In Sunlight and in Rain

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Free of all contemptuous obsessions,

He walks a path of mindfulness and ease.

Can the waves be separate from the seas?

Restless, existential fears

Do not presume to enter here.

As he lights a candle in the darkness,

He opens to the sacred and profane.

Seeking both in sunlight and in rain;

Even hearts that cease to beat

Cannot secure the soul's retreat.

And now, as all has finally come to pass,

The boundary lines are close to being blurred.

His heart is strong, his music shall be heard.

Fear cannot control the man

Who holds this moment in his hands.

This New Dimension

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Steaming cup of herbal tea to heal me,

Draw me out of darkness, into light.

Strongly rooted here in Standing Mountain,

Metta flowing freely out of sight.

May all beings everywhere be happy;

May all sentient beings know great peace.

May all conscious creatures find their essence,

In a realm where joys will never cease.

Mindfulness of breathing and of movement,

Bending in awareness toward the floor,

Rising up again, all fears transcended--

In this new dimension evermore.

On Winter’s Edge

Writing Christmas cards in the tea's warm glow,

To the choir's soft sounds,

As silent flakes fall outside the window,

Illuminated, dancing in the light.

Spirits fly in synchrony,

Making peace with what has been.

Fearing not the future,

They look ahead with confidence, with joy.

“Must return, record the songs,” he writes,

A newfound sense of urgency at the fore.

To express one’s heart fully while one lives…

What could stake a higher claim?

The game of hide and seek is underway

Birth and death and birth again, for as long as sentience remains.

“No fear,” said the mesmerizing voice…that voice may fall silent,

But those under its spell soar on.

Into the Wild

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Release your better self into the wild,

And let it thrive, its craving all but gone.

Feel your spirit melding with the dawn,

Return now to the wonder of a child.

Numinous, the genesis of healing,

Mindfulness determining every move.

Undiscovered hinterlands of feeling,

Certainty you have but cannot prove.

Healing's a community expression;

Your suffering is mine, as mine is yours.

Entertain no guilty introspection;

Your wholeness is what we are longing for.

Try This Tomorrow!

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A Simple, Five-Minute Meditation to Get Your Day Off to a Chill, Centered Start

Got five minutes tomorrow morning? You can make a profound difference in the flow of your day with this simple, timesaving meditation technique.

Before you eat breakfast, splash your face with tepid water to wake up; follow that with a couple of good stretches. Once you’re feeling awake and the blood is flowing throughout your body, find a seated position on the floor, your meditation cushion or your favorite chair in which you can easily maintain a relaxed-but-alert posture for five minutes.

Breathe in and out deeply but naturally, in full awareness of the air entering and leaving your body. You might want to silently say:

Breathing in, I am aware of my in-breath.

Breathing out, I am aware of my out-breath.

Simple awareness of breathing is all you’re going for here; don’t chase any particular feeling or attitude. Focus exclusively on the air filling and leaving your lungs. You may want to place a hand on your abdomen and feel the natural rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.

Breathing in, I notice my in-breath becoming deeper.

Breathing out, I notice my out-breath becoming slower.

By the third or fourth breath, the deepening and slowing of your breathing should become noticeable. The rise and fall of your abdomen becomes deeply soothing at this point; holding your hand over it gives you a sense of self-protection and safety.

When a dog or cat gives you his unprotected belly, it’s a mark of genuine and unalloyed trust. This part of the five-minute meditation is therefore important for establishing a sense of safety and confidence at the cusp of your new day.

Breathing in, I smile to the coming day.

Breathing out, I know it will be a wonderful day.

This final bit of the mantra makes intentional your desire for a happy, calm and productive day. All of this is achievable inside five minutes; if you’re anything like me, it will transform the potential of the day to come in radical and marvelous ways. Give it a try!