“Where is it, this present? It has melted in our grasp, fled where we could touch it, gone in the instant of becoming.” William James
“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
Mary Oliver
In memory of Martha A. Sealy,
a woman who lived and loved with her whole heart.
September 7, 1943 – August 20, 2013
On Death
Kahlil Gibran
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, Three Refuges, Precious Triad, or most commonly the Triple Gem Pali: त्रिरत्न, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in, and look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. The Three Jewels are: ⁕Buddha ⁕Dharma ⁕Sangha (Wikipedia)
I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome
I want to be improbable, beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings
~Mary Oliver
Photo Credit: Danielle Hutchins
Something changes the moment you decide you’ve found a person you are ready to reveal parts of your soul to. Something stands out and makes the moment unique. A profound multidimensional clarity resembling a piece of carefully gathered stardust; As if you are whispering “finally” and your eyes fill with light and spontaneity. As if you do not care whether your heart will melt or crumble in the process because your brief courage undoes your tremendous fear of disbelief. You live for these moments; For you are, maybe for one second or more, sweetly forced to surrender yourself to unconditional intimacy. A moment of psychological reward smashing all self-imposed disciplines founded on terror. This is all you need.
From a special process of devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana), the coming of samadhi is imminent.
(ishvara pranidhana va)
“Worship does not mean offering flowers.
It means offering your heart
To the vast mystery
Of the universe.
It means letting your heart pulse
With the life of the universe
Without thought and without reservation.
It means being so in love
That you are
Willing to dissolve
And be recreated in every moment.”
Excerpt from the Radiance Sutras Lorin Roche
Isvara Pranidhana – Surrender to the divine. Release your fears and be filled with grace – accepting all that comes as part of a divine conspiracy to promote your highest good. Let go of the things you may be holding on to. Things that no longer serve your higher self. Let every moment, every action be filled with devotion. Let your asana be an offering. Expand your heart and open your mind. Let your consciousness merge with the universe, understand and feel your connectedness. To everything. Separateness is an illusion. Recognize your divine nature and surrender completely. Let go. You are one, you are whole, you are love.
So, have you ever felt your heart break? Just right open? You know that sensation you feel. Physically. Is it sharp or dull? Does it run deep towards the pit of your stomach or high up in your throat making it so that you can’t breathe?
I’ve felt it before. I’ve seen people suffer physical consequences of the emotional trauma. Working with Deborah Heart and Lung and fifteen years in the long term care industry, one becomes quite acquainted with death and grief. Never enough to prepare me for my own mother’s death of course, but definitely a deeper understanding of the process of life. I’ve sat with many people as they passed. It was an incredible comfort to have been able to do so. Today I went through a few photos of my Mom and the people surrounding her as she left this world. They are so beautiful. If you’re dealing with grief at the moment I can recommend a few things for you:
I’ve been figuring that one out. I still am. Thanks to some of the incredible teachers in my life ~ Sudha, Melissa, Trish, Jennifer ~ among many others, I’m learning to walk this path with as much grace as I can muster and I try to create a life of compassion and integrity, truth and beauty. They inspire me to keep working at it. The more I heal the more I can serve. So Thank you <3.
Below I’m sharing a yoga class and some inspiration for dealing with grief. I hope it helps. If you have questions about it please feel free to connect with me via Facebook or email.
Heart Chakra Class for Grief
Environment/ Visualizations
Rose Oil
The color green for the heart chakra
Think warm and grounding – provide blankets, pillows, nourishment
Music ~
Pranayama
Deerga Pranayama. Then deerga layered with ujjayi.
Mudra & Sound
Vajrapradama mudra. Affects manomaya kosha. Good for depression low self esteem. Stimulates thymus gland , heart chakra. Chant the seed sound Yum.
Philosophy
Pratyahara – Return to oneself. Withdraw the senses inward. Listen to the sound of your heart.
Santosha – Practice contentment.
Cultivate the boundless states of loving kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity manifest as forces of purification which transform the turbulent heart into a refuge of calm focused awareness.
“There is in this city of Brahman an abode, the small lotus of the Heart, within it is a small space. Now what exists with that small space, that is to be sought after, that is what one should desire to understand.”
— Chandogya Upanishad
Just Let Go
Breathe in Love
Breathe out Pain
Breathe in Peace
Breathe out Heartache
Breathe in Peace
Breathe out Peace
Breathe in until you’re completely full
Breathe out until you’re completely empty
Dance between these places, notice the space between the inhalation and the exhalation, gently release the space just letting one breath flow into another.
From the Radiance Sutras:
The life essence carries on its play
through the pulsing rhythm
of outward and inward movement.
This is the ceaseless throb, the rhythm of life –
terrifying in its eternity, exquisite in its constancy.The inhalation, the return movement of breath,
sustains life.
The outgoing breath
purifies life.
We breathe out the old air, the old thoughts, the old feelings.
These are the two poles
between which respiration goes on unceasingly.
Between them is every quality you could ever desire.
As the breath turns from in to out,
and again as the breath
curves from out to in –
through both these turns, absorb intensity.
Enter these turning points
In the play of respiration and expiration,
Where the rhythms of life transform
Into each other.
Breath flows in, then surrenders to flow out again.
In this moment, drink eternity.
Breath flows out, emptying, emptying,
Offering itself to infinity.
Cherishing these moments,
Mind dissolves into heart,
Heart dissolves into space,
Body becomes a shimmering field
Pulsating between emptiness and fullness..
Asana
Supta Badokasana
Restorative heart openers
Yin Hip Openers – Eka Pada Rajokapotasana, Agnistambasana, etc.
Grounding postures such salambasana, balasana, Utkata Konasana, Utkatasana
So I had the opportunity to have a photoshoot with the incredible Robert Sturman. If you haven’t seen his work, check him out here. We spoke of the art of yoga and how he strives to capture it with his camera. What a gift to connect with such an inspired artist.
Humbled and grateful.
“Whether the pose is a one armed handstand or a humble pose of the child, what moves me most is it’s sincerity.” R. Sturman
Jeanette helps conscious women who are healers, caregivers, and leaders go deeper into their evolution so that they have the support, systems, and tools to reach a heightened level of inner peace, sovereignty, and spirituality.
Jeanette's entire life has led her on a pursuit to discover happiness and achieve an excellent quality of life. As a mother of four, long-term care consultant, and USAF Veteran, Jeanette's life experiences give her a unique approach to health and well-being.
