"If grief or anger arises,
Let there be grief or anger.
This is the Buddha in all forms,
Sun Buddha, Moon Buddha, Happy Buddha, Sad Buddha.
It is the universe offering all things to awaken and open our heart."
Jack Kornfield
Life has been bringing up challenges for me; I have been seeking new and graceful ways to learn and grow from them. I am trying to cultivate "beginner's mind", to look at things afresh and in new ways, instead of letting old habits and fears determine my path. I am appreciative of the things that I am learning, and of the family and friends that have been offering their support along this leg of my journey.
The picture is from last weekend in Esalen, where I had the opportunity to take a weekend workshop called "conscious embodiment and the path of nature". We were taught some somatic akido methods of mindfulness and presence--what does that mean? Well, it's a bit like grounding/meditating in your body, while standing or walking instead of sitting. We also applied this to the lessons & grounding & connectedness one can get from nature, and this included a hike in the Big Creek wilderness preserve in Big Sur.
