Oneness

The rain spatters hard against the windowpanes,
forced by a prevailing wind.
The fire gently crackles, announcing heat and light
as it greedily licks up the newly-cut logs.
These are the world of name and form,
the historical dimension.

Close the eyes, become stillness,
the ultimate dimension reveals itself.

A vast space in which One
is manifest and many disappear.
Interbeing is a word unnecessary here,
a mild description of what fills the heart
and is known and recognised
in a wordless space beyond mind.

Gone are the dualistic notions that bind us to the world.
Birth and death,
coming and going,
you and me,
are not needed here,
in this empty space full of Oneness.


Close the eyes, become stillness,
the ultimate dimension reveals itself.

Reveals itself as

infinite, 

boundless, 

compassionate, 

loving, 

whole-hearted

and free.

©  27 January 2013

Mindfulness retreats in the UK

I'm rather excited to be able to let you know about my latest venture, which is to offer mindfulness retreats as part of NCMC's programme of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

The following link will take you to the website page, which gives all the details of retreats that are available this year;

http://www.yorkmbsr.co.uk/MeditationandMindfulness-Retreats.htm

Please forward  the link to anyone who you feel may be interested in such a retreat.

'Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our lives unfold only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation' (Jon Kabat-Zinn). 

These weekends give the participants a chance to explore what this can mean in one's day-to-day life. For most of the retreats it is assumed the participants will have either attended an eight-week MBSR or MBCT course, or have an established meditation practice, however, there is a weekend in September which is an introduction to mindfulness for those to whom it is a new concept.

I am not going to bombard you with advertising and booking is done through York MBSR. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Lauri 

The Northern Centre for Mindfulness and Compassion
York MBSR
The mindful way to reducing stress
E:    Relax@YorkMBSR.co.uk<mailto:Relax@YorkMBSR.co.uk>
W:   www.YorkMBSR.co.uk<http://www.yorkmbsr.co.uk/>
T:     01904 634710

NCMC, Suite Z, Holgate Villa,  22 Holgate Road, York YO24 4AB

The unmoving quiet

What do you want from meditation?
Peace of mind.
I cannot give you peace of mind
you already have it.
But I don't feel peaceful.
I am agitated, restless, dissatisfied.
Peace does not come and go,
it is the foundation of everything you experience
even the restless, dissatisfied agitation.

It is the calm, unmoving base of the ocean
undisturbed by the waves rolling above.
It is the cool, pale blue sky
untouched by the thunder clouds that come and go.
It is the firm and unshakeable trunk of a tree
unmoved by the tumultuous shudders of a howling wind.
It is the empty and free space
that is unlocked from the centre of your heart when you fall quiet.


Agitation, restlessness and dissatisfaction come and go, they pass
and when they do, peace is left,
the unmoving quiet that accepts the disturbance
but does not embrace it as its own.
It is the essence of your being
resting in the centre of your heart.
When you welcome it as yours
it is unmovable, untouched and unshakeable.

©  4 January 2013

The unmoving quiet audio

New Year's Day Walk

Muddy boots,
bright sunshine,
empty trees,
nests revealed,
squirrels playing.
Sunlight brightening
bare fields.
Wind teasing,
nose running,
hair ruffled,
blowing aside
Christmas dullness.
Squelching through
slippery pathways,
searching for
solid ground.
Past fields,
through woods,
along paths,
up inclines.
Heart grateful
for all the above.

©  4 January 2013