new frontiers

birds that live on a golden mountain 
reflect the color of the gold
                                        tibetan proverb

it is always a challenge..maybe even a struggle..
marrying the two..spiritual practice and the practical spirit..
perhaps not an easy task for many..
if one has the inclination toward contemplative practice..
if one has the passion for life and art and action..


what else are our lives 
but diminishing tapers of wax, 
sputtering already in long flame?

art and activism shadow one another;
they destroy one another:
but they share the same inescapable, 
irreducible bedrock fuel - passion.

love or fury.
love and fury...
i would rather fail at both
than be disloyal to one..
i would rather be 
ragged-thin and weary 
than brittle.
                rick bass

how to splice the ropes of life?
braid the dark and light
activity and stillness..
mundane and sublime entwine

thomas merton  -
leading an active life
yet immensly desiring a contemplative one -

i feel in my bones that i will never have any peace
until i kiss everything good-bye,
even my highest ideals and aspirations ..
this thing will die hard.
if i make a little less fuss about it,
i will be satisfied in the future..

holy spirit,
fill me with your simplicity -
teach me to avoid getting myself into useless works
by my own blind and impetuous will..
love will be my beatitude..
my heart burns within me with joy!

love passion gold

be the bird. be the mountain. be the gold.
fly, fly away ~

conflict arises when we want things to be other than they are.
                                                            j. krishnamurti

winter solstice - dogen zenji

heaven has a singular clarity.
earth has a renewed peacefulness.
each person attains ease.
the season moves into light.
this is the time when days become longer.

this is the timeless moment to attain buddha ancestors' infinite life.
all of you aspire and practice within this timelessness.
endeavoring to follow the way, you must actualize one phrase.
when timelessness is realized, you are powerful.
when timelessness is realized, you are alive.

bring forth the three hundred sixty days
with beads made of buddha ancestor body.
what do you achieve day by day?
the buddha ancestor body and mind.
what do you achieve day by day?

the buddha ancestors' body and mind are timelessness.
your true face is a great jewel forming in heaven.
how long have you awaited timelessness?
this auspicious day knows the increasing light of opportunity.


SOLSTICE DECEMBER 21 @ 8:49 PM pst
the sun reaches the southernmost declination!
the north pole tilted furthest away from the sun -
o my o!


the heart of yule is evergreen
the old year gone, the new pristine
the wheel again will turn to spring
this blessed time much joy to bring
                   ~ cari ferraro

mystic travelers cheques

yesterday i was wandering in wonder around asilomar..
the great outdoors of dunes and sea..
of cypress and pine ~
i slipped into the lodge to the ladies room..
in the waste receptacle i discovered an envelope ...
the words : mystic travelers cheques within printed on it..
!!
!!
!!

the envelope was empty..
shucks!
i did retrieve it ..however..
and plan to use it to call in the above  ...


this is the time..of the mystic heart..
wayne teasdale speaks of it :

the mystic heart in its maturity
reflects the essential elements, gifts and genius 
of the tradition of spiritual wisdom:
an actual moral capacity, 
solidarity with all living beings,
deep nonviolence, humility,
spiritual practice, ripened self-knowledge,
simplicity of life, selfless service
compassionate action and the prophetic voice.

these are further refined through a series of capacities
that result from our inner journey:
openness, presence, listening, 
being, seeing, spontaneity and joy..
all.. a part of the universal mystical tradition
that undergirds the cultures of the world..

a universal spirituality as transformation
from self-interest to other-centeredness,
compassion, mercy and loving-kindness.
this is the work of the contemplative in all of us -
we, then, cultivate our own mystic character..
the mystic being grows out of humilty of heart,
simplicity of spirit and a radical openness to what is real.


although the mystic travelers cheques have yet to appear..
i  do have the envelope..
no doubt it will be filled to the brim ~
it will come from my own giving..
the alchemy of generosity and gratitude brings the gifts,
fills the baskets, loads the envelopes ..

what would i spend the cheques on, anyway?
i'll let you know...

churning the big nectar

wave action..
hanuman has been busy this morning..
his churning rod has not been still..
the ocean floor has been tumbled and pummeled..
the ruckus, hubbub and commotion of the deep vast
rock tumbling at its most magnificent..
rearranging the earth beneath the  swells..
ancient colossals playing marbles ~
boulder tosses of the giants..

surfers look longingly at the waves they live for..
knowing not a one will venture out..
those same waves - the death of them -

walking along the shore's edge..
wet with NaCl spray..
crashing open the moist heart of compassion
soaking up the morning's tonglen practice..
saturating the parched anguished desert ..
the dusty roads of refugees ..

how does one live a life of grace
when others swoon too soon to their demise..?

i dunno..
just breathe them in..breathe them out..
i am the world, the world is me..
you are the world, the world is you..
*salt of the earth..be this..

overcome your uncertainties.
free yourself from dwelling on sorrow.
if you delight in existence -
you will be a guide.   
reveal the path.
               ~ buddha

keep churning the nectar, hannuman..
i am following your lead ~

* salt of the earth
- a person or group of people
of great kindness, reliability
and honesty -

here, there & everywhere ~

long seeking it through others
i was far from reaching it
now - i go by myself
i meet it everywhere
             ~ dongshan

the long and winding road..
grace and clear skies were traveling companions
south..by southwest..

the mountains outfitted in snowpetticoats ..
thick and riffled..
even shasta had her kirtle..

lake was low..
sky bent down deep to meet the moist..
radiant and glimmering..
trees were frost bitten and seemed glad for it..
roadways clear and moving with the light..

mila rubie..red prius pony..
saddled to the brim
a bit of vanity tingeing her cheerfulness..
she, too, is at her best free-wheelin'..


thanks giving 2015
'tis a gift to be simple...

we had a mighty basket full
from our thanksgiving yoga class..
a cheque to the stanwood nuns
went out that very day
for $339 !
thank you for stretching the offering
and for those who presented a gift
even though not on your mat..

take a peek @ quiet light candles website
to see what's up..
their gift shoppe hours are posted..
quietlightcandles.com
the best! holiday cookies ever..


the ocean's edge was welcoming..
the redpinkmaroonpurpleorange
painted skyscape sunrise
rose to meet the barefoot surfer and board
running  to the waves to beat the crowds ~

this was my home for many a moon
when i was young and wily..
i like coming back to the wildebeest
the young heart that beats the reach

now - i go by myself
i meet it everywhere

thank full

thanksgiving
i'll
be
heading south on the very day..
after the benefit yoga class
8 am  ~ come!

mila rubie..the red prius of excellent wheels
will be loaded and then loaded again..
where did all the stuff that i can't seem to do without ~
come from?

we are hunters and gatherers in a new way..
shoes and more shoes..
coats of every flavor..
warm gloves and hats
how many hands? how many heads?
tea, cups, dates, chocolate for the road..
phones and cords and candles and sox
bed roll and pillow..elephant..babar..
the stuffed heffalump that i have had for 37 years..
he's been to india and panama..
hawaii and the netherlands
paper stamps toothpicks
reading glasses sun glasses
binoculars
car chains
ghee and rice crackers
yoga mat blankets block bolster strap
books..though i am leaving shelves of them behind
face creme toothbrushes
pencils and pens
the singing bell from japan-
the bell my mama gave me after she died
towels and paper towels
coveted soup pot
ghee pan cinnamon
jizo travel buddha
prayer shawls


Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railing
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water looking out
in different directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
looking up from tables we are saying thank you
in a culture up to its chin in shame
living in the stench it has chosen we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in the doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the back door
and the beatings on the stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks that use us we are saying thank you
with the crooks in the office with the rich and fashionable
unchanged we go on saying thank you thank you

with animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like the cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us like the earth
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is
                             ~ w. s. merwin

step, step, step

earth's crammed with heaven
and every common bush afire with god
but only he who sees takes off his shoes ...
                                       e.b. browning

take off your sandals ..
for everywhere you stand is holy ground...
                             exodus 3:5

i had the blues cuz i had no shoes
'til on the street..
i met a man who had no feet..
                   ~ punjab poet


vigorous feet -
not a single thing have i closely observed
my feet on life's way are too vigorous -


if you are making your journey in a hurry,
you are making it poorly..

it's your head that does all the moving.
when it stands still,
you will be still anywhere and everywhere..
you will run like a hare in god's wind..

i have waited so long to be where i am going


in a field
i am the absence
of field.
this is
always the case.
wherever i am
i am what is missing.

when i walk
i part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the spaces
where my body's been.

we all have reasons
for moving.
i move
to keep things whole.

 ~ mark strand

tidal wave

sadness is a tide in every heart.
                    ~ brian doyle

sad -

feeling or showing sorrow
sorrow -
a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, 
disappointment, or other misfortune 
suffered by oneself or others .
tide - 
the alternate rising and falling of the sea, 
usually twice in each lunar day 
at a particular place, 
due to the attraction of the moon and sun..
  a powerful surge of feeling or trend of events..
heart - 
the central or innermost 
part of something..

how is it we can still breathe?
joke with our friends?
get gas?
eat, even?

the sky is falling  ~

we are far away
from the trend of events
in paris..
in syria..
in the congo..
afghanistan
ukraine
even the here and now
which is here and now
is far away

my centermost innermost beat of the heart
of the matter that matters most gushes and rushes
with something like fear or grief or angst-
a groundswell which is not a calm but a calamity

the sky is falling ~

poor chicken little
shouts all over town
the sky is falling
the sky is falling
poor henny penny
sipping out of her cup
saying if the sky is falling
why don't you just hold it up
                  ~ loren cohen

so... i guide a yoga class..as usual..
share a meal with david
do crossword puzzles with nancy
get gas
write love notes and thank-yous
watch starwars : attack of the clones with pals
do the dishes
floss
pray when i remember to remember

a high station in life is earned
by the gallantry with which
appalling experiences
are survived with grace.
              ~ tennessee williams

1. you must be subjected
to appalling experiences.
2. you must survive these experiences.
3. you must survive with grace.
4. you must do so gallantly.

if sadness is a tide in every heart,
what of the heart of hearts of the terror-makers?
what is this sadness, this tide of sorrow
that eats away the gentleness of their hearts
which leaves a rotting blackness
so dark
so rank
so rancid
that any sliver of shiver of light and bright
cannot find its way home..
lost to the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue
of being human - of being one among the many
of all of us who share the same heartbeat..
how sad..how sad.. how sad
the tide ebbing  and flowing
no grace, no gallantry

shall we do our best to hold them in our hearts..
how can we ?
so we might soothe the sour
why should we?
bring some relief to the rot -
by showering the powering of god knows what!
doing good..some good
it won't work!
bowing to a benediction
uttering a beatitude
bestowing a blessing
invoking anything - everything
to lift up the sky
in the hearts of all beings
all beings?

it is under the greatest adversity
that there exists the greatest potential
for doing good,
both for oneself and for others.
                           ~ hhdl


.. there is nothing outside the self..

thanks giving..last class @ a wing..

salta prima di inacidire
(leap before you sour)

please note!
the thanksgiving benefit class
will be the very last class at a wing..
thursday 8 am november 26
$20 donation


jeri and kathy will
not be teaching their monday classes..
november 30th..
they will use the time to move
props to their new locations..

kathy johnson 
yin yoga
8 am  - tuesdays 
beginning december 1st
studio 1010
714-394-1895

jeri lancaster
7 pm - wednesdays
beginning december 2nd
center for happiness
360-299-2519


everything near becomes distant

home

no one leaves home
unless home is a mouth of a shark.

you only run for the border
when you see the whole city 
running as well.

you have to understand -
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.
                       somali poet ~ warson shire 

these snippets - a powerful poem

offered as a powerful plea

after a three hour  plus performance

to the audience ..to the theatres..

from hamlet..b. cumberbatch -

savethechildren.org.uk/hamlet

no one leaves home 
until home is a sweaty voice 
in your ear saying -
leave, run away from me now.
i don't know what i've become
but i know anywhere is safer than here.

peace is healthy for children
and other living things.

rest..not wrestle!

work when there is work to do.
rest when you are tired.
one thing done in peace will
be better than ten things done in panic..
i am not a hero if i deny rest;
i am only tired.
                      ~ susan mchenry

cats - cats - cats

i care not for a man's religion
whose dog or cat are not the better for it.
                                      abe lincoln

we gathered $600 dollars to flesh out the kitty..
it was fun!
the cookies were de-lish..
no adoptions but the word is out..

meowanacortes.org

peace thru love and thanksgiving

in the sixties..in monterey..
my sweetheart and i had a wooden plaque
with the words:
PEACE THRU LOVE AND THANKSGIVING
in our commune abode..
we  made sure that anyone photographed
would be posed in front of this message..

this thanksgiving..
thursday, november 26th
a wing continues the tradition
of an 8 am class
to benefit a worthy cause..
the morning class is $20

though my teeth have proven worthy
these many 65 years..
a crown was called for ~
it has artfully been placed..cemented in..
by my exceptional dentist and staff..
- i have an outstanding bill!

a portion of our thanksgiving cornucopia
will benefit these teeth and dear dentist..
with the rest of the offering basket benefitting -
the convent of our meeting of the lord 
an orthodox christian convent
located in stanwood, washington
quietlightcandles.com


this class will be a helping hand
to local women - nuns -
this class will be my last yoga class @ a wing ~

polish the two-fold spirit 
heart and mind
sharpen the two-fold gaze
perception and sight
intend the two-fold action
love and thanksgiving 
        PEACE

lament

my mate..
my mate for life has gone..
gone the way of the deceiver's call
in the early soggy wet of duck morning..
though he has offered his shimmer feathers
his meat
his wing
for the nourishment of another -

& i praise him for that..i do..

my mate for life
is gone



what the hen must feel
when her drake does not return..?
we humanoids say that animals /birds/ insects
are not the feeling type..
how is it we know this?

i look at the yes of a bird,
the eyes
and i am seeing back to myself..

yes..we are feeling..
our small hearts skip a beat..
the weighty life of loss
makes our wings burdensome ~
flight is not a soaring
with our true companion gone..

i know this ..
i know this from my own wing ~
my own lonely wing..

exaltation for all souls all saints 
all ducks & all hunters of ducks

feline fun!

in nine live times, 
you'll never know as much about your cat
as your cat knows about you.
                      ~ m. de montaigne

cats! yoga! cookies!
what else is there?
generosity!
a wing and a prayer
will donate all the 20 $ bills
to cat's meow -

sunday, november 1st
there are 2  one-hour  classes..back to back..$20 each
one @ 3 pm..one @ 4:30 pm
with treats and adoping in betwixt!

stretch with the masters of stretch..
if you already have a house full of cats..
come and make new friends..
cat and otherwise..

an adventure in whiskers..
this could be very, very FUN!

please pre-register:
meowanacortes.org

CATTOOS AVAILABLE!

sky fly!

when the sky flies away, the bird flies away.
when the bird flies away, the sky flies away.
when you speak about the investigation of flying,
it is right here.
this is the point of steadfast sitting.
even if you go myriad miles,
it is right here.
                   ~ dogen

wednesday yoga w/ jeri - december 2

the happiness center will be the new venue
for jeri lancaster's yoga class..
on wednesdays rather than mondays..
beginning december 2nd @ 7pm..
give her a jingle:
360 299 2519
for any queries..


switch roles
zen master raven
robert aiken

gray wolf asked, 
"why do we always do 
everything exactly the same way?
raven said:
"steady on."
gray wolf said:
"maybe we should switch roles sometimes.
somebody else could be the teacher
and you could just be one of the students."
raven said:
"it's happening."

a wing..timeline..CATS!

as you know..
a wing is folding her wings..
taking flight..

the shala is open and the schedule
of classes are as usual..
all classes are up and running
until the end of november..
my last class is thanksgiving,
november 26 @ 8 am..

the sojourn to japan has capsized..
this changes the fundraiser notion on thanksgiving..
in the spirit of generosity,
i would like to split the thanksgiving cornucopia
between my dentistry..ah! the price of  crown..
and a worthy recipient..
please send suggestions to my e-mail...
or place them in the basket when you attend class...
ours is a generative practice!


YOGA WITH CATS!  November 1
you must register with the cat's meow
meowanacortes.org/yoga
there are 2 classes to choose from..
3 pm & 4:30 pm
come to both!
~ all proceeds go to the cat's meow ~

as anyone who has been around cats
for any length of time well knows,
cats have enormous patience
with the limitations of the human kind.
                    - cleveland amory

PLEASE NOTE;
ANY CLASSES LEFT ON THE BOOKS
AT THE END OF NOVEMBER ARE STILL
VIABLE WHEN I RETURN..
CLASSES NEVER EXPIRE..
I WILL,  HOWEVER ~
COME SOON!

shaking and waking

let all the strains of joy mingle in my last song -
the joy that makes the earth flow over 
in riotous excess of the grass,
the joy that sets the twin sisters, life and death,
dancing over the wide world, 
the joy that sweeps in with the tempest,
shaking and waking all life with laughter,
the joy that sits still with its tears
on the open red lotus of pain,
and the joy that throws everything it has
upon the dust, and knows not a word.
                          -r. tagore
                             gitanjali

the whole world is your own..

if you want peace of mind,
do not find fault with others.

rather learn to see your own faults -
learn to make the whole world your own.

no one is a stranger, my child
the whole world is your own.
                   - sri sarada devi



what the sayer of praise
is really praising is herself
by saying implicitly
my eyes are clear
likewise someone who criticizes
is criticizing herself
i cannot see very well
with my eyes so inflamed
awe is the salve that will heal our eyes -
and keen constant listening..
                 rumi

when i move -
a candleflame flickers
in tibet..
        william stafford

you are the world
and the world is you -
        j. krishnamurti

idon'tknow

i am usually willing to jump across the chasm
of idon'tknow into the great unknown..

growing up ^
taking the step on the thousand mile path..
a spiral trail that twirls on the tip of an ascending rod..

breathe
deep sighs that buoy up ^
restoring by sheer height
the crack of any broken heart..
each inhale < heals the letting go of each exhale > ..

carrying baskets of mending, pieces of patch
the in-between-ness..the synapse..the abyss..
the gap..the interval..

these stitches leap the bridge to wholeness..
  a second coming
  of our own true self..
  the original face..
step up ^ step up ^

celebrating the solitude of solo flying
each to each own .. always..
an unchaperoned journey ~
o how the shimmering halo
above the crown lights the way !

wrapped up in the dance of life
- a gift for the gods and goddesses -
the play of life..lila..spins  like a top...
the unknown squirms loose
from comfort farm mulch
uncovering its presence all along

how are you to do it?
you have simply to jump straight in and not to think,
"where shall i fall? what will happen to me?"
it is the hesitation of the mind that prevents you -
you must simply let yourself go.
              ~ the mother

this then ... not the end
but the very beginning.....

if you don't know where you're going
any road will take you there ~
                    george harrison

john lennon - 75 today -

the unknown is what it is.
and to be frightened of it
sends everybody scurrying about
chasing dreams,
illusions,
war, 
peace, 
love, 
hate, 
all that.
unknown is what it is.
accept that it's unknown
and it's plain sailing.
                 - john lennon

a wing .. yoga schedule.. 10/7 update

yoga practice @ a wing and a prayer

MONDAY - 8 am w/ kathy
                     6:30 pm w/ jeri

TUESDAY - 8 am w/ dunja

WEDNESDAY - 7 pm w/ dunja

THURSDAY - 8 am w/ dunja

FRIDAY - 9 am w/ dunja

SATURDAY - 9 am w/ dunja

all levels..
all are welcome..
drop -ins..come on!

our task is to stamp
this provincial, perishing earth
into ourselves
so deeply, 
so painfully and passionately,
that its being may rise again 
invisibly in us.
        ~ rilke


mark your calendars!

NOVEMBER 1ST
samhain ~ an open crevice in the fabric of time and space

yoga with cats!
come and stretch with
mavens of movement...
felines in the fullness of time..
grimalkins of grace and glee...

2 classes on 
sunday, november 1
3 - 4:30 pm
4:30 - 6 pm

all proceeds go the the cat's meow..
you can adopt a kitty onsite!
$20 per class..
come to both!

pre-registration is required..
 http://www.meowanacortes.org/yoga.
feel free to make a larger donation..

there will be treats!

there is a time...

there is a time for departure even
when there is no certain place to go.
                    ~ rw emerson

it seems the time has come to
let the caged bird fly..
open the palm ~

jeri, kathy and i sat in a circle
knee to knee with cups of tea..
and found we had all opened up
to letting go.. and letting come...

jeri is happy to hold to her one class a week..
we will keep you posted as to where that may be  ~
kathy & kids are moving to san antonio
at the end of the school year to join her husband
who has been transferred with tesoro..
she, too, may find a spot to keep her yin class going..

a wing and a prayer 
will fold its wings the end of november..
go with what is most terrifying -
always choose love over safety,
if you can tell the difference..
           j. humpreys

sincerely grateful for the
days
weeks
months
years
we have practiced together
awakening every moment .. or as often as we do!
to the luminosity we shine forth..
uncovering the ruby we have hidden in our hearts..
moving bones and flesh in the direction of love..

my intention is to return ..
the end of may.. 
i might well be an itinerant yogini
teaching in la conner, anacortes, clearlake, arlington..
some ideas for class space.. in the summer ?
there is mystery ahead!

meet me in cognito, baby
of course, we'll have to color our hair.
the best thing about life in cognito
is that everybody's nobody there.
                    tom robbins

mk gandhi ~ october 2

it is not non-violence if we merely love those that love us.
it is nonviolence only when we love those who hate us.
i know how difficult it is to follow this grand law of love.
but are not all great and good things difficult to do?
love of the hater is the most difficult of all.
by the grace of god even this most difficult thing
becomes easy to accomplish if we want to do it.

my life is an indivisible whole,
and all my activities run into one another;
and they all have their rise
in my insatiable love of mankind.

ahimsa (nonviolence) is the attribute of the soul,
and, therefore, to be practiced by everyone
in all the affairs of life.
if it cannot be practiced in all departments,
it has no practical value.

intimacy

intimacy with all things is the way
to live in peace and harmony with them.
freedom from all things is realized
through intimacy with all things.
                        r. anderson

turning away and touching are both wrong,
because it is like a massive fire.
                      dongshan

equinox 2015

the shape of autumn
that has passed thru the shutters,
the candle's twisted flame.
                            raizan

a fine day of autumn;
smoke from something 
rises into the sky.
                  shiki

the dragon-flies
cease their mad flight
as the crescent moon rises.
                    kikaku

has the tail of a horse
the buddha-nature?
the autumn wind.
            shiki


refugee
the season has come
to find your new home

how everything changes..
fast and vast..
the wind horse carries blessings..
humankind can be kind
heart and hand opening
to bid adieu / to welcome through
invisible line ..

empty border
barbed wire will not hold me in..
will not keep me out..
when the walls come tumbling down
to greet the beaming sun ..
faces like my very own..

hold me..let me go
i walk the thousand mile road ~

no tuesday 8 am class september 29

i have a friend i like to visit every year..
to make sure he is alive..
to let him know i am alive..
we share poetry..
and cosmic who-ha..
we eat well and watch movies marathon style..
he has parkinson's & is HIV positive..
i have something hidden that will
snuff me out sooner or later..
no time like the now to connect w/ a dear, olde pal..

in the end..

all you want is someone to long for you

when it comes time 

to put you in the ground!

the eternal...

sign on a church board:

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR ETERNITY?

my answer.....

to live in the present -
here & now


to see the world in a grain of sand
and heaven in a wild flower ~
hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour....
                  ~ blake

               

etta and otto and russell and james

dear otto,
we're all scared, most of the time.
life would be lifeless if we weren't.
be scared, and then jump into that fear.
again and again.
just remember to hold on to yourself
while you do it.
sincerely,
etta

a novel by emma hooper

nothing in excess

 ~ so it is written
as the 2nd phrase
over the gateway
to the temple at delphi ~

what do you have too much of ?
cats?
cars?
gold bars?
pennies?
shoes?
tools?
china?
bars of soap?
paper towels?
books?
coats?
dogs?
kitchen utensils?
tea bags?
jewelry?
silver bracelets ?
magazine subscriptions?
canned goods?
scotch?
video games?
gloves?
lumber?
coffee mugs?
fabric?
coats?
candles?
single socks waiting for a mate?
candy bars?
flower vases?
hats?
nail polish?
earrings?
underwear?
guns?
mason jars?
yarn?
reading glasses?
zucchinis?

for me..i have too many desk items...
pens
pencils
colored pencils
cartridges
erasers
pencil sharpeners
tablets
paper clips shaped like birds and elephants
stationary from india
stationary from italy
stationary from japan
glue
scotch tape
tissue paper
wrapping paper
envelopes of every shape & size
scissors of every shape & size
greeting cards
post cards
string
ribbon
stickers
labels
hole punches
staplers
rulers
note pads from hotels around the world
rubber stamps
rubber stamp ink pads
packing tape
manila envelopes
files
enclosures
felt pens
markers
stamps
more stamps
book marks
magnifying glasses
exacto knives
blotters
letter openers
note books with endless quotes

it has simply got to stop..
i've decided to use everything up..
not to glut the system with more cards
no more of more of everything
no more trees coming down on my watch
no christmas cards
once every last card is sent - no more..
this could take lifetimes yet i am determined

happy birthday!
merry christmas!
happy anniversary!
my sympathies ~
best wishes!
thank you!
congratulations!

the bud..from saint francis & the sow

galway kinnell

the bud stands for all things,
even those things that don't flower,
for everything flowers, from within,
of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to re-teach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and re-tell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within,
of self-blessing......

january 19 1995

where do i live?
a curious question ~
what residence do i support?
abstractly -
i live in the wind that catches
the rainbow ribbons
outside my mama's backdoor..
i live in the mind of my own self..
conjuring up all sorts of images,
qualities and comforts zones..
i make my home in the tiny space
between two breaths..
i aim to increase my square footage
moment by moment ~
i am addressed inside a p.o. box..
on an island jammin' with fighter jets
skitterish deer .. hummingbird chat..
i live inside the ink that writes these very words..
inside the fingertips scratching out
indecipherable penmanship -
i live inside the jeans that have become too tight..
the skin that has become too loose..
i hang out on the prayer beads that are chanted
and strung for many dharma bums..
on the itchy eyelids of pollen,
the dry winter lips,
the baby toenails, barely there..
i rest in the palm of my hand
and
in
yours...

found this in a stack of papers
i was sorting thru as i putter this sunday AM
20 years ago written
i still live here and further down many roads..
not great writing but telling, eh?
here are a few untraditional  haiku uncovered as well..

stomach whirlings
train tracks
where is my cat?

buzzing bee lands -
the car door
has captured it.

ankle bone digs deep
into the plush
mind carpet.

stray hair
tickles the nose edges -
widens the gap.

mind in reverse -
a truck load of concepts
backing up.

odd to look back 20 years
and see what i saw..

where do i live, now?

notes..for this labor day!

no class for kathy on monday, the 7th..
she'll have her tuesday class@ 5:30

YES! jeri will be teaching on monday evening - labor day -
@ 6:30 but will NOT be having class on monday, the 14th..

NOTE:
NO CLASS ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th *8AM

SAVE the DATE -
SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 1st
YOGA w/ CATS
fundraiser for the cat's meow
will be very much fun!
meowanacortes.org

picaro - the beginning...

she was lazier than people gave her credit for ~
                                         dunja's epithet

coyotes are often called picaros..rogues..
no social graces..
rarely holding a job..
untouched by the false rules of society..
on the edge of edges ~

i am sympathetic to coyotes -
when others are bad mouthing them,
i find myself in their corner..
look..
i don't want coyotes gobbling up cats, dogs or babies..
yet they do have a right to be here..

as far as the conservation rate -
they are the least concern category..
which i think means no one gives a damn about them
and they would be better off gone, gone, gone.
i don't like the sound of that for any living creature ..
slugs included -

i have see a pair of coyotes
sitting in the tall grasses on one side of the freeway..
the sun dazzling their flaxen coats..
the look on their faces one of..
how the farnbang are we going to get over
to the other side before nightfall?

i have seen a solitary sitting on the border of the slough..
ears up, camouflaged in the reeds..
the sun warming the fur collar she wears with panache..
meditating on the nature of reality
well, why not?
who doesn't..
no hunger to move her off her mark
most awake, most aware..

i have caught one on the bike path
finishing up the morning's ablutions..
caught in the act, caught by surprise
yip and a jump back into the brambles -
i beg your pardon!

i have seen the stealth lean one stride across the path in the forest..
mama shushing the kits, skimpering on a fallen tree, back into hiding..

we are outsiders on the inside of our lives..
or is it .. insiders on the outside of our lives..
either way,
we are the rogues of margin..
the fringe rascals..

coyotes are my dharma pals..
seeking a low status, one does not fall far..
i would/could not be anywhere else...

....dig into the narrow place that has been given to you..
you will find god there...
                          ~ gustave thibon

~ just this ~

the fundamental delusion of human beings 
is the belief that we exist separately and independently 
from the rest of the universe.
there is the whole universe, a human thinks, plus something -
that something is me.

once we misunderstand ourselves in this way, 
it is inevitable that we will be primarily concerned 
with this isolated, precious self.
we will single-mindedly focus on protecting and promoting 
our separate, individual welfare.
ignoring our close connection with all beings, 
animate and inanimate, we will act selfishly, 
through greed, hate and delusion.

when we feel independent and separate from others, 
we feel anxious about whether they really care about us.
we worry that they don't approve of us or support us,
and we may be tempted to lie about what we think and feel 
in order to gain their approval and support.
feeling separate from others and feeling threatened 
by their lack of approval, we may deny who we really are.

..... perhaps the most difficult thing is just to be ourselves..
as long as we're looking for alternatives to just being ourselves,
we will be anxious, we will grumble, and we will complain.

.....all things are so deeply connected that at the precise moment
when we are just ourselves, the entire universe is just itself.

                       ~ reb anderson
                          BEING UPRIGHT

smoke fire breath - rock paper scissors

i will read the ashes for you, if you ask me.
i will look on the fire and tell you from the gray lashes
and out of the red and black tongues and stripes,
i will tell how fire comes and how fire runs as far as the sea.
                                    - carl sandburg

i wonder - about hummingbird lungs..
smoke thickens in my own chest..
it's more than smoke..of course..
it's the heat of flame sadness
ember dust homes ..
treasures of life after life..
up...in...smoke...

the forests..
tree after tree..
masterpiece of masterpiece...
up up and away ~


The deer were bounding like blown leaves
Under the smoke in front the roaring wave of the brush-fire;
I thought of the smaller lives that were caught.
Beauty is not always lovely; the fire was beautiful, the terror
Of the deer was beautiful; and when I returned
Down the back slopes after the fire had gone by, an eagle
Was perched on the jag of a burnt pine,
Insolent and gorged, cloaked in the folded storms of his shoulders
He had come from far off for the good hunting
With fire for his beater to drive the game; the sky was merciless
Blue, and the hills merciless black,
The sombre-feathered great bird sleepily merciless between them.
I thought, painfully, but the whole mind,
The destruction that brings an eagle from heaven is better than mercy. 
                     - robinson jeffers

 

hummingbirds have a greater need
for oxygen than any other vertebrate ..
how's it going, i wonder?
every bird..the winged ones..

how is their sight .. their seeing orbs..?
no visine to clear out the dryness..
the tinder and soot of hillsides under their eyelids..
haze-hued..

nests
tumbling into blaze
eggs..would there be any eggs?
cracking as they crackle

you cannot put a fire out -
a thing that can ignite
can go, itself, without a fan -
upon the slowest night -
               - emily dickinson

providing oxygen is one of the noblest profession..
...so i've heard...
fire is greedy - for wood..for dry grass scraps ..
for breath that perpetuates brilliance..
how do we take its breath away?

impermanence does not happen at the end..
it is continuous ~

breathe..breathe it in...

no class tuesday september 8 ~ 8 AM

in keeping with the labor day holiday..
we rest from labor on tuesday, september 8..

we may think we need to be more
in order to be whole...
yet really..
we need to be less -
to let go -
to throw everything away that isn't true..
that isn't our essence..
hole-y and wholesome

rest well!

more walt

from the mag - lapham's quarterly -

1846 | Brooklyn
A New Ball Game

In our sundown perambulations of late through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing “base,” a certain game of ball. We wish such sights were more common among us. In the practice of athletic and manly sports, the young men of nearly all our American cities are very deficient—perhaps more so than those of any other country that could be mentioned. Clerks are shut up from early morning till nine or ten o’clock at night—apprentices, after their days’ works, either go to bed or lounge about in places where they benefit neither body nor mind­—and all classes seem to act as though there were no commendable objects of pursuit in the world except making money and tenaciously sticking to one’s trade or occupation. Now, as the fault is so generally of this kind, we can do little harm in hinting to people that, after all, there may be no necessity for such a drudge system among men. Let us enjoy life a little. Has God made this beautiful earth—the sun to shine—all the sweet influences of nature to operate and planted in man a wish for their delights—and all for nothing? Let us leave our close rooms and the dust and corruption of stagnant places, and taste some of the good things Providence has scattered around so liberally.

WHY BE COOPED UP INDOORS when you could be outside, tossing a ball and hitting it with a stick? That's WALT WHITMAN's logic, anyway, and during the month of August you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone with a better idea for how to spend a sunny weekend afternoon.

walt -

richard burke, a physician who studied mystics..
those who had "cosmic consciousness"..
catalogued the traits of walt whitman and others..
here's what dr. burke had to say about mr. whitman ~

when i first knew walt whitman, i used to think
that he watched himself and did not allow his tongue
to give expression to feelings of fretfulness, antipathy or complaint..
after long observation, i was satisfied to see that such absence
was entirely real.  his deep, clear and earnest voice contributed 
to the charm of the simplest things he said...
he never spoke deprecatingly of any nationality or class of people,
or time in the world's history..or against any trades or occupations -
not against any animals, insects, plants or inanimate things, 
nor any of the laws of nature, such as illness, deformity or death.
he never complained or grumbled either 
at the weather, pain, illness or anything else.
he never in conversation used language that 
could be considered indelicate.
he never spoke in anger .. never exhibited fear .. 
i do not believe he ever felt it.

okay then ~ let's get to it ~ shall we?!

miracle cure - luka bloom

When all the fighting is done
Forgiveness
When all the blood has run
Forgiveness
The opening fist
Brings forgiveness
A wounded hand to kiss
Forgiveness

It's the wonder drug
It's the miracle cure
It could change our world
Make our lives secure
I take my chance at each abyss
And reach for my forgiveness

The moment the words cut in
Forgiveness
The moment anger begins
Forgiveness
In the light of a new day
Forgiveness
I hope you'll have your say
Forgiveness

Together we grow
Together we know
No losers, no winners
In forgiveness
Together we're free
Together we see
No right or no wrong
In forgiveness

It's the wonder drug
It's the miracle cure
It could change our world
Make our lives secure
I take my chance at each abyss
And reach for my forgiveness



there is a  lot to hold these days..
per chance there always has been..
to face the mirror of our own faces..
our own anger, impatience and distracted actions ~
within the actions of another..

it is an abyss we circle every step of the way..
to love..to forgiveness..
understanding ..tolerence..

watching my own bullying - bossyness
as i drove around town ..
tyrannizing the bizarre drivers from another planet 
attempting to maneuver the streets during our arts fair!
a small annoyance that is the very seed of war..
of violence..
in me !
inconceivable! 
not!

the 8 verses of mind training - 
kadampa geshe langritangba (1054-1123)
can bring us about face to step, however slightly lightly, into a footprint of another..
to get the picture there is not an us & them..

1 - with a determination to accomplish
the highest welfare for all sentient beings
who surpass even a wish-granting jewel
i will learn to hold them supremely dear.

2 - whenever i associate with others i  will learn
to think of myself as the lowest among all
and respectfully hold others to be supreme
from the very depths of my heart.

3 - in all actions i will learn to search into my mind
and as soon as an afflictive emotion arises
endangering myself and others
will firmly face and avert it.

4 - i will learn to cherish all beings of bad nature  (bad drivers, included!)
and those pressed by strong karmas and sufferings
as if i had found a precious treasure
very difficult to find.

5 - when others out of jealously treat me badly
with abuse, slander and so on,
i will learn to take all loss
and offer the victory to them.

6 - when one whom i have benefited with great hope
unreasonably treats me very badly,
i will learn to view that person
as an excellent spiritual guide.

7 - in short, i will learn to offer to everyone without exception
all help and happiness directly and indirectly
and respectfully take upon myself
all harm and sufferings of my mothers.

8 - i will learn to keep all these practices
undefiled by the stains of the 8 worldly conceptions *
and by understanding all phenomena as like illusions
be released from the bondage of attachment.

* like / dislike
   loss / gain
    fame / disgrace
     praise / blame

how much more the open palm can hold
than a tight fist..
this, this, this....

arts festival & yoga class!

yoginis and yogis..
yes!
there is a class on
friday @ 9am 
&
saturday @ 9am..

if you are planning to attend..
remember the faire..
and parking scarcities..
short supply - in other words !



gather out of dream dust
earth dust
cloud dust
storm dust
& splinters of hail

one handful of dream dust
not for sale
           - langston hughes

class schedule review!

welcome!
 a wing and a prayer
yoga asana schedule as follows ~

MONDAY : kathy
8 am yin
( NO CLASS AUGUST 3 & 10 )

MONDAY : jeri
6:30 pm

TUESDAY /THURSDAY : dunja
8 am

TUESDAY : kathy
5:30 pm
( NO CLASS AUGUST 4 & 11 )

WEDNESDAY : dunja
7 pm

FRIDAY : dunja
9 am

SATURDAY : dunja
9 am
( NO CLASS AUGUST 1)

all classes are drop-in..
everyone welcome!
(yoga is for every body..)
single class = $15
series available thru each teacher..
private sessions w/ dunja available -

mention is made of two classes of yogis/yoginis:
the hidden and the known.
those who have renounced the world 
are the known yoginis/yogis : all recognize them.
the hidden yogis/yoginis live in the world.
they are not known.
                    ~ sri ramakrishna - the gospel of sri ramakrishna

shantideva encourages us to....

overcome all forms of weariness 
and ride the horse of bodhichitta,
traveling from place of joy to place of joy.
what intelligent person would not delight 
in such a journey?


when i am happy may i dedicate my happiness to all,
and when suffering may the ocean of misery dry up.
                                   kashmiri master - shakya shri

bodhichitta: enlightenment-mind
the mind that strives for awakening and compassion
for the benefit of all sentient beings.

NO SATURDAY CLASS AUGUST 1

howdy and hey!
a wedding takes me off the island
as i am the lucky parson for the gig..

please note:
no saturday yoga
8/1

THERE WILL BE CLASS ON THE ARTS/CRAFTS WEEK-END..
IF YOU PLAN TO STRETCH..
COME A WEE BIT EARLY TO FIND A PARKING SPOT -

ALSO..
SHIPWRECK DAY..THIS SATURDAY - 18TH.. YES! CLASS...
SAME RECOMMENDATION..EARLY BIRD GETS THE SPOT -

a love poem to leave you swooning ~

may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old

may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it's sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young

and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there's never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile.
     
                     ~ e.e. cummings

compassion 101

the practice of the bodhisattva is to sit upright 

in the center of the world of universal suffering.

such compassionate beings listen to the pain of the world:

they feel it,

they ache with it.

we are built to ache with it.

we have evolved to feel the hurt.

the upright sitting of the buddha ancestors 

never forgets or abandons sentient beings.

..... we do not fight back or crumble 

in the face of pain.

we do not get ahead of or

lag behind the pain,

we do not lean to the right 

or to the left of pain.

we honor and acknowledge all pain.

we listen to all pain.

the bodhisattva stays close to the pain

without meddling or interfering.

sitting upright and clearly observing 

all suffering beings

assembles an ocean of blessings 

beyond measure.

         ~ being upright / reb anderson

heart sutra sit cancelled indefinitely

PLEASE NOTE:
NO HEART SUTRA SIT THIS SUNDAY
JULY 12

NOR ANY THEREAFTER
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

if i don't see you in this world..
i'll see you in the next - don't be late!
             - jimi hendrix

much thought has this decision found in the making..
keep an eye when the sit will surface yet again..
praise the changes that life holds for us..

if the cardinal's flight 
from bank to bank 
were less brief -
it would also be less glorious..
             anon -

home star

perhaps this is the house 
in which i lived when neither i, 
nor earth, existed..
when everything 
was moon,
or stone, 
or shadow..
                ~ neruda

valley..
shock of mountains majesty
as the snow is not..
heat of the GNW?
re-entering
a wing.. 
freshness of the wood floor..
simple elegance of the space..
sound of bells ringing the wind..

palms folded in gratitude to the yoginis
holding the shala open and moveable..
those who took the stairs to meet their mats..
we are a blessed bunch to hang together
and practice what is rare to practice..

don't wander,  don't wander.. extend mindfulness!

HIS HOLINESS the 14th DALAI LAMA -80 TODAY!

even as the grateful dead say bye-bye..
...yet...not fade away..
the dalai lama celebrates his 80th birthday in glastonbury
with patti smith and the other grey-hairs..
cheque out the video as the festival sings happy birthday
to a very happy monk!

https://youtu.be/2XPO8B2QZ1g

long life prayers offered..
we are of great good fortune to
be with HHDL on the planet at this time..

yoga class mañana w/ dunja @ 8 am..
come stretch !
when we practice,
we open up the offering basket
of  the 4 immeasurables ~
lovingkindness, compassion,
equanimity and joy..

there comes a time when an individual
becomes irresistible and his/her actions
become all-pervasive in its effects.
this comes when one reduces oneself to zero.
                        ~ mohandas gandhi

uncle john's band..

Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry any more,
'Cause when life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door.
Think this through with me, let me know your mind,
Whoa, oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?

It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Whoa, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

 ~grateful dead

nope!

yes, indeed..
no classes this week @ a wing..
enjoy your hot summer days..
have a spacious interdependence day..
i hear there is a parade !

infinite gratitude to all things past -
infinite service to all things present -
infinite responsibility to all things future -
                        a wise zen master

interdependance in action...

attending to the heart - heart sutra..july 12

shall we try for a july heart sutra sit?
how about  ~

sunday
july 12
4-6 pm
by donation

what the world really needs is more love
and less paperwork.
                 ~ pearl bailey

summer solstice 2015

our real journey in life is interior;
it is a matter of growth, deepening,
and an ever greater surrender
to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts.
never was it more necessary for us
to respond to that action..
may we all do so.

5 breaths pray in me:
sun moon rain wind and fire
5 seated buddhas reign in the breaths
5 illusions
one universe:
the white breath, yellow breath,
green breath, blue breath,
red fire breath, amitabha
knowledge and desire
and the quiescence
of knowledge and desire.

                    ~ thomas merton

thanks! yes! YOGA news!

for all that has been - thanks!
for all that shall be - yes!
                         ~ dag hammarskjold

traveling north the end of june..
here's the schedule for that...
there will be NO classes JUNE 28 thru JULY 4
that's TUESDAY, JUNE 28th thru SATURDAY, JULY 4th..
~ NO GO!

YES! Jeri will have her class on monday, the 6th of July..
YES! Kathy will teach her regular classes beginning the 6th of July..
YES! dunja returns to her teaching schedule tuesday, the 7th of July..

eager for the great NW weather..
the sweet OM of the studio
all who practice together @ a wing and a prayer

a hundred times every day i remind myself
that my inner and outer life
depend on the labours of others,
living and dead,
and i must exert myself
in order to give in the same measure
as i have received and am still receiving.
                              ~albert einstein