Sunday, September 26th: Dharma Talk at the DC Global Mala Event

in 2006 some leading national yoga teachers created an event to bring attention to global peace and harmony.  Folks come from all over to practice 108 sun salutations and focus on our inter-connectedness.  The DC Global Mala is the second largest in the country (next to LA) and raises money to support those less fortunate. I'll be giving a dharma talk before we all move out to Meridian Park for the movement.  I don't think I've got 108 sun salutations in this body of mine, but I'll be there to watch and lend my support.  After the yoga flow there will be drumming, yoga demonstrations and all kinds of fun things.  If you've not been to Meridian Park on a Sunday afternoon you're missing something really cool.

This event is sponsored by Anahata Grace, a non-profit organization dedicated to 'yoga without borders.'

Here's a little blog posting I offered on their site.

And here's how you can register.  All moneys raised to go a wonderful cause.  You don't have to do the yoga to participate!

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Saturday, September 25th: Dynamic Vipassana Meditation

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Saturday, September 25th I'm leading a daylong that a fellow yogi and I call "Shake and Bake" Meditation. This technique was developed in 1970 by the teacher Osho as a way to make the subtler states of consciousness available to western practitioners.  It may seem a little weird, but it's very engaging. Tracking the progression laid out in Raja Yoga, we follow distinct phases from the gross to the subtle. The phases we'll follow in this version:

1.  Shake, sound, move and express.  A soundtrack will help you keep moving and 'shaking out' any tensions that come into your awareness.

2.  Free flow.  The soundtrack changes and with your eyes closed, you'll move into a period of letting your body spontaneously move with the music.

3.  Breath and sound.  You'll find a seated position and shift your attention to deep, full inhalations and while relaxing on the exhale, generating a particular sound.   You may find yourself moving into deeper concentration and absorption.

4.  Meditation.  Attuning to stillness and presence.

5.  Lying down body scan.  Deep, deep letting go.  Releasing all effort.

6.  More meditation.

7.  Journaling.  A meditative writing technique to record your impressions as they arise.

And that's just the morning.

The afternoon will be more traditional vipassana meditation with periods for movement and relaxation.  There will also be time for sharing, questions and discussion.

Most of the day, though, will be in silence.  If you are looking for a day dedicated to releasing tensions and attuning to what arises in the stillness, I think you'll find this to be a rich and full experience.

A video of me describing the day:

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Chances are quite high we'll have a waiting list for the retreat, as we did last time.  The following link will expedite your registration.

For more information and to register online.

Skanky

Wow, is the Potomac skanky these days.  The dearth of rain has brought the levels down and between the stagnant water and the heat, the algae and underwater growth is flourishing.  Here's a little meditation on the underwater growth. Many of these river shots are the product of my morning meditations by the river.  Over time I start to notice things externally (as I do internally) that I had not noticed before.

This image is from a pond.  Last year about three old trees came down, exposing the pond to sunlight.  The result is a permanent cover of algae and growth.

Man ... Alive

This Saturday 50 or so men gathered for the Man Alive retreat - a day of mindfulness practices, inquiry and sharing.  A most inspiring day. We did mindful movement, sitting meditation, standing meditation and lying down meditation.

For the lying down meditation - a guided body scan - I invited folks to put their feet up on chairs so they could bring some relief to their lower back from all the sitting.

An older woman was in the lobby looking through the window, checking out the scene and asked Steve, our manager, "Is that a Lamaze class?"

Feeling and Watching

You may have run across these videos of soldiers returning home to their families.  The first time I watched one I was pretty quickly taken by the raw, unfiltered and authentic emotions in these short clips. The second and third time (over the next few days) I paid more attention to my inner experience ... the heat and movement through my heart, throat and eyes, the rising of sensation and emotion, the tears emerging and rolling down my face.

You might like to watch these as a mindfulness practice.

How present can you be to the energy and feelings moving inside you?

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Force of Nature

Last week we got to experience the Big Storm up close.  Quite suddenly the wind kicked up and the house was pelted with limbs, leaves and dirt. Tree tops started moving in rather strange gyrating patterns. Two very large (80') Red Oaks were moving particularly violently and then BAM! the tops twisted right off and fell to the ground simultaneously. We were fortunate to get our electricity back about 13 hours later.

Walking as Practice

My morning meditation isn't what it used to be. I think spiritual practices evolve as our needs evolve.  Sometimes we need to cultivate concentration to steady and calm the mind.  Other times we need to forget technique - to lighten up and feel the space around things.

Most of my practice these days is Walking Meditation.

Specifically, Dog Walking Meditation.  Even more specifically, Old Dog Walking Meditation.

My almost 14-year old pup used to race in ever-widening circles around me as I hiked, biked, snowshoed or skied.

Now we walk in measured steps with long pauses.

With an old dog you can't go fast and you can't speed 'em up.

He has not lost his dignity.  Where he might have pursued the scent of a deer in the past he seems content to pause, lift his nose and with all four feet planted, track what's left of the smell.

He seems to savor each walk as if it was his first.  Or last.

Old Dog Walking provides an excellent mirror for me.  Sometimes I'm leaning into the day ahead and our slow pace builds up irritability and anxiety.  I catch myself again and again reaching for my iPhone like a twitchy gunslinger would go for his .45.

On the other hand, if I linger too long composing a photograph or stand with my eyes closed in the sun, he'll march right past me and keep going.  Because he's now deaf, I can't call him back.

So I do my best to match his pace.  Sometimes I count my steps to center my mind.  Sometimes I practice looking for something new - some detail I had not noticed before.  Sometimes I imagine what it will be like to do this walk without him. Each morning I try to savor the moments as he does, pretending this is my first walk ever.

Or my last.