Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all. Emily Dickinson

"A Morning Offering" by John O'Donohue


I bless the night that nourished my heart

To set the ghosts of longing free

Into the flow and figure of dream

That went to harvest from the dark

Bread for the hunger no one sees.


All that is eternal in me

Welcomes the wonder of this day,

The field of brightness it creates

Offering time for each thing

To arise and illuminate.


I place on the alter of dawn:

The quiet loyalty of breath,

The tent of thought where I shelter,

Waves of desire I am shore to

And all beauty drawn to the eye.


May my mind come alive today

To the invisible geography

That invites me to new frontiers,

To break the dead shell of yesterdays,

To risk being disturbed and changed.


May I have the courage today

To live the life that I would love,

To postpone my dream no longer

But do at last what I came here for

And waste my heart on fear no more."

And waste my heart on fear no more."

An act of service today, wrapping gifts at The Shanti. is slow. I find and purchase a CD by Amy Weintraub, called yoga for depression. I practice it in front of a cozy fire while Mirage dozes nearby. My intention is to fight feelings of depression with self love, vibration, yoga backbends and breathing to stimulate the autonomic nervous system. We use some kriyas and kundalini root sounds. ng, etc I'll commit for the coming two weeks keeping a journal of my observations.
I felt sick after yoga nidra and now I am warmer.
I am thirsty but not for a drink. Warm and buzzy.

Abinevesha: the fear of impermanence or dying. This the last of the kleshas we have studiedin the past14 week session at The Shanti Studio, and just a week before Christmas 2010. Also studying duhka, which is Sanskrit for suffering. If we just look at suhka, we can't recognize that all life is not'rosy'.
I love the thought of SELF BLESSING. I am improving with this. Adding oatmeal daily and gummy vitamins, walking my dog, limiting alcohol, being content alone.
Now I think it's time to bring this Journey blog to life, beginning with the Irish mystic John O'Donohue.

"For Death"

From the moment you were born,

Your death has walked beside you.

Though it seldom shows it face,

You still feel its empty touch

When fear invades your life,

Or what you love is lost

Or inner damage is incurred.


Yet when destiny draws you

Into these spaces of poverty,

And your heart stays generous

Until some door opens into the light,

You are quietly befriending your death;

So that you will have no need to fear

When your time comes to turn and leave.



That the silent presence of your death

Would call your life to attention,

Wake you up to how scarce your time is

and to the urgency to become free

And equal to the call of your destiny.


That you would gather yourself

And decide carefully

How you now can live

The life you would love." John O'Donohue

Use the Good, All the good you can remember as a Torch, to CELEBRATE all that is Good in your life. Find the Good and Praise it! That's How to live the life you would love. Find the GOOD and praise it.

September 1 2010
Today I am contemplating the second niyama, which indicates it is an ongoing practice.

To be present and content means without internal conflict. It seems stilling the mind in meditation is a place to begin. Finding the quiet joy that arises within the heart is the true contentment. It can't be found outside myself.

Accepting the reality of the immediate situation and being patient with what is.

Also 'have what you have and don't want what you don't have' makes much sense.

Yvonne wrote the following quote on my get well card in June.
"I went everywhere with longing in my eyes,until here in my own house I feel Truth filling my sight."
Rumi

September 1st

Santosha is the second niyama, the focus of this week's study.
I like what Donna Farhi has to say
The ability to feel satisfied within the container of one's immediate experience. Not to be confused with happiness. It is a sign that we are at peace with whatever stage of growth we are in or circumstances we are in. There is a central sense of being balanced.

The sutra tells us there is a direct relationship between contentment and personal happiness. With contentment, one’s emotions are brought under an even keel, and the fluctuations of the mind are stilled. Isn’t this the purpose of yoga? I search for sukha in each pose, to feel joy while my body works it's edge. Can I learn to accept where I am at at any given moment? This is contentment and the sages say that by working on this, I will attain the supreme gift of happiness.
Patanjali tells us something profound, yet really simple: be content and you will be happy. Want what you have and don’t want what you don’t have.

I can explore santosha or contentment through the lens of equanimity, gratitude, shrada
and patience. (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.)

Yvonne wrote on my get well card in June. . . .
"I went everywhere with longing in my eyes, until here in my own house I felt Truth filling my sight."
Rumi

August 31st
A sweet day. Meditation and asana. More asana as the sun begins it's decent in the western sky.
A walk with Mirage and a solo venture tonight as Mirage naps. It seems I can sing and think when I am walking alone.
Once at home I really try to zero in on what focus will guide my first week of sabbatical.

Looking at the reasons I pour a glass of wine.
Moving into stillness, sukha manna and silence after 6 p.m.
Examining what I call restlessness.
Practicing and studying contentment.
Mirage is a fine companion for self study. She is always present.