weight, right? It sounded like your article said differently. ...help! Report Inappropriate Comment

MAZZYR 10/17/2009 9:21AM

Great reminders. Report Inappropriate Comment

KAT573 10/16/2009 11:31PM

great find and a great share! It condenses all the informational steps and stages of Spark into one summary and in that respect, helps one to see the whole picture. Number Five is the culmination, and the true gift of the journey! thanks for sharing. Report Inappropriate Comment

STRAWBERRY*MOON 10/16/2009 10:36PM

Maha, Excellent points that I can never hear too often. Best, Michelle Report Inappropriate Comment

DEUSMACHINA 10/16/2009 7:17PM

Oh yes! Thanks Maha! Report Inappropriate Comment

BIKERCHICK74 10/16/2009 3:49PM

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JNEUBS 10/16/2009 2:25PM

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LUCY419 10/16/2009 2:08PM

This is such a great way of thinking, to live by... The older we get the wiser we become! Hugs... lucy Report Inappropriate Comment

JERSEYGIRL24 10/16/2009 1:46PM

Thank you for posting such a good article. I love it's straightforward talk and common sense approach. And good luck to you as you change your habits. I'm with you. I have also stopped tracking, and the results have been predictable. So this article is extremely relevant for me. And I agree with the others: you can do this!!! Leslie Report Inappropriate Comment

MIKIIO 10/16/2009 12:55PM

I understand your frustration. It's a real challenge, and it's a lifetime journey. I don't like either moving my tracker, but I had to do it after two months "off" and a few pounds later I so needed a kick up in the pants. It's great that you're back on track, and that you've been entering your food and fitness within your trackers again. There are useful and powerful tools to stay on track and to be accountable. I'm no doubt you'll be back to your ideal weight in no time, you seem to have a very strong will, and to know well your body. Good luck on this journey! Thanks for sharing this very interesting article. One sentence really caught my attention: “‘What am I really hungry for?’ Perhaps you need a hug or a word of encouragement from a friend instead of that piece of leftover chocolate pie in the refrigerator." Going to chew on it everytime I'm about to open our cabinets. Thanks to the link, I'm going to read it in its enterity. Report Inappropriate Comment

TAZMOMSGOL 10/16/2009 12:49PM

I really like that #5. That is the one that was missing in my previous-to-SP experience. Oh it would be nice to just wave a magic wand and it all be resolved and the fat gone forever! Instead, we must keep plodding along our path to healthy! Report Inappropriate Comment

FETTERLESS 10/16/2009 12:08PM

I found that v interesting + informative! also confirmed a few things I'd suspected in the back of my mind but not thought out loud yet. thanks for posting! Report Inappropriate Comment

SWIFTSEATURTLE 10/16/2009 11:02AM

I found it. Someone posted this article yesterday in the Separation of Church and Weight team. Report Inappropriate Comment

SWIFTSEATURTLE 10/16/2009 10:06AM

Great! Yesterday I saw something from this site, and saw this article. Where? Report Inappropriate Comment

GBOOMER 10/16/2009 10:01AM

My thoughts are with you, Maha, on this latest effort! Remember that, even non-stop vigilence becomes a relaxed habit after doing it for awhile. Like brushing one's teeth. Love and Report Inappropriate Comment

Praying

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Praying

It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

~ Mary Oliver ~
(Thirst)
www.panhala.net/Archive/Praying.html

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

GAILNTHENSOME 11/1/2009 7:45PM

Love Mary Oliver! Report Inappropriate Comment

DOKEYOKEY 10/18/2009 11:54AM

Thank you! And thank you Mary Oliver! Kathleen Report Inappropriate Comment

CARLI_MAE 10/18/2009 1:48AM

Wow ... incredible that I had that dream, and voilá! Here you are quoting a poem that says sort of what I was thinking ... prayer -- listening for "a silence in which another voice may speak" ... that Voice, the I AM, the voice for Truth, etc. Peace, Carli Report Inappropriate Comment

PEACEFULONE 10/17/2009 10:01AM

Beautiful photo, beautiful words! Heartfelt thank yous! Peace and love, Elaine Report Inappropriate Comment

JUNIAATROME 10/16/2009 2:56AM

lovely! Report Inappropriate Comment

CORPUSANNIE 10/15/2009 7:05PM

Thank you for posting this lovely poem. It is indeed a gift to know that focusing in stillness can lead us to that doorway. Bless you and peace Report Inappropriate Comment

STRAWBERRY*MOON 10/15/2009 4:38PM

Thanks, Maha. I think I'll post Robert's (my retired Episcopal priest friend) take on pray. It may be a bit controversial but worth the read, I think. Report Inappropriate Comment

LAFEMMEDELALUNE 10/15/2009 1:46PM

*So* true! Thank you so much for sharing. Report Inappropriate Comment

ASHERAH38 10/15/2009 12:42PM

So true Report Inappropriate Comment

MIKIIO 10/15/2009 12:42PM

Sounds like a haiku. Beautiful poem. Report Inappropriate Comment

SACTOKAREN 10/15/2009 12:24PM

Beautiful! Report Inappropriate Comment

FRANCESCANAZ 10/15/2009 11:41AM

la verdad! Report Inappropriate Comment

TEE803 10/15/2009 11:24AM

My pastor always taught me to "keep it simple"...The 3 FFF's...Friends, Family, Future! Thanks MAHA! Report Inappropriate Comment

JNEUBS 10/15/2009 11:08AM

Absolutely! Peace! ChiTow n Jeff I'm a musician in my imagination and dreams! Loved your post on my blog! Report Inappropriate Comment

TAZMOMSGOL 10/15/2009 10:42AM

Very nice thought. and thx for the encouragement along the way! Report Inappropriate Comment

STILLPOINT 10/15/2009 10:20AM

Lovely Maha........if we can just focus on SOMETHING for even a minute - it sure helps immensely. Have a wonderful day! Mer Report Inappropriate Comment