Deep listening and loving speech

Providing the space to hear
what is being said.
It matters not if I am
speaker or listener
deep listening is required on both sides.

And in that space I hear
my ungracious words,
my wounding gossip,
my harmful tittle-tattle,
my meanness and unkindness.
I hear it all
and I don’t want to be so small.

I hear it all
and hear another way of speaking
that raises up instead of knocking down,
that is generous, non-judgmental and kind,
that sees the best in others and
praises instead of defeating,
that is patient instead of rushing
to hasty conclusions.

Deep listening and loving speech
always together
providing the space to hear
what is being said.

© 24 Mar 2014

A path through the woods

I found a path through the woods
I have not noticed before and
intrigue and imagination led me
on to its firm but muddied floor.
The trees closed in
trying to cut out the sunshine.
The path meandered,
stealing away any sense of direction.
It broke out into a clearing ,
a faery ring where magic danced
off every leaf
and potential for the unusual
echoed and bounced off bark.
I joined a dance of
dappled sunlight, gleaming ivy and fresh spring leaves.
I was led by smells of
earthy mustiness, unfurling spring and flowering wild garlic.
I was entranced and enlivened

by my own Narnia
still within reach of the road
and normality.
I found a heaven of delight
because I chose to walk  down
a path through the woods
unnoticed before.

© 20 Mar 2014

I am elemental

I am earth, water, fire, air, space.

I free myself from a bodily form.

I am elemental,

in touch with everything around me.

The tree breathes life into me,

the sun gives me energy,

earth supports my footsteps,

water nourishes my heart,

fire gives me speech,

air allows me to move,

space reminds me I am free.

I am the chatter of the dawn chorus,

and the silence of the moon

riding a midnight sky.

I am fleeting beauty,

reminding us to notice and be aware. 

I am the vibrant sunset,

and the perfect snowflake 

just before returning to a water droplet.

I have the taste of the ocean

in my salt tears

and its ebb and flow

in my breathing.

I am the dance of the cycles

and the rest at their conclusion.

With each out-breath

I let go of thoughts and ideas

that bind me to a human form.

I am non-human,

I am elemental.

© 22 Mar 2014

A love letter to myself

Dear Friend,
What can I tell you that you don't already know?
Remember to trust your instincts and
pay particular attention to what the heart is singing.
Only there will you find peace and stability,
the foundation of your true knowledge.

Remember to be like the mountain,
a majestic and unmoving presence.
The mountain graciously watches
the cyclical rolling of the year and
gently receives the driving rain,
raging winds, baking sun and cooling breeze
without turning its face away
or longing for more.

Our journey together of infinite, important and shining moments
is a deepening of our understanding of mindfulness,
experiencing each breath as it rises, lingers and falls
as an impermanent and ever-changing dance.
Only with this knowledge can we accept
'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'
and bend with the winds of change
instead of snapping beneath its push.

Remember you are a beautiful, amazing and unique being
and everyone you meet
can also be accepted as beautiful, amazing and unique.

People have a lot to teach you about yourself so
remember to let them in,
let them touch you and
don't be afraid of what that does to your heart
or the tears that may fall.
It is all nurturing seeds of wisdom and understanding.

Be patient with other people's learning and
appreciate they stand in a different place to you,
come from a different background and
have taken a different path yet
we also stand together
in the same portion of earth,
sharing the same light and
have much to offer each other
because we all seek the same happiness and wisdom.

© 20 Mar 2014 

We are all starlight

We are all starlight
playing at being human
we are all moonlight
dancing in a human form
we are all starlight
sharing our smiles
lighting each other’s dreams
with compassion and love
we are all moonlight
not allowing ourselves
to be dulled in the daytime
the light shines through our
generosity and caring for strangers
who turn out to be friends
we are all starlight
playing at being human
not forgetting who we truly are
and not dimming our light
for the sake of fitting in
we are all moonlight
dancing in the shadows
brightening all dark and dusty recesses
we are all starlight.

© 7 Mar 2014

The last note of the octave

The last note of the octave
the last stepping stone before completion
with a yawning chasm in between,
impenetrable, unfathomable.
How to cross this seemingly widening gap?
Fear says, ‘stay here’
‘it is enough to have got this far’.
Doubt says, ‘thus far is sufficient’
‘the distance is unreachable, undoable’.
Mindfulness says, ‘give it a go’
‘it would be folly to give up now’.

The last note of the octave
the last stepping stone before completion
staying here would be to drown in an ocean of confusion,
uncertainty and hesitation.
Staying here would be to never know
if the potential was possible.
Fear says, ‘I’m petrified to try’
‘I feel frozen’.
Doubt says, ‘I can’t do it’
‘I don’t think it’s attainable’.
Mindfulness says, ‘give it a go’
‘what if you succeed?’

© 7 Mar 2014

Mindfulness and Creativity

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/04/creativity-habits_n_4859769.html 

I'm delighted to see the links here between creativity and mindfulness. It is something that I have been very aware of since researching and teaching mindfulness as I have found that practising mindfulness has increased my own creativity hugely. Certainly the poetry I have been posting here is a result of practising mindfulness.

Now I'm offering Mindfulness and ... retreats, combining it with poetry, drawing, movement and writing. Have a look at 2 websites for more details, 

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

and Binley Farm http://www.binleyfarm.org/whats-on/retreats/