Conquering The Past

In this most likely last decade of my life I find myself spending a lot of time ruminating about the past. Mostly recollecting painful and hurtful events. And when I experience now something that feels like a past painful event  the present event is even more distressing.  It seems to be the cumulation of all that I have experienced in the past, and in spades.

In an effort to understand this and “conquer” the bad feelings, I went back to my trusted Guru, Jack Kornfield.  In his Meditation for Beginners he has a Forgiveness Meditation.  He says that in forgiving others, as well as ourselves we can release the past and start life anew again. Without forgiveness we are left with “who did what to whom” repeating the cycle over and over.

Among other things Kornfield points out that when we forgive we simply choose not to carry the hate inside us any longer because we realize that it is poisoning us.

Namaste!

Metropolitan Museum – American Wing, A beginning

The Metropolitan Museum has restored and enlarged its American Wing. I made my first visit to the exhibit yesterday. I found it confusing and just began to wander through the galleries. It will require several visits and a plan of attack. Anyway here is some of what I saw. The highlight of the space is the restored “Washington Crossing the Delaware”.

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Natural Singer(s)

I previously wrote about my wonderful experience in a workshop with Claude Stein, The Natural Singer, at Kripalu this past weekend. I chose Paul Robeson’s Ballad for Americans to sing from. And as a result of my revisiting this music I decided to prepare a program on Paul Robeson for PEIR where the participants make presentation on various topics for each other. And as I began reading about this extraordinary man he is referred to as a “natural singer” at the age of 17 (1915) as a freshman at Rutgers University.
So what goes around comes around. From one Natural Singer to another, and me in between.
Namaste!

Sunrise over Kripalu

It was cold. It had snowed and it was beautiful, both inside and out. Namaste!

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I found my voice

And Claude does not know it. I attended a workshop this weekend at Kripalu entitled The Natural Singer lead by Claude Stein. I felt that I had lost my ability to sing partially because I have asthma. I hoped the activity would help. We each had a short period to sing what ever we wanted to the group of 35 people. I selected the beginning of the Ballad for Americans. I had not rehearsed and truly bombed the song. Everyone was very kind and supportive but my voice cracked and I even forgot some of the words.
So today at home I tried it in the shower, really. I lowered the key and was able to belt out the beginning of the Ballad for Americans. I then put the U-tube version on the computer sung by the magnificent Paul Robeson and sang along with him in full voice without cracking and wept when it was over.

Now you should listen and weep.

Bad Hair Day?

Here’s a solution to a bad hair day. A beautiful Vietnamese-American Yoga teacher.
Namaste

Not All Bent Out of Shape

The New York Times this weekend has a lengthy article on the “problem with Yoga”. And the story was briefly picked up by Diane Sawyer yesterday. It is an outrageous article that mocks one of the most valuable activities that individuals can engage in. But it needs to be taught by a well trained, experienced and compassionate teacher who will always lead the group members into listening to their body and not doing anything that feels in anyway uncomfortable. I searched far and wide for such a studio, Salutations, in Glen Head, NY. I drive about 12 miles each way for this experience. And it has kept me well, moving and emotionally healthy in my advanced age.
The profession needs to be monitored by the participants. And no one should do anything that hurts.
Nanaste

Advice vs. Nagging

We all feel that we know things that others ought to heed.  Or what others ought to be doing which they are not.  We want to share our infinite wisdom and knowledge to improve the lot of those we love and care about and even those we don’t care so much about.  We are willing to help anyone…..even though they have not indicated a need to know.  And may be quite irritated about being told what to do, repeatedly.

OK. Let’s all stop concerning ourselves with others and begin to monitor our own behavior.  Thus, no more nagging or advice.  Let it be.  Whatever it is.

Namaste

New Year’s Wishes and Hopes

2011 has been my first entire year of immersion in meditative awareness, practices and insights.  Here is some of what I’ve learned and come to believe in.

1. Listen carefully. No need to interrupt or even respond.

2. Think before  you speak and perhaps do not speak – most of the time.

3. Be kind, compassionate and caring toward everyone including oneself.

4. Breather a lot and deeply.

5. Don’t hold a grudge. Forgive everyone even those who won’t forgive you. And even forgive yourself.

6. Be alert to the beauty, wonder and possibilities around you. Look up, not down and smile.

Namaste!

 

Antecedents, an Insight

We will at times recollect painful experiences that we have suffered at the hands of others in the past. These recollections make us angry and even quite sad. Rarely if ever do we consider what the antecedents to these action upon us were. Assuming that we had been dealing with rational individuals, we need to examine and look for what happened before we were so affronted. What trouble or difficulty did we cause to precipitate the negative behavior directed toward us? There most likely was something that we have conveniently repressed. Let’s complete the picture and thus get rid of the pain and anger once and for all.
Namaste.