Haiku Ellipses...Invitation...Response...

DARK 2 LIGHT standing in the dark moving through the spectrum stumblin' towards the light there is probably an infinite gradation of colors from pure darkness to pure light...the progress, journey, and movement from dark to light is reflected in mystical traditions, faith, myths, e.g. the journey to illumination, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in some near death experiences...the phrase stublin' towards the light is borrowed from Bo Lozoff and is an apt metaphor for the journey...we walk, jog, or run and eventually stumble, we get up, hopefully learn something from our stumblin,' and continue, over and over, in the direction of the light. looking back over the last year, month, or week, where have you stumbled, what were the circumstances, what is within your control to change for next time...find something simple that you can do to nudge you in the direction of the light for next time, write it down and commit to this new behavior the next time the opportunity p...

ENERGY BEING one of the most basic and vital questions we can ponder/contemplate is: who am i? after giving this some thought, i created the following drawing and labeled it: multidimensional energy being...that we are multidimensional is readily apparent when we consider our mind, body, emotions, and spirit...that we are composed of energy also is readily apparent when we consider the ebb and flow of energy within a given day/night cycle, from low to high to low, and in the basic energy systems within the body, for example, each of the organs have their own energy system which is interconnected to the overall health and well being of our entire system. be considerate and kind to your energy systems that are working for you 24-7...one way you can support your organs is to sip on different types of herbal teas, e.g., dandelion root for the liver, mallow for the lungs, chamomile for the stomach...enjoy the taste and energy of the herbs that support your multidimensional energy body. ...

LIFE'S WORK  sun, moon, mountains, tree river, flowers, trinity monk, joseph, mother the sun and moon are contexts for life...mountains are backdrop and journey...tree of life rooted in living waters of spirit that brings life to all flowers and fruit...energies from the divine mother who sees all, feeds all, st. joseph works in the garden of eden, monk contemplates, reads, chants, and writes,...harvesting and sharing... what are the streams of your life...what symbols would you use to depict them...try a sketch/drawing/painting and see if it reveals anything for you to DO differently today.

INSIDE THE HEART from inside the heart  birthing ideas into work, play, and writing the heart is an amazing organ, beating from before we are born until our last breath, continuously pumping blood throughout our bodies with each drumbeat, regulating and interrelated to many body systems, with a "brain" of it's own, and from this inner place of wisdom comes "heart-felt" ideas for our life's work, play/fun, and for me, writing. practice: place both of your hands over your heart area, take a few slow breaths and feel into the heartbeat...slow, fast, goldilocks just right? listen for one minute to any message that the heart wants to convey to you...it could be a feeling, presence, word, image, sound, thought, person, idea, song...write it down as a way to honor your heart's wisdom and DO something within the next hour (something small, 1-5 mins) that moves you in the direction of your heart's wisdom.

E N V E L O P I N G auras surround us rainbows of colors and sounds enveloping us slowly move your palms (facing each other about 2 feet apart) closer together and see if you feel any energy between them (most people feel something as the palms get closer together)...the heart emits an energy field that can be measured up to 10 feet away...some kowledge systems call these energy fields that surround us auras practice...can you sense/feel your energy change color when experiencing different emotions...try to name these emotions and corresponding...how might you use this knowledge to surround yourself with positive colors in your living environments...start with something small...a vase, a photo, a figurine...

WELCOME HOME passing through the door where am i? what time is it? you are here and now how many doors do we pass through during the day...bedroom door, bathroom door, kitchen door, out the front and/or back doors, car/bus door, office or school door, store door, doctor/dentist door...then there are the mental, emotional, and spiritual doorways...consider each thought a doorway entered! in the image below, i imagine passing through and into the doorway of "here and now", the present moment, our real home (see Ekhart Tolle's, Power of Now , and Richard Lang's Celebration of Who We Are ). practice: ask yourself several times during the day: where am i? what time is it? (one way to respond to cultivate a sense of being at home is: i am "here" and the time is "now")

PINE GARDEN roots of the pine tree like arms reaching out around her flower children this image popped while at a park and now i'm bringing it to life....time will complete the process, bringing it to fruition with the help of the Spirit...adding to the garden of Eden at Trinity Pines...feels so good to be a part of it...notice circular patterns, centers (see Christopher Alexander's books), and colors...beautiful and all edible! practice--consider some soil near/in your home (a balcony of pots, a window sill of pots or glass jars filled with water, a 3 x 3 foot piece of earth outside the back or front door, or a larger yard)... imagine what edible plants you could grow there ...for the window sill, it can be as simple as the last bit of a scallion you cut for a salad placed into a glass of water, or an herb like basil (seed packet is a few dollars, or you can collect seeds for free from wild weeds in the garden like wild lettuce--see Katrina Blair's book, The Wild Wisdom of...

SAP RISES come oh sun...come rain sap ascends, buds, flowers, fruits resurrection...see! nature shows a cyclical pattern...with the sun and rain, the tree responds with sap rising from the roots which lay dormant in the soil...as the sap ascends, leaves bud and unfold, other buds and flowers blossom, eventually fruit forms, carrying the seeds of the next generation...there seems to be a similar process in the human life cycle, when the conditions are "right," the man and woman bring their generative parts together to create new life that grows in the womb of the mother, the new life growing, unfolding, eventually blossoming into the baby, child, teen, and adult who will in turn continue the cycle of life. practice: get out into the sunshine if you're able, stand in the rain, feel the bark of a tree, smell flowers in bloom, mindfully eat a piece of fruit, plant a seed (even something simple like a bean seed in a cup of soil)...alternatively, as a meditation, consider where...

SHEHEART we offer our hand she accepts and our hearts move closer together when we stay open and vulnerable, symbolized by offering our hand(s) (not knowing what will happen next), and she (metaphorically the divine feminine) accepts our hand, taking it in hers...we can feel our hearts respond, a heart connection...we know intuitively that we have moved closer, that we have reached a deeper level of being/awareness. practice: right now, extend one or both or your hands, palms up, outstrecthed...imagine the divine mother before you, meeting your hand(s) with hers, enclosing your palm and fingers around hers...what does it feel like...rest in the feeling a moment, savor the connection, let the heart connection flow out to your relationships with heart-felt love...then, do something with this energy, something kind/caring for the next person you meet