From Religion to Spirituality @spiritchat - Tumblr Blog

A Spirit of Reunion

I had been so busy with writing the technical paper and then putting the presentation together for the upcoming Aerospace conference that I had not walked the forest in almost two weeks. As I waited at the light at the bottom of the hill where I would normally go up the other side towards the West Gate and in to work, I glanced to my right and saw the bridge gleaming in the sunshine. Something tugged at my heart and said, come visit. We miss you.

So, I turned left at the light, parked in the first available space, and crossed over to the other side. On to the bridge, where now the clouds were playing hide and seek with the trusses. The lack of rain over the past few weeks had almost run the river aground, but not quite. I decided to turn right immediately after the bridge, with the idea of climbing the steep hill to walk the trail on the plateau above. But, it was not to be. The river had other plans for me. Ever so imperceptibly, she slowed down my walk, and brought me to a standstill.

And then, the flow of words began. I paid attention, listened, and wrote... I share a few of them with you.

The river runs so shallow Yet the hill still rises steep In walking these old trails What new promises do I keep? The air so still Yet the singing of birds deep I take in all the stillness Into my core does the Joy sink deep; I stopped wondering long ago Who is this muse that comes calling, Amid the crescendo of the cicadas In the silence of the water falling; The invitation on some mornings Is simply too powerful to resist I try going towards the sun, but am imperceptibly lured by the mist; I came to walk long trails Yet she has me rooted, standing still Sit with me a while and visit she says Save for another day, the fragile hill; Summer is only here for so long Like a firefly her light is fleeting I am so honored that you invited me to stay You raised my spirits with this brief meeting; If you will just stay that little bit longer Beneath the waters lie many a great treasure So many dream of an endless summer Yet of this moment they take little measure...

On this day, I experienced a beautiful reunion with nature, in a quiet oasis that invited me to be still. I arrived 'empty handed', yet left with a great treasure of poetry, peace, and a reminder to not stay away for too long. Have you participated in any reunions lately? Are you planning any in the near future? And how about your inner reunion with Joy, Awareness and Pure Existence? How do you experience That (re)union on a regular, even daily basis? Or have you forgotten...

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

I invite you to reunite with us in #SpiritChat on Sunday, July 16th at 9amET/1pmUTC on twitter - and particularly so if you have been away for a while. We hope you will bring some goodies to share.

The nature trails called, and I answered... only to stand still in reunion

#reunion #summer #lighness #spirituality #poetry

Celebrating Guides and Guidance

We celebrate a lot of occasions in our lives. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, national holidays, international days, and much more. There is one annual celebration that is perhaps unique to Indian (vedic) tradition - it is the celebration of our spiritual guide(s) and the guidance that they provide to us. As it is with most Indian spiritual traditions, this celebration is also connected to the lunar calendar.

This year, the celebration of our guide(s), referred to as "Guru" in India, is marked for July 9th 2017. In modern times, the term "Guru" has expanded much beyond its original usage to refer to an 'influential teacher' or 'subject matter expert'. The original use of the term referred to a highly revered 'spiritual teacher' who was trusted by royalty to provide advice, and to impart guidance to those who 'qualified' to be guided. And what made one 'qualified' to be taught or guided? Consider this:

"To him (or her) who has thus approached reverently, whose heart is tranquil, and whose senses are under control, let the wise Guru teach the real knowledge, by which the true and immortal Being is known" - Mundaka Upanishad

The Upanishad(s) are a series of wisdom "books" that distilled the essence of the ancient Vedas, which themselves contained the wisdom and traditions of ancient India. The word Upanishad literally means, "to sit near the sphere of influence of" (the radiance of the guide or Guru). There are many stories and parables about how the guide would test the student, before agreeing to accept them as a student. Think of it as an entrance examination or a college application - one had to be accepted in order to enter the "sphere of the guide"!

But, I digress a bit. Let me briefly return to the three qualifications of a student as referred to in the quote. First, "one who has approached reverently". This implies a sense of humility, a willingness to learn, and an "emptying of the vessel" by the student. Second, "whose heart is tranquil". This suggests a state of harmony within the student's heart. We stand to learn and absorb much more (in any environment) if our heart is at peace - don't you think? Third, "whose senses are under control". To me, this refers to the state of our mind, our power of discernment, and how well we have control of the same.

It may seem like all the qualities that 'qualify' us to be taught by a 'spiritual guide' are the very qualities that we are seeking help for from our guide in the first place! If we already had these three qualities developed within, why would we need the guide or Guru anyway? What more could the guide teach us? The answer is perhaps in the last part of the quote - "let the wise teach the real knowledge by which the true and immortal is known".

We arrive with reverence, harmony and good discernment. We receive guidance towards truth and immortality. That is worthy of celebration, don't you think?

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us on twitter for our weekly #SpiritChat conversation on Sunday, July 9th 2017 at 9amET (USA) / 1pm UTC / 630pm (India). We will celebrate our guides and share guidance over tea, cookies, and a guided, online meditation to follow at 8pmET (contact me directly for details on this). Namaste.

Celebrating Guides and Guidance that arrives through many mediums, from many directions...

#guidance #guides #guru #celebration

On Freedom and Reality

Just like that, it is the first of July and we step into the second half of the year. Time has an unerring way of bringing us face to face with reality - however we may define reality. In the USA, the onset of July brings us a celebration of "Independence Day", and our kindred neighbors to the north in Canada celebrate "Victoria Day" (Happy 150th, Canada!). On these occasions, it is natural for many of us to reflect upon our personal freedoms, and the practical realities of said freedom(s) in our daily lives and actions.

As long as we do not live alone on a deserted island, the reality is that our friends, families and communities affect our daily freedoms, and their exercise of it. This effect manifests in the decisions that we make when we live in a civil society. In order to add value to their lives, and often for greater good, we often accept the reality that our personal freedom of external action may not be absolute. It is relatively easy to make declarations of our Independence, but we need energy and commitment to fight for "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Commitment conveys our declarations from mere intellect to reality, frees us to take action.

It takes even greater energy and commitment to preserve our freedom. The freedoms gained also need a constitution - a governing agreement among people - for their preservation, in order to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". In order to anchor themselves to reality, and recalibrate their freedom(s), organizations, communities, families and even individuals, may establish constitutions. From these frameworks can emerge the governing principles of our live, the values that fuel our actions, and measures of our personal growth.

For most of us, the demands of living in the external world subject us to space and time. Even as I write this, there are small decisions that I need to make over the next few hours that will affect what I and my family will do this weekend. These small decisions aren't made in a vaccuum, and a give and take of personal freedom(s) of all family members is necessary in order to maintain a dynamic family harmony. Does this reality sound familiar to you?

So, where does true freedom, if it exists, exist? For the most part, our external world seems to be devoid of it. We can intellectually read about and even talk about 'freedom from fear' and such related things, but how much of our daily decisions are informed by fear? And how about our internal world? Is it possible that unfettered freedom exists within us? If so, have you experienced the reality of inner freedom for yourself?

As I develop my daily practice of meditation, there are occasions where I find disconnection from the transient and (re)connection with the permanent. While the state of reconnection with the permanent is often fleeting in itself, it is the closest that I have perhaps ever felt to true freedom. Even though the reconnection is fleeting, it brings one great Joy to realize that true inner freedom is indeed an experiential reality. How about you? What have your experiences of 'real freedom' - external or internal - been like? How do 'reality' affect the exercise of your personal freedom(s)?

I invite you to visit with us in #SpiritChat on Sunday, July 2nd at 9amET/1pmUTC on twitter, as we share and celebrate freedom and reality. I will bring some real questions and virtual cookies and sparklers. You are free to bring whatever you wish to share.

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

A new experience of freedom this week, as I discovered a new reservation with unexplored trails and bridges...

#freedom #reality #spiritual practice

On Spiritual Rescue and Rehab

We are like turtles on the path of life... we often develop hard shells to protect our soft cores from life's many attacks - sometimes our shells get cracked - we may even lose half a face and an eye, get a cracked lower jaw, barely able to eat or drink, left for dead, paralyzed and bleeding in the middle of the road that we were simply trying to cross - and then, along comes One who has the heart of a rescuer, compassion in action, who takes that extra moment to pause and examine, who does not judge whether we are worth saving or not but simply acts - and before we know it, a sling is fashioned from a scarf, we are placed on a pillow in the back of the car, and brought to the warmth and relative safety of a garage to spend the night, hopefully to rest and receive a bit of healing...

We all have felt the intervention of those who have literally rescued us from a path of self-destruction, or after being 'run over' by the world around us... for some of us, this 'rescue' has happened more than once, perhaps because we needed to be rescued (again and again)... we weren't strong enough to get out of rehab just yet, we hadn't healed enough, our shell was still cracked from that first battle, and we decided to take on the world again...

Morning came, and I was almost reluctant to step into the garage to check on the patient. At first glance, she looked awfully still in the open box. I walked away, to return a few minutes later. A little nudge of t5ht he box, and she poked her head out a bit from under her shell. Relief. At least she had made it through the night. The rescue work of my wife (trained nurse), ably assisted by my daughter (nurse in training) and her visiting friend (aspiring veterinarian), had bore fruit in the very short term.

It often takes a potential tragedy to bring out our best rescue and rehab skills, for us to discover our hidden strengths, and to perform actions that are in harmony, excellence and alignment with the greatest good of the moment... that is true spirit of Union, of Yoga... the moment(s) where all of our spiritual practice(s) meet higher, selfless action.

At 9am, as soon as the local Nature Center opened, we received a call in response to the message we had left last night. "Bring her in. We would love to try and rehab her". Off to the nature center we went, for the next step - a chance at rehabilitation by trained specialists who would do their best at healing and perhaps a full recovery. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a full recovery, with a release back into the wild in our neighborhood. We hope to meet "Sally Ride" once again.

The entire rescue and rehab effort brought a lot of folks together - we (re)connected with the local science and nature center, received very good advice from a turtle rescue center in North Carolina, connected with a reptile expert in Southern Ohio, and tapped into many online resources online and YouTube movies about shell repair and restoration... my daughter is even considering to a summer project about the life of turtles (and maybe even Ohio wildlife)...

I am sure you have been witness or beneficiary of such Yoga in Action too - what was the situation? Who was the rescuer/the rescued? What resources and energies came together to affect the rescue and rehab? How did the experience affect you, your (long and short term) spiritual outlook on life and nature? Share your stories with us in #SpiritChat on twitter - Sunday, June 25th 2017 at 9amET/1pmUTC. Let us celebrate International Yoga Week with Excellence in Action.

Kumud @AjmaniK

#rescue #rehabilitation #yoga #action #spirituality

Our Life's Rhythms

At a funeral service for one of my wife's good friends this week, the priest spoke about the rhythm of our lives... and the importance of being aware of this rhythm and being in harmony with it, so that we may grow in inner peace...

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; - Ecclesiastes 3

This reminder made me reflect upon the rhythm of my own life, and my awareness (or lack) of it on a daily basis. So much of our daily actions seem to be done on auto-pilot. Many of our habits and routines serve us well as they lend structure and stability to our life, which are important for good health. However, certain life events can find us examining, questioning the habits that make up a large part of our life's rhythms. In music, rhythm refers to a "systematic arrangement of muscial sounds according to duration and periodic stress".

In life, rhythm refers to any repetitive pattern - the morning meditation, the lunch-time walk, the evening tea, and more. A lot of our rhythmic patterns are informed by our current goals in life, and that which we hold important in the forefront of our consciousness. If we are concerned about some aspect of our health, we may be in a a health-awareness rhythm. Education and career, relationships with family, friends and community - all have their own unique influence on our life's rhythms. And when our rhythm is off, we know that it is time to seek out those who can help us get our groove back!

One person who was a master-tuner for me and my life's rhythm was my Dad. A man of few words, he spoke loudly through his dedication to his family and his work. Now that I think about it, he was highly aware of the rhythm of his own life. He knew how to honor silence, to love music, to make time to simply relax with family, and not to ask too many questions. I believe I osmosized a lot his traits, but I am still working on the "don't ask too may questions" part. I didn't get the chance to ask him how he mastered that - maybe the secret of that rhythm is in one of the many letters he wrote to me. I need to read them again...

If we are fortunate, we have (had) warm, loving, positive associations with our fathers. And these influences have helped set (a large) part of the tone, the rhythm of our lives. But this isn't always the case, is it? In fact, in many cases, our relationship with our fathers may be characterized by discord, discontent, disrepair and disharmony. What is one to do in such situations?

Let us not forget. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter..." - maybe it is time we can find a season of healing, of establishing a new rhythm in our heart. We may not be able to do it alone, but with the divine father's (and mother's) masterful tuning in our lives, all things are possible...

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us as we gather for our weekly conversation in #SpiritChat on twitter - Sunday, June 18th 2017 at 9amET/1pmUTC. The USA observes the "Father's Day" holiday on this day, and we will do our best to honor those who have played said role in our lives. I will be brewing some special Darjeeling tea and playing some of my Dad's favorite music from the Punjab. I hope you can join in... Namaste.

Walking in the forest, among familiar terrain, looking at new growth with new eyes, often resets the rhythm of my life... what are some things that help you reset the rhythm of your life?

#rhythm #spirituality #music #fathers #spiritchat

On Spiritual Transformation

Transformation is a BIG word. It seems to create a vision of a big mountain that we may need to climb. And we may wonder if we have the energy to do so. Particularly when we are already exhausted by the various demands of life. In addition, we have a natural inner resistance to change, particularly if it requires work for which we do not seem to have time, space and energy.

And yet, in some ways, inner transformation can be easier than change. For the work of transformation need not be work in the traditional sense of the world. It may require us to simply be in the in the field of love of someone who is doing the transforming, in the space of those who are being transformed before our own very eyes.

If it is raining outside, and we see the flowers and the grasses and the leaves on the trees getting wet, dancing in the rain, we have a choice. We can shut the window, pull the curtains, and remain dry and safe within the home. Or, we can open the window, let the wind blow some rain in, and wet us a little bit as we cup our hands around a warm beverage. Or, we can decide to experience loving power of the rain for ourselves.

We fling open the patio door, and go stand in the middle of the field and let it rain love upon us. And as the rain and the tears intermingle, and we feel pure joy surge through us, we now know the reason for the silence of those who were being transformed before our very own eyes. Now, we too are transformed by experiencing some of the surrender to love that we were only witnesses to until that point where we ourselves decided to surrender.

We did not get changed. We got transformed by the power love. It is like the story about the seeker who is seeking the trasure in the dark forest with a small oil lamp under a cloudy sky. They are earnestly working, seeking and doing what they know is best, looking under one tree at a time. And then, a flash of lightning illuminates the entire forest, transforming the landscape so that they can see and experience the entire forest at once. Such is the power of transformation.

And I hope you have experienced it, or get to experience it in the company of one like Amma, in whose rain of love I was fortunate to stand for nine straight hours on Friday. The transformation that I saw in the people at the Unity Center, whom she individually blessed with her energy in all those hours - one by one, listening, hugging, responding, wiping their tears, and bidding adieu with hershey's kisses - was an experience that my heart will rarely forget.

On one occasion, her words to me were, simple, direct and transformative: "I love you, Kumudson".

Kumud @AjmaniK

P.S. Join us Sunday, June 11th at 9amET/1pmUTC and share some of your experiences of change, of transformation, of love, and of surrender. I will bring tea, cookies and some questions with love. You bring some answers. Namaste :)

#change #transformation #spirtuality #spiritual practice

Love Bridging Life and Death by @mscator

Love Bridging Life and Death (by @mscator)

On January 6, I found out that my dog Kolo has terminal bone cancer. Dr. Young gave her two, maybe three months to live.

We rescued Kolo-- “Kolohe” which is Hawaiian for “rascal” --11 years ago and those of you who follow my Twitter timeline know that since early 2009 I have been sharing photos of her and our adventures hiking and enjoying life together in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. She is my dearest companion and my empathetic, steadfast protector.

An insulin-dependent diabetic with thyroid dysfunction, Kolo went blind in both eyes and underwent cataract surgery in 2012. If you’re interested, my blog, Kolo’s Blindness, provides more photos and a timeline of our remarkable experience together. I have so many photos of her that I have not yet posted, but there are some good ones there to share with you.

Kolo has exceeded her prognosis by over two months. I have been inspired by her strength while struggling with the impending certainty of letting her go. Grief at times shakes me to the core, but at the same time, I have had the gift of these past five months to watch her closely and pamper her. She takes delight in every meal and continues to watch the deer and the wild bunnies from my office window.

My Kolo has been an example of courage and adaptability in coping with her plight. I think she is wiser than me these days as I continue to struggle with and ponder grief and letting go.

In his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder wrote, "There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love." We know that death is a part of life. How do we find the courage to face life’s challenges, adapt and let go with love? And even more, can we transform a major sorrow into something extraordinary? What links suffering, survival, and transcendence? And how do we help each other get there?

Q1 If life is a celebration of passionate colors, what is death?

Q2 How do we continue to truly live, in the face of the impending death of a loved one?

Q3 Coping with loss is a part of life. How do we find the courage to accept loss?

Q4 How do we embrace change when we don’t want to?

Q5 Should grief remain personal or is it better shared?

Q6 We know that we all are going to die. So why do we often behave as if we will live forever?

Q7 What would be the positive (or negative) consequence(s) of living 'forever'?

Q8 What role does the spirit play in resilience?

Q9 How are we transformed by a deep personal loss? How do we “fully” recover?

Q10 How can a community help someone who is going through a hard time?

Aloha,

Leia

"Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations." Thoreau

http://www.dailycelebrations.com

Life is a celebration of passionate colors

What a wonderful post amid heartfelt reflections by Leia! Please join our long-time friend in #SpiritChat, Leia Cator (@mscator) as she steps up to host this very important topic for us ~ Sunday, June 4th at 9amET on twitter. Thank you, Leia! - Kumud @AjmaniK

#love #life #death #pets #spirituality

On Remembrance - Do You Remember?

The topic of the first of two lectures that our local team hosted with our invited speaker on Mother's Day weekend a few weeks agao was - "Do you Remember?" Swami Tyagananda posed this question in a spiritual context, and led us on a conversational journey that explored "what do we rememeber", "what do we forget", "why do we forget" and "how do we strengthen our memory" so that we may remember That which is most important to us. On this "Memorial Day" weekend in the USA, it is perhaps appropriate to share some notes from that lecture - "Do You Remember?"

Many of us our aware of the functioning of our mind, and we often use the phrase "peace of mind" to denote or long for a state that our spiritual practice(s) may lead us towards. However, many of us may not be aware that the mind is the entry point where forgetfulness begins. If we adults try and remember our earliest memories, we can perhaps recall very few from our first five, seven or even ten years of life. The older we became, the more 'engaged' we became with the world around us, the more susceptible we became to the influence and the 'dust of the world'. As we moved in and out of different physical surroundings (schools, localities, jobs and more), the content and complexity of the dust we accumulated kept changing, and often increased.

So here we are today, trying to "remember", trying to "seek", who we truly are - beyond what our mind is trying to inform us about us. We are trying to peel back the layers of our "personality", get beneath our own "skin", and hope to wash away some of the accumulated dust of forgetfulness. And when we do take the time to pause, to remember who we truly are, we have an opportunity to rediscover purpose. Remembrance of our truth can happen in a flash of insight, but it often may takes years of practice, of retraining our minds, to get to that point.

What may this practice be? The Swami suggested that it may be as simple as taking a few minutes at the beginning and the end of every day to sit, reflect, introspect. Silence helps us strengthen our spiritual memory. So does "food" that is healthy, nutritious and pure. We pay so much attention these days to our physical "food" intake, but do we pause to consider what we are feeding our minds? How much of our "inner peace" are we trading to be "better informed"? And is all that mental clutter not going to weaken our power of remembrance as we overload our capacity to remember so many diverse, transient pieces of information?

In summary, the big question is - how do we keep strengthen our memory muscles so that we can move from instances of momentary remembrance to a state of constant remembrance of truth? And what is this truth anyway? For me, it is the remembrance that I am a being made of love, from love, as evidenced by the eternal flame that glows steadily in my heart. How about you? What "Do YOU Remember"?

Kumud @AjmaniK

I invite you to join our weekly chat on Sunday May 28th, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community on twitter. We will exchange some good memories, and share memory-strengthening practices. I will remember to bring some questions. Remember to bring some answers! Namaste.

Flowers and Rain Strengthen Remembrance...

#remembrance #spiritual practice #spirituality

On Clarity and Commotion

What is it about some people that they have the ability to keep their wits about them and operate in great clarity, as others around them are clouded, even frozen, in commotion and confusion? Are some people the beneficiaries of a natural propensity towards clarity while others are susceptible, vulnerable to commotion? What brings out your "clarity response" and fuels it? Are you mostly a "worrier" or a "warrior"?

I wondered about these questions following an incident last Saturday, where there was an emergency medical situation during a lecture that I was attending. A (very) small percentage of those present were energized into action and exhibited an almost abnormal level of clairty, while an equally small percentage were observed to be adding to the commotion and confusion of the situation. The cardiologist who happened to be in the audience evaluated and performed CPR, one of the organizers ran into the adjacent building to procure an AED, one (or more?) person(s) called EMS, the speaker gathered the rest around and spoke calming words and some prayers...

It all worked out well in the end - the patient, who had no pulse for almost two minutes a few hours earlier, walked out of the ER that same afternoon. I know, because I went in the EMS van with them to the ER. And I was there to drive them home later that afternoon. In the midst of a lot of commotion and confusion, I felt an immense sense of clarity take hold of me as the events were unfolding. It was as if a clear conduit of energy was feeding me, guiding me, instructing me on exactly what to do at what moment in time. A bit surreal, but now I can relate a bit to those stories where people find "superhuman strength" in crisis...

As I tried to process and analyze why I had responded with such decisiveness and clarity in those hours. I am usually a patient "wait and see" rather than "jump in with both feet" kind of person. I am most comfortable when being in the background, fading into the dust, rather than leading the charge. But, I saw a different side of me emerge on that day. Maybe it was the fact that a life was on the line, and the price for commotion or confusion was unacceptably high. Or maybe it is my recently spiritual practice - primarily my daily #meditation - that fills the reservoir of awareness with the fuel of clarity by transcending the monkey mind full of thoughts - fueled the "take action with immense clarity" in those hours.

We have often heard that we are unaware of our strengths until we are tested. I posit that our daily spiritual practice(s) fill our reservoirs with awareness and clarity, with an inner resilience that can surprise us when we have occasion to draw from it. Clarity of action does not happen by accident. Just like any other skill, it is a skill that can be acquired by diligent practice.

Your loving alertness is a lantern Keep it protected from wind that makes it crazy. Instead of that airy commotion live in the water that gently cools as it flows. Be a helpful friend, and you will become a green tree with always new fruit, always deeper journeys into love. - Rumi ("New Blossoms")

We can find a path that leads us away from constant confusion and commotion. Some day you may find yourself part of a team saving a life. Who knows - it may even be your own.

Kumud @AjmaniK

Join our weekly twitter chat held Sunday May 21st, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community. We will refill our reservoirs with some clarity. I will bring the tea and questions. You bring the cookies! Namaste.

Finding Clarity... Sunset on the water brings clarity to unseen areas!

#clarity #commotion #meditation #spirituality

Keeper Of Our Stories

Swami Tyagananda, the head monk of the Vedanta Society of Boston was our invited guest speaker for the third Foundation Day celebration of the Vedanta Society of Cleveland this weekend. His two lectures were titled "Do you remember?" (Friday) and "Keeper of our Stories" (Saturday). While I will share more about the 'remembrance' lecture at a later date, I will share a few thoughts on today's talk.

In most cases, if we want to truly learn about the childhood of a friend or family member, it is best to ask their mother(s), yes? The mother is one individual who is a natural 'keeper of our stories'. Their memory bank is full of our stumbles, our successes, our natural preferences our aptitudes, and much more. And they have a plethora of stories connected with the many phases of our life.

It is not necessary that the mother, the 'keeper of stories', be the birth mother. Indeed, in many cases, this is not the case. In many cases, the 'keeper' may initially be the birth mother, but then transition to a different 'mother' or even a 'father' at some stage in our lives. If were are truly fortunate, there may even be multiple 'story keepers' of our lives.

What may be important for our mental and spiritual health is to ask the 'keeper', at some stage in our lives, to tell us our own stories. It can create many wonderful moments of awareness, growth and add depth to relationships. Story-telling and listening can begin with as simple a question as - tell me a story about when I was in middle school? Do it sooner than later, because once the keeper's gone, the stories will go with them...

There comes a stage in our lives when we, the children, have an opportunity to become 'keepers of our parents stories'. A decade ago, on a trip to India, I happened to 'interview' my mother's mother about the stories of her childhood, and my mother's childhood. Grandma was a wonderful story-teller! As a result, that forty-five minute video has become one of the most cherished records in the family vault.

When our parents enter their second childhood, we have yet another opportunity to become 'story keepers'. It gives us an opportunity to wonder - what were our mothers (or fathers) really like as children? How much do we know about their dreams, fears, best friends, food and clothing preferences when they were in kindergarten? In middle school? In high school? And so on…

The Swami extended a dual invitation to us today - to learn about our stories from those who keep them for us, and to become the keeper of stories of those who once kept ours. I share that invitation with you. Share some stories. Be a keeper and a giver. It's a great way to celebrate life.

Kumud @AjmaniK

Join our weekly twitter chat held Sunday May 14th, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community. Bring your stories to share about your childhood, and the ones who kept them. Namaste.

The Keeper of (my) Stories...

#mothers #mothersday #stories #spiritual practice

The Spirit of Synthesis

The rain of the past two days is taking a breather. I hear the steady, rhythmic beat of water as it drip off of the roof on to the ground. An orange breasted blackbird comes and perches on the wooden stake that is holding up the silt barrier which prevents the backyard from washing into the culvert which leads to the lake.

The father goose is taking his morning swim in the lake as he tries to mark his territory on the waves created by the gusts of wind. There is a stillness of anticipation among the tall trees that are so thick with young leaves that one cannot see more than a dozen rows deep into the forest that is hundreds of feet deep.

It is amazing and often mind-boggling when I think about the amount of energy it must take nature and natural systems to emerge, to transition, to synthesize a lively spring from the apparent deep sleep of winter. I often wonder if such synthesis would be possible, or how it would be affected, if there were widespread conflicts within the natural system itself.

If nature were to be constantly expending energy to be at war with, and within itself, would such a magical transformation and synthesis be able to bring forth such breathtaking beauty with such alacrity and timeliness?

There comes a time in our inner walk when we realize that there may be no more time and energy for us to fritter away. We may begin to ask ourselves about the best way(s) to invest our valuable creative energy and life force.

Are we being drained by being at war within and without? Are we overly invested in idle musings and intellectual gymnastics? Are we going to act now to inculcate the spirit of synthesis within and focus on our walk? Are we ready to put our best and most creative high-quality energy into putting the "P" into our daily practice(s)?

When winter's work is over, and spring is imminent, there is rarely any force that can stop the energy transformation to support the spirit of synthesis of new life. As humans, we can choose to transform. Better yet, we have an advantage over nature.

We get to choose when our winter is over.

We get to choose our own inner path towards a common heart center.

We get to choose to walk in a spirit of synthesis, to create channels that energize empathy and compassion.

The seeds were planted in us a long time ago. We are perennials. We get to choose when it is time for us to bloom.

Kumud @AjmaniK

Join our weekly twitter chat held Sunday May 7th, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community. We will explore the spirit of synthesis which often brings us together... Namaste.

There is one height of truth and there are those who approach from all sides, as many sides as there are radii in a circle, that is to say, by routes of an infinite variety. Let us work, then, with all our strength to arrive at this light of Truth which unites us all. - Leo Tolstoy

The Spirit of Synthesis... emergence of NEW life on the forest floor and the tall trees - as far as the eye can see!

#synthesis #unity #spiritual practice #spirituality

On Experiencing Stillness

The stillness with which leaves appear and grow on the trees… an overnight flood that greens the forest right before my very eyes… even the breeze has stood still to gawk at their brilliance...

The stillness with which the single goose swims in the lake at dusk… perhaps looking at his own shadow on the calm surface as it mingles with the fading light of the post-sunset glow...

The stillness with which the mother goose sits on her freshly laid eggs among the rapidly growing tall grasses… as she patiently grows life anew to sustain the promise of staying true to perpetuating the cycle of life…

The stillness with which the puppy watches the play of the geese on the water after he has registered his protest to them in no uncertain terms when he deemed that they were 'in his space' in the field where they came out to dry themselves off on this overcast day… in the same field where he chases robins on sunny days…

The stillness with which the rain falls on the lake and sets off circular ripples that dissolve into each other and quietly, imperceptibly raise the level of the lake... and spread infinite possibility in their wake...

The stillness with which the daffodils appear at the beginning of spring… in seemingly random clusters to light up the forest floor… a welcoming committee getting their color on to greet the leaves on the trees that are soon to follow…

The stillness of the morning fog that waits for the sun to rise high and turn it into dew drops on the daffodils… so that the hummingbirds and butterflies and bumblebees can awaken from their slumber and slake their early morning thirst…

The stillness that comes over the forest between pre-dawn and sunrise after the single morning lark has announced the wakening call of sunrise, only to then go silent in deference to the rising sun's horse-drawn chariot emerging from the East…

And I haven't even yet talked about the inner stillness that is inspired by, reflected in, is a conduit for, all of this outer stillness… for that is a gift of stillness that is an amalgamation of light and lightness and color and joy and levity that transcends any experience that the stillness of the outer world, limited as it is by our outward facing senses can present to us… imagine That.

Better yet, experience It.

For yourself.

Meditate.

On That.

Kumud @AjmaniK

Join our weekly twitter chat held Sunday April 30th, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community. We will try and experience stillness among conversation in our connection... Bring your stillnesss stories. I will bring tea and cookies...

On Experiencing Stillness... with flowers

#experience #practice #silence #stillness #spirituality

Celebrating Spiritual Earth

The time has perhaps never been better, the need has perhaps rarely been greater, the awareness has perhaps never been higher - for us to rediscover our connection to the Earth. The physical planet on which we live is being subjected to changes on a scale that are unprecedented in our generation. While there may be disagreement about how (and what) conclusions to draw from the scientific data at hand, conversations about sustainability, green living, and resource utilization of the Earth are part of the mainstream consciousness. In this background and context, we celebrate #EarthDay on April 22nd every year. It is an opportunity to create more awareness about the actions that the world community at large can take to renew our commitment to the Earth that has sustained life in various forms over the past few billion years or so. We humans are a mere speck on that timeline as we have been around for (at most) a few million years. Despite our very late entrance to Earth's life party, we have managed to create quite a significant disruption in her dynamic, haven't we? If we are to make a meaningful impact and turn the physical Earth's ship around and point it in the direction of renewal and growth, one would imagine that we have to take a holistic approach to the problem. We may need to literally dig a bit deeper beyond the surface, and treat the root causes of the Earth's declining health rather than merely tugging at the weeds. We may need to put our heart - ALL of it - into the process of honoring our Earth from a spiritual perspective. Of the four ancient Indian scriptures collectively called the Vedas (books of knowledge), an entire book is devoted to the interaction of humans with nature. The physical Earth is referred to as annapurna - she who provides sustenance in a way that makes us whole. The role of the Sun as the provider of heat and light, of the waters as the medium in which life grows, of the air as the transporter of breath, and the fifth (unseen) elements that connects the other four, is elucidated in great detail in this Veda. Hence, the notion of "Spiritual Earth" - That which sustains us on many levels as we traverse our spiritual path while living in our physical bodies. I am sure that your spiritual references have similar notions of a "Spiritual Earth". An Earth in which the seeds of beliefs and values were planted with love by the farmers and gardeners who tended to your spiritual upbringing. Let us reflect through some questions... Where is 'Spiritual Earth' specifically located for you? What does a connection with 'Spiritual Earth' truly mean to you? How was this connection established? How does this connection manifest in your life on a regular basis? How do you 'repair' the connection when it feels frayed or broken? How may we celebrate and honor the idea of a 'Spiritual Earth'? Are there any specific #EarthDay actions that you are taking - individually or as a community - that you would like to share? Mahatma Gandhi once said - "In a gentle way, we can shake the world". It is time for us to gently shake our spiritual world, our Earth. What are we waiting for? Kumud @AjmaniK Join the #SpiritChat community on twitter, Sunday, April 23rd at 9amET / 1pmUTC / 6:30pm India - we will chat about 'Celebrating Spiritual Earth'. Thank you.

#earthday #spiritual earth #spirituality

Wishes and Simplicity

The world often encourages us to 'dream big'. The purported intent is to encourage us to 'aim for the stars' so that we can accomplish great things with our lives. In and of itself, the act of dreaming big can give us a good, positive outlook on life. When dreaming leads to action and action leads to higher self expression, it can indeed elevate us and all those connected to us. In a spiritual context, the act of dreaming big or 'wishing' for a particular outcome of our spiritual practice(s) may need to be approached with some introspection. The very act of 'wishing' for something can create attachment to the outcome. And such attachment can inhibit true freedom - even if the desired outcome is that of more simplicity in our lives. THe story in the Upanisads talks about how the spider weaves its web from material secreted from within its own body. It literally creates its own world from withn. The world that the spider creates becomes an enslavement for the spider. It is a complex maze which not only traps its prey, but the spider itself. In some ways, we humans follow a similar pattern. We create a complex world of feelings, judgements and reactions with our own thoughts. Eventually, we are so enslaved by our own thought process, that we yearn, we wish for simplification. For simplicity. Simplicity can emerge from complexity either voluntarily or involuntarily. Voluntary simplicity can keep our maze of thoughts from becoming overly complex. Simplicity can help us to avoid the death-spiral of self-perpetuative negative reinforcement. Simplicity, when chosen voluntarily, can become the doorway to higher states of inner existence. Let us explore simpicity some more in our weekly Sunday twitter gatherings. Join our #SpiritChat community (Sunday 9amET on April 9th) and share with us on this topic as we try and simplify the complex world within and without us. Kumud @AjmaniK

#wishes #desires #goals #simplicity

What is Compassion? by @Joan_Kappes

I invite you to join our weekly #SpiritChat conversation on Sunday, April 2nd 2017 at 9amET/1pmUTC with a special guest, Joan Kappes. Please share your thoughts in a unique twitter chat in #SpiritChat on ‘Compassion’ with the founder of #IAmChoosingLove. Thank You! - Kumud (@AjmaniK)

What is Compassion?

‘Often the simplest question opens the door to amazing journeys yet unknown…’

For me, this down-to-earth question, ‘What is Compassion?’ opened a wonder land filled with depth, expansion and adventure!

Join me on this journey called Compassion ……

I was seeing the word everywhere: ‘Be compassionate’, ‘have compassion’ ‘act with compassion’, and so on. It was as if the word itself was calling out to be heard. Finally, I began my quest in response to its invitation. What is compassion and what does it mean to be compassionate?

I realized I grew up with a partial, though well-intentioned description of compassion. I was raised with the idea that compassion was mostly associated with ‘the poor’ and downtrodden. It was almost an ‘above/below’ kind of thing where I 'had' and they didn’t, therefore I was supposed to be compassionate and help-out somehow.

I began listening and asking people questions; I received many revealing answers similar to these:

Compassion is seeing life from the other person's point of view

Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help physical, spiritual or emotional hurts or pains of another*

I believe compassion to be recognizing essence. When we open ourselves to recognizing the true essence of someone in need, we are more likely to be led to a compassionate act*

Compassion is a mind that is motivated by cherishing other living beings and wishes to release them from their suffering*

Compassion is the ability to understand the emotional state of another person or oneself. It has the added element of having a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another*

Synonyms: Tenderness, heart, clemency, mercy, commiseration

Dictionary definition: A feeling of deep sympathy accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering

These definitions increased my interest desiring me to go deeper. What is it that causes people to want to understand and act with compassion? I decided to go deeper within, asking All-That-Is for new understanding regarding What is Compassion? The following insights rocked my world!

Compassion:

Com = a prefix meaning ‘with’, ‘together’, ‘in association’

A quantitative dimension, such that individual’s compassion is often given a property of depth, vigor or passion – ‘With Passion’

With Passion

The English noun, compassion: ‘To love together with’…..*

To Love Together With

___________________

Compassion:

To Love Together With……..Passion!

____________________

Yes!!!! This changes the meaning of everything! Compassion is not just a desire to reach out to alleviate the suffering of another, it springs from ‘loving together with’ another! From this loving connectedness, compassion naturally elicits understanding and action. We are loving ‘with’ not ‘to’.

More! More! I asked for even more clarity:

Compassion lives and flows from the heart

Compassion lives and inspires in the present moment

Compassion is the presence that helps the person re-member Love, and in those moments we ‘love together with’

Compassion is seeing and loving the other for who they really are. It is loving them without their filters

All the masters of the planet carried compassion with them. This is compassion: Look into their heart, no matter who they are on the street or in your own family and all you see is God*

The illumination of my Compassion path continues. With each daily news cycle comes more opportunity to go deeper into the meaning of ‘loving together with’. With each new inspiration comes another question and ‘aha’. What does this mean for me in everyday life? How can I remove the cloak of fear and judgment and learn to ‘be’ compassion? It is the onion. Layer by layer I am uncovering my path of compassion, loving together with….You.

Thank you for sharing this adventure! - Joan (Joan_Kappes on Twitter)

About Joan

Joan Kappes is a lover of life and adventure, living each day with joy and intention. Joan is a certified Life Coach specializing in uncovering limiting beliefs. She is also a retreat designer and creator of the interactive coaching site, “Come to the Edge Today!” and the online project, #IAMChoosingLove. Joan is committed to helping people rediscover and reclaim who they really are so they can live their natural life of joy. Her motto: ‘The destination is great, but it’s the journey we came for…it’s the joy-filled journey that IS life!’ I AM Choosing Love: Facebook group - Twitter group

#compassion #spiritchat #spirituality

Emerging into New Beginnings

As we formally welcomed spring into the Northern Hemisphere with the vernal Equinox, it was natural to think about "New Beginnings". The blank canvas that every change in season brings with its onset is particularly pronounced for me at this time of the year. It is an opportunity to evaluate progress over the first quarter of the year in several different areas of my life. How about you? How does the seasonal transition affect you? Of course, one need not wait for an Equinox or any other celestial event in order to make a decision to make a new beginning. How often have we all used the 'it isn't the right timing' excuse to defend our attachment to the status quo? How are we to discover our beauty as butterflies if we remain reluctant to get out of our comfort-zone cocoons? A famous person once said, "well begun is half done..." - what more incentive do we need to simply begin? If I look back at some of the most significant 'new beginnings' in my life, most of them were a results of 'in the moment' decisions. This is not to say that they were a results of impulse decisions or borne of impulsivity. When the universe asks us a big enough question, it provides the answer within the question because it knows that we are ready. We simply need to be aware, be present, and muster the courage to choose. Ten years will go by whether we choose to emerge from our cocoons or not. We might as well pump the blood into our wings and learn to fly - don't you think? Yes, it can be daunting, exhausting and nerve-wracking in many ways to navigate a new path. In the company of our advisors, our loved ones, our mentors and our supporting communities, we need not navigate the new path alone. One of the biggest choices that we may have to make is to be willing to ask for help so that we can let others share in the joy of our new beginning. People are waiting to come out of the woodwork to help us if we will just make a call or send out a message. Try it. Make a new beginning. Not everything in life needs to be transactional in nature. Kumud @AjmaniK P.S. This brief post was written for our weekly twitter chat held Sunday March 26th, 2017 with the #SpiritChat community. It followed a week full of new beginnings in many ways for me and my family, and a time of renewal for a few of my fading friendships and relationships...

#beginnings #endings #spiritual practice #spirituality

Spiritual Belonging - Where Will it Lead Us?

The word, belonging, has occupied my heart and mind space over the past week. Belonging has come into sharper focus as we physically move from one home to another - a transition that was set into motion in early December. With a few keystrokes and signatures, we 'take possession' of the new home. In a few weeks, with more keystrokes and signatures, we will 'give up possession' of our home of many years.

In the interim, we 'move' all our 'belongings', or at least some of them, as it is an opportunity for pruning and simplifying. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the question - where do we truly belong? In a world that becomes increaingly mobile, what is the relevance of the ideas of physical 'ownership' and 'belonging'? And how does our mobile lifestyle affect our community relationships and sense of 'belonging' - particularly when we move homes or workplaces from one (local) community to another?

Beyond the physical, we can also examine our state of spiritual belonging. Engaging in some word play, the word belonging can be viewed as be-longing or be(long)ing. For some, an inner longing, an awakening, often leads the seeker to seek the path which leads them (back) to where they truly belong. For some, simply being and cultivating observation and introspection, without a sense of longing is enough. Being can simply be an inner awakening to belonging without longing.

As human beings, we have an innate need for community, for togetherness, for physical and spiritual belonging. As we become increasingly mobile, perhaps it is our virutal gatherings on social media that provide us this sense of belonging. Even if we gather and commune for a short period of time, we can build a foundation for virtual belonging, which can provide a sense of continuity in times of physical transients and transition.

While the virutal world has its role(s) to play, in the physical world, I continue to ask - Where do I truly belong? Whom do I belong to? What does my spiritual longing represent? What does the interplay of being, longing and belonging look like in my life? I invite you to gather with the #SpiritChat community and explore some of these questions in our weekly twitter chat - Sunday, March 19th at 9amET / 1pmUTC / 630pmIndia.

Namaste,

Kumud @AjmaniK

Spiritual Belonging - Where Will it Lead Us?

#spirituality #longing #belonging

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