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new york open center

The New York Open Center has been in the Soho area of NYC for 25 years, and for anyone walking miles of blocks, and tending to all sorts of things in that area, the meditation room and small bookstore is a nice respite. It’ll be different now because they’re heading on up and moving to 22 East 30th Street. The Spring/Summer Programs 2009 of the New York Center’s easy-to-read, and not jammed- packed catalog, says they’re: “NEW YORK’S LEADING CENTER OF HOLISTIC LEARNING & WORLD CULTURE.” I used to consider the Center a gift to New York because when it was founded there wasn’t a whole lot of holistic anything going on in the form of classes in the NYC area.

I called the administrative office for a catalog two weeks ago, and the informative person answering the phone mentioned that she’d taken the Bollywood Dancing course. The “Bollywood Dancing course”, hmm! – I thought, that course would definitely go on the slightly stepping out of the comfort zone list.

Now with the catalog in hand and late evening descending, I got to thinking about the courses offered, and the reasons people register for them. A few could be: enjoyment, learning, wanting a challenge, accompanying someone, meeting people, meeting people having similar interests, and stepping out of a comfort zone. I peruse the catalog once more wondering: 1) which course would take me out of my comfort zone. 2) which course would be completely different from anything I’d taken before. 3) which course do I think I have no interest in pursuing, but, in pursuing it, find it wholly interesting.

There are different ways of stepping out of our comfort zone, and I wonder if registering for a class is one of them. In the past, I imagined that stepping out . . . would entail leaving who we think we are, and the things allowing us to believe in who we think we are, for an unknown experience. Now I ask, does that have to mean leaving our physical surroundings?

By now it’s impossible to think of sleeping as I’ve all these questions to answer, and I’m doing all the work since I’m the one asking and answering, and it’s getting tricky. That’s okay, along the way I’ll feign boredom and mind will leave me alone. 🙂

Have a beautiful day.

www.opencenter.org

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eknath easwaran

I’ve been thinking and reading about meditation for awhile, and now and then, dabbling. I guess that’s the right word since I’ve not yet become an every day meditator. Then last month, I found a teacher in a thin book squeezed into a very narrow space on a shelf with many larger books overshadowing it. I don’t know why, but whenever I see a small book trying to hold its own with the big ones, I make every effort to release it. As it turned out the little book titled, Your Life Is Your Mesage by Eknath Easwaran is a gem. On the back cover Barbra Streisand wrote, “Your Life Is Your Message is about changing the world by changing ourselves.” And Marvin Hamlisch wrote, “I still can’t believe how much wisdom is packed into these slender pages. This isn’t just a book; it’s a friend.” I think that about sums it up.

Eknath Easwaran founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in Tomales, California. I have the feeling from reading his words, that if anyone can lead another to the path of meditation, he can. I’d never heard of him before rescuing “Your Life Is Your Message” from its tight spot on a book shelf. Then recently, while walking on a clear, cool day, I noticed a used bookshop having a sale. A lot of people were on the sidewalk peering across long tables of books. I joined them, and found The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho, and The Vagabond by Colette for a song and a dance. Then I went inside the shop, and something caught my eye. Yes! -MEDITATION by Eknath Easwaran was calling me. I took it from the shelf; there was no doubt in my mind that it belonged with me. On the back cover Henri Nouwen wrote, “This book has helped me a great deal.” And Huston Smith wrote, “No extravagant claims, no pretentious jargon. Just a clear, insightful exposition of meditation, and an excellent guide to its practice.” I think so, too.

* * * * * * *

www.easwaran.org
www.barbrastreisand.com
www.marvinhamlisch.com
www.henrinouwen.org
www.hustonsmith.org

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tama kieves

I subscribe to Tama Kieves eletters, and this week under Tama’s Musings she wrote about “Mothering Ourselves: Nurturing Yourself, Your Dreams, and the World.” She writes at her soul level, and she shows no hesitation in sharing the person she was, the person she is, and the person she’s becoming.

I imagine that to be on a cruise with her, and the other spiritual teachers joining her, would be a gift one could call “Mothering Ourselves.”
www.tamakieves.com

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every so often and once in awhile

Every so often and once in awhile are two delightfully mysterious and playful expressions. Mysterious because they say very little, and playful because they hint of wanting to casually hold back in being too specific. It’s a rather useful ploy when one’s not ready to answer, or when an iffy answer suffices. I wonder how these string of words manage to get accepted at face value, suggesting a listener actually knows what’s meant when a question is answered with one, or the other of these two idioms. It’s amusing when you think about it. For instance, someone asks: “Do you cook for your family?” and you reply, “Every so often.” What exactly does that mean – once a year, every other month, only on weekends? The questioner is still in the dark with no real answer forthcoming (because you’re on to a different subject), and the fact that take-out is on the agenda most days is yours to divulge, or not. The one who first strung these words together was: 1) very clever, 2) in a tight spot, 3) didn’t like to commit, or 4) a fast thinker. They allow for easy answering of some ticklish questions. Clever, indeed.

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happy parenting day

It’s easy to believe that being a loving, caring, happy, and somewhat peaceful parent in the year 2009 has its own worst list of fears, uncertainities, anxieties, perplexities – more so than other decades. I’ve said I wouldn’t want to raise a child in today’s world. On second thought, no matter the decade it’s always been challenging and exciting, and although the techie age has somewhat replaced playing hopscotch, jumping rope, happily eating a fudgicle while doing somersaults, etc., the same value system is always there to be tapped.

There have been a lot of changes since my children went through childhood, but the time-honored way of parenting with love, intuition, common sense, soul searching, innate intelligence, observation, communication, enjoyment, trust, sense of humor, and knowing when to let go, are still alive and kicking.

My children were raised in Manhattan, and it was there that I noticed the many hair-raising ways people have of bringing up their children. Some didn’t believe in any discipline – not even a slight reprimand when it was called for, – kicking, hitting, and screaming at mom and dad were accepted; others gave their children credit cards to do whatever, to buy whatever, before their children understood the basics of life; one couple bought an apartment next door for their two children who were below high school age so that their before-children lifestyle could be continued; children were left with sitters who watched tv all day long, or regularly socialized with friends instead of being attentive to the children; there were children having easy access to their parents’ “adult toys”; parents vacationing and leaving children with less than the best; it’s a long and interesting list, and is exciting reading in a novel, but leaves food for thought in real life. I noticed also that people are remarkably resilient, and come into the world with their own strengths and talents which have the potential to take them beyond earlier misadventures.

And there were awesome parents who – most of the time – had huge amounts of enthusiasm, fun, and wisdom, and taught their children, other children, and other parents, by their example.

Being a parent means different things to different people. I guess it will always be this way. The world’s parents are not cut from the same cloth. And why would we want it any other way? Perhaps that’s what makes it all challenging, exciting, and having to stretch mind, body, and spirit.

This posting has somehow become about parents, so that’s what it will be – HAPPY PARENTNG DAY TO WOMEN AND MEN WITH CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE. Wherever you are, have a beautiful day.

* * * * *
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. – Khalil Gibran

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ruminations

It’s late evening and I just wrote an email to a friend in Thailand. He’s an American, married to a Thai woman, and liking his life in a country that’s now home to him. I know a few people who are living abroad, and every so often I wonder what it takes to put away one lifestyle for another. It seems that more than ever people arrive in and move out of the United States. Maybe not, maybe it’s always been this way, here and in many other countries.

In my fantasy world I see life lived without borders. Yes, I know, this will rile some; however, if things had taken a different turn way back when, what would the world be like now? When the day allows your mind to travel away from ordinary life, and takes you to different places, where do you go – if only for a few minutes? Taking a break in mind, and shaking up your world on the inside, puts the mind on another track, the mind can then eventually go beyond ordinary thoughts and into other compartments of life.

I was watching a video sent by a friend, and on this video someone who was in the movie, THE SECRET, spoke of how blessed he is. It was an interesting interview to say the least. There are two things I clearly remember about the conversation: what he said about gratitude and what he said about the world. About gratitude he said that before getting out of bed every morning, he thinks of five things he has to be grateful for in his life. He won’t get up until he does. And about the world he said that he and his family live on a ship, along with a number of other families. The ship goes around the world, and he considers the world his home. In my fantasy world, we all consider the world home.

It’s time to put on the Qi Gong Fire & Water dvd with Matthew Cohen, – to breathe, move, practice stillness, meditation, and appreciation.

Sweet dreams.

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all those unwanted medical mailings

I’ve discovered that subscribing to one medical newsletter opens the door to receiving a whole lot of unwanted medical “stuff ” – many having conflicting information. About a month ago I received a booklet in the mail, and on the cover was a photo of a terribly distressed colon. It took a second for me to tear it into shreds, and put it into the building’s big trash can full of unsolicited mailings. A photo of a colon doesn’t freak me out anymore; on the contrary, the colonic course I took in Florida taught the importance of being aware. I’ve seen many photos of colons screaming for help, so I don’t know why this particular photo conveyed a dark feeling. Dressing the booklet in a manila envelope would have been a nice touch; it wouldn’t have lessened its impact upon opening it, but I bet my mailman would have appreciated it.

For now, I’ve come to the conclusion that were a subscriber to accept as truth, any one medical newsletter (at least the pile in my possession), and do what’s suggested: 1.) they’d quickly be in the poorhouse, 2.) have no time for anything else, and, 3.) end up more confused than before. Why end up confused? Well, it’s this: other health revelations come along, and what you once thought was solid information is gone with the wind, or, in order to be 100% effective it needs this other important something that’s just been discovered. I suppose for some it’s enjoyable. Their mind can wrap around the overflow that’s out there, and easily assimilate, discard (or not), and continue.

For me it’s time for a breather, the feeling of wanting to know more of what’s what in that enormous pool of medical news has, for now, been diluted. On a rainy day, late night, or when waiting for a friend, I’ll be reading about the power of gin soaked raisins in this fun to read, yes, fun! – book, HEALING REMEDIES by Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen – MORE THAN 1,000 WAYS to RELIEVE the SYMPTOMS or COMMON AILMENTS, from ARTHRITIS and ALLERGIES to DIABETES, OSTEOPOROSIS, and MANY OTHERS! Oh, yes, nature’s gifts are also amazing.