peony wisdom

for my 70th birthday,
i was given the most exquisite peony
of such alluring color it made me blush
and weak in the knees..

it was fresh ~
plump and youthful ~
like the skin i may have had
when i was 17..

the depth of colour aroused
some heady seduction
down fathoms to blood and marrow..

opened and closed all at once 
in presence and aloof..
afar
if one was in the room
with this bloom
there is no way
you could look thither..

come hither..
dip into
the quintessence
the inner sanctum
the elixir of pollination
the antennae of looksee
a half a dozen nipples of venus
amidst a lion's mane of pleasure
miraculous mastery
marvel of minutiae
mysterious modus operandi
holy mo!

and fragrance -
subdued
coy, even
demurely inviting
the sense of smell
to come a little bit closer
you're my kind of gal
earthy and vague

it is now 5 days since my birthday
a pale ivoryness wafts about
still enticing
perfectly wide open
full and empty all at once
expansive and ceasing
the fragility of each petal
soon to fall like blessings
~ elderlore mist ~

ah ~ i see
this is me..

o sage of the peony lineage
i bow with palms folded -
as i myself fold
into senescence beauty
the ancientness to come
and go and go and go..

pollyanna

cindy laurance
a california pollyanna!

pollyanna ~
written in 1913 by the
novelist eleanor h. porter

often one is given such a moniker because they
seem to have an unfailing optimistic outlook..
excessively cheerful..
however, the story goes that pollyanna and her father
played the glad game as a method of coping
with the difficulties and sorrows
(along with good fortune and joy)
that shape one's everyday life..

the first one who whistled
thought they had a wren in their mouth.
they went around all day
with their lips puckered,
afraid to swallow.
               ~ wendell berry
                  * edited dl

the pacific wren (troglodytes pacificus)
is the true authentic without a shred
of even a nano tinge of a doubt,
pollyanna in winged form!

montaigne's maxim:
the surest sign of wisdom is cheerfulness!

most certainly this wee wren is wise..
for they sing and cheep and share their unfettered joy
for no reason at all..or so it seems..
yet their exquiste wren chirrupings bring
to all who listen,
to all who hear this triumphant trilling
into a place of fearlessness..
into an ease and a grace of being..
of being in right relationship with all things..
is it not so?

the practice of lojong gives us this slogan ~
always be sustained by cheerfulness
whereby we, as practitioners,
must bring everything to the path -
to the path of our lives..
the rough and tumblies,
the harsh and heavy,
the sicknesses and sours -
(along with good fortune and joy)
usher them right into the very heart of the matter..
actually training our minds..our hearts..
to be more wrenly ~
to actualize the wren's wise song
in the midst of viruses,
in wild and weird politics,
in zoomzoom yoga techno dramas,
even our old age and impending death !

make a joyful noise unto the lord..
the lord of love..

and so i say unto you,
be giddy, be silly, be joyful..
laugh alot and laugh some more..
kiss the air with the breath of joy..
even behind the mask!
for no good reason..
who knows?
could well be a cure .....

mountainal
this first-light mountain, its east peak and west peak.

the first-light creeks:
langunitas, redwood, fern.  their fishes and mosses.

its night and day hawk life, slope-life, fogs, coyote, tan oaks,
white-speckled amanita. its spiderwebs' sequins.

to be personal is easy:
wake. slip arms and legs from sleep into name, into story.

i wanted to be mountainal, wateral, wrenal.
                  ~ jane hirshfield


have a listen ! to one, or two, or three

https://youtu.be/1v5AQ2yiA2o

zoomzoom yoga with dunja..if you are so inclined, sweeties!

we must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
                              ~ joseph campbell
 
o heavenly daze!
the moon is fulling on this early morning
at the new beginnings of may..
i am slow and small to enter this phase
of my yoga métier..

feeling ill-equipped technically, for one..
vain beyond the knowledge of myself, for two
and three, isn't there enough zoom yoga anyway..?
(plus too much screen time for us all..
crikey, my eyes are sore!)

all that aside, my life and livelihood
have always been tangled up in the study, practice
and offering of the fine art of yogadharma..
so away we go.. jellyrolls!
i'll give it a whirrrrl!

3 yoga practices per week..
TUESDAYS  10 AM
THURSDAYS 10 AM
SUNDAYS  4:30 PM
1 & 1/2 hour sessions
everyone welcome..all levels..
PRACTICE WILL COMMENCE
TUESDAY, MAY 19 @ 10AM


as for the fee for practice..
here is what i have conjured..
if you are able to pay the full fare
$108 for 7 sessions ($15.43 per practice)
 - thank you ! drop-in $18.00
*if you have a series on the books already
these are, of course, redeemable

*for those of you whose income has been
impacted by this health plight and may not be
in a position to pay full fare at this time,
please cheque the discounted prices below
and choose one that will allow you to easily
and sweetly continue to practice with us ~

$81.00 for 7 sessions ($11.57 per practice)
 - thank you!  drop-in $13.50
$63.00 for 7 sessions ($9.00 per session)
thank you! drop-in $10.50 
*also NOTE: those who share a sheltering pod
with family, friends, etc - may share your series.

since no one will be turned away for lack of funds,
feel free to make a donation of your own size
to my mendicant bowl - thank you!

as for payment.. please and thank you ..
* paypal.me/dlingwood
* write a cheque and send to:
          13192 bridgeview way
           mount vernon, WA. 98273

it is under the greatest adversity that there 
exists the greatest potential for doing good,
both for oneself and for others.
                    ~ the 14th  dalai lama
shall we?

if you have any questions /concerns,
please email or text me..
peaceishealthy@gmail.com
360-770-7891

i will be sending out the invitation
for zoomzoom yoga practice with dunja
by a separate e-mail.

please gather any and all props you require
for your home practice and have at the ready
for the mystery of our time together.

such gratitude for all the love and enthusiasm
in sharing yogadharma, for meeting each other
on the mat as we practice what is rare to practice,
for the medicine we cultivate and offer to one another
and the entire infinite galaxies..

give the flame enough oxygen so it can burn.
providing oxygen is one of the noblest vocations.
                  ~ madeleine l'engle

thank you ~
bless you ~
stay safe, be healthy and full of gladness!
LIFE IS BUT A DREAM

!! one more thing..
if you no longer wish to be on this email list,
please let me know..
and/or..if you know of anyone
who might enjoy and benefit
from this experiment of zoom yoga
with me..please forward onward..
OM!