As Easy as Breathing…

...or is it? Last fall, I decided to host a 'breathing party’ for some friends after being gifted a book from author Sat Hari Kaur Khalsa, a very dear friend. The book “The Ins and Outs of Breathing” is absolutely the best book on breathing I’ve ever read. Well, honestly, it is the only book I’ve read on the subject. Nonetheless, if you breathe, it is a must have book!

The beginning of the book has the reader observe their breathing. I thought how could I not be breathing perfectly, as a mediator, surely I know how to breathe. But much to my surprise, I was a reverse breather. I wasn't aware there is a incorrect way of breathing, isn’t it something we do naturally? Sadly, for some of us it is not so natural and we have to retrain ourselves to breath correctly. After practicing proper breathing as directed in the book for about two and half weeks, one day, I had the best experience while mediating . It was like transcending time and space. I attributed that amazing moment to observing my breath.

I decided to share the book with some of my friends. To maximize the understanding and benefit, I thought if I could convince Sat Hari to do a workshop in my home to teach us the basics of breathing it would make it that much simpler. And we could have fun doing it! she agreed!

I was telling someone about it, and she said I’ll call you after your workshop, how long can it take to teach someone to breathe anyway? Would you believe, two and half hours into the class and we only touch on the very basic techniques of breathing. I really must have a follow up class soon.

Good for the Goose...

Be still, and you never know who will grace your world. On this particular day, a fox, wondered through our yard.

The quite and stillness of living in the country is ideal for meditation. One day, my husband suggested I meditate in the gazebo which is located down by the river. I agreed, and went down to the river the next morning. As I walked down the stone steps, listening to the bird's early morning songs, feeling the breeze lightly brushing my face, I said to myself, this is going to be a great meditation.

I opened all the windows of the gazebo, found a nice comfortable place to sit, and began my meditation. I could hear the river water lapping against the shore in a gently rhythm. I was about about ten minutes into my meditation and all of a sudden I hear a loud commotion. I tried to continue my meditation, but could not. The sound was overwhelming, I got up and looked out the window, and I saw and heard about two hundred geese coming in for landing. They settled in right in front of the gazebo for the day.

I invite you to write about your meditation story.

Eckhart Tolle

I recently began reading A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. It would not have been a book I would have chosen to read, being a book which is recommended by Oprah. Believe me, I know it is a not a good excuse. To my credit, I overcame my reluctance and picked up the book.

Hubby bought it for me as a gift, I started to read it after staring at it for a few weeks. I'm half way through the book now.

I decided to google it, and found a reference to it on a blog which I now can't find. It linked to www.Oprah.com site for more information, and found that she is facilitating a ten week online course with Eckhart. I downloaded the last two podcast and I watched them. I'm finding it interesting thus far. There is certainly some wisdom, and some helpful ideas to begin conversations...

I will watch the remaining eight online lessons, and reserve my comments until I've seen them all. But I will say at this juncture, we are searching for truth, enlightenment and purpose, therefore we should be reading critically. It is always best practice to trust your gut and come to your own conclusions rather than accepting what others say at face value.

However, I do find it is immensely helpful to listen and watch the author speak about his book. Furthermore, some of the questions from participants are also very interesting and thought provoking. The whole web course is like having a study group with the entire world...

Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, Canada

My formative years began here...

A Moral Quandary

I have a moral dilemma.

This is the story. I recently met a friend for breakfast, having not seen him for a long time, and even longer since we sat down to visit. We updated each other on what was happening in our perspective lives. Then he suggested I visit him. But then he said, “On second thought maybe it wouldn't be fair to you because you’d be watching my wife and I argue.” I asked why? He responded that they are arguing a lot these days because she does not trust him, always accusing him of seeing another woman. I leaned towards him and asked softly, so are you? He nodded his head affirmatively. Hmmm (they knew each other when they were teenagers), and it turns out the person he is seeing is also friend of mine.

He said they met by accident and continued their friendship as though they were never apart and that lead to other things. Big surprise! My girl friend has a very turbulent and violent marriage. She was very unhappy, and was trying to get her life in balance. She was going through a serious depression when they met, again. Apparently, now she has him and he believes in her, by supporting and encouraging her to continue her studies. But they both know it can’t lead to anything else because he is not leaving his wife, and she is not leaving her husband.

My male friend and his wife also have an unhappy marriage; children are grown and out on their own.

So here is my dilemma. I know he and my friend have a deep friendship first, and they look forward to talking to each other; I also know my friend”s wife. My male friend has been married for over 25 years, and his wife was a stay at home wife. My male friend believes so people would be hurt if they knew about his affair, so they (the person he is having the affair with) that it is best if they stayed in their perspective marriages.

If I am to meet then at some function, should I act???? My girlfriend does not know I know, should I say something to her????

Snow, and more snow...

March 20, the first day of Spring is in 11 days, and this is what the patio looks like today...

Focus

Sit in silence, and the possibilities you'll hear will be loud and clear...

Be Still

Knock, knock, knock

Why is my heart pounding so? Oh, I know, I hear knocking on the door to my world. I say, what is in the past, ought to stay there, don't you agree? What good will it bring to open that door? It certainly will not bring harmony only discourse.

If we are practicing living in the present, should we acknowledge that part of living in the present is opening the past? Or is bringing that forward really living in the past?

My answer to those questions, is simple. That door is closed, move on, I say. Yet, ghost from the past yell “I’m here and you better damn face that fact because I’m not going back into the past."

Why are my palms so sweaty? Because the past is knocking, knocking, and knocking on my door. It whispers "don’t worry everything is going to be alright" to this I plead, don’t open that Door!!! If you do, you'll be opening the door to more than the past.

Knock, knock, knock! Time to decide what is important, should I or should I not answer that door… but is the choice really mine to make; this is not my past that has come a knocking?

There should come a time in your life when you'll just know who matters, who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So don't spend energy on people from your past, there is a reason why they didn't make into your present. (so true don't you think?)