I Ching

It was more of an enormous flood than a wave really.

"Potentially disastrous filling of yang energy" is the way the I Ching desribed it. A great cleansing and renewal when the waters are back down.

I'm fine. Just sitting here in my little boat.

I have pictures:

That's me: Driving along the reservoir road. Sunroof open. Hair - big and beachy. I think I may be singing but with the engine noise I can't tell what.

And that's a feather I found in the deep shade of a pine tree. There's a hawk above me and it has dropped a long wing feather into the pachysandra. I can't see the hawk through the dense branches, but I can feel a whisper and I take the feather. That was beside the old churchhouse on the hill.

And that angel sits behind me in asana practice. I can see my shadow on the wall ahead in Sun Salutation and always wonder whether, if I raise my arms in true prayer, I will fly up like an angel and see you.

And that's you on a streetcorner. There are noisy mopeds behind you. Do you see how bright the sun is on your face?

And there am I again, ducking under the wisp of a cherry tree newly planted on my labyrinth. It is really beautiful this time of year

Here's a picture of Nicholas singing in Oslo, and one of Julie in Zurich. They are helping me triangulate to Stockholm. Maybe sometime soon. Like everything, it will depend on the winds.

Another one of me, happily collecting shells and beach glass on the little island beach.

Here's one of me in a playground in Chinatown. The little boy is the son of friends and he is very sweet but a little disconcerted at his afternoon with someone other than his mom or dad. He has the most darling smile and loves to be hugged. He also loves trucks. A lot.

And that's me on Bowery, threading my way through pedestrians to go meditate with the dharma punx. They are transcendent and I love their peacefulness.

You would enjoy these all, I know. But for the time being I am happy to send you postcards, happy to know you are following your path. And I hope to see you soon.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

a little healing

In a Trauma Healing workshop with Nadine Hoover not too long ago, I learned a lovely technique for reducing stress by massaging the facial muscles where we hold so much of it. She said it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which is the body's internal Rx for stress. I'll combine it with a little of the centering practice from Integral Yoga.

Begin by sitting comfortably and start to deepen your breath, letting your belly relax with each inhale. Close your eyes and just let those deep relaxed belly breaths happen.

Then bring your palms together in front of your heart and say a little prayer for yourself.

Now rub your palms together until you have generated some heat in your hands. Gently cup your hands over the eye sockets, with your fingers on your forehead.

Let the heat sink into the eyes, and the prayer be absorbed into your mind.

When the heat has dissipated, bring your fingertips to the browbone between your eyes, and draw them along the browbone to the far corners of the bone. Repeat this massage a few times, nicely, slowly.

Now place the fingertips on the lower eye sockets near the nose, and again, in a slow movement draw the fingers along the lower bone to the outside edge of the eyes. Repeat this a few times.

Bring the fingers to the place on your jaw where the jaw joins the skull. With circular motion massage that joint.

Bring the fingertips back to the middle of the brow bone and this time massage upwards along the middle of the forehead to the scalp and following the center line of your skull with the fingers of both hands, massage over the crown of the head to the base of the skull.

Spend some time massaging the base of the skull, first in the center of the neck and then giving attention to the muscles that connect the back of the head to the neck.

A nice place to continue might be along the shoulders, or maybe bringing your palms back together in front of your heart with thanks to the healing power within.

Seemed like a nice thing to share. If your lower back is where you carry stress, I'd highly recommend Alexander Technique. Its not the first thing people think of for spine issues, but 2 or 3 lessons to learn how to elongate your spine - mostly by carrying the head at a natural location - are incredibly beneficial longterm. xo