Meredith Kendall's Blog, page 132
March 24, 2011
Meditation for Japan
Sadhana Meditation Center emailed me about a meditation for Japan, today at 11 am.
I'm on vacation, want to expand my horizons, and want to meditate more; so decided to go.
I was thinking it was 1/2 hour away, but once I got on the road I realized it's more like 35-45. I started to speed. Speeding to meditate: ironic.
I thought, I'm being so yang. Full of energy and purpose.
I pictured a big room full of people sitting on pillows, meditating intently. Or maybe they sat in pews? Would there be a talk first? A slideshow? Or would we meditate for a full hour? I pictured them closing & locking the doors at 11. "Sorry, you're late! No admittance. Can't go in there. You'll disturb the serious meditators who arrived on time." I went a little faster.
Got there at 11:05. Place was dark, no one around.
Oh no! Wrong day? Wrong place, wrong time? I wandered down the hall and recognized two women from the Center.
"Right day," they told me. "Right time and place. You're the only one who showed up. Go ahead, turn on the lights, go in. Meditate. There's a yoga class at 12, you can do that too."
I went into the big bare room, spread out a yoga mat and a cushion. Got comfortable. Meditated. Thought, now I'm yin: potential energy. Thought, I came here to meditate with other people. To join and uplift our energy, to connect with like-minded people, yet I"m here alone. Ironic.
I let my thoughts drift. I focused on my posture and my breath.
45 minutes later the yoga teacher came in with two other women. We did yoga for an hour. Yang. We sent love energy to Japan: the land and the people. We reposed in corpse pose: yin.
Then I drove to the Old Port section of Portland. I went to the fancy hotel where my son Micah cooks. He grilled salmon for me, and placed it on a bed of spinach, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. The salmon was crispy outside, like melted butter inside. This isn't on the menu, but he knows I like it so he makes it for me every time. There was a rim of zinfandel sauce dripping lazily down the plate.
Dessert was chocolate torte, covered with chocolate cream, garnished with a sliced strawberry, whipped cream, and a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce. The texture was rough and chunky, the flavor rich.
Afterwards we went to Whole Foods and bought coconut water, brazil nuts, grapefruit, cabbage, and sunflower seeds.We went to the library, to see the renovations. I admired the sculptures, huge windows, slate floor, and light fixtures like twisted origami. Took Micah home. Good day.
Please send love energy to Japan: the land, the people, the plants and animals. Thank you.
I'm on vacation, want to expand my horizons, and want to meditate more; so decided to go.
I was thinking it was 1/2 hour away, but once I got on the road I realized it's more like 35-45. I started to speed. Speeding to meditate: ironic.
I thought, I'm being so yang. Full of energy and purpose.
I pictured a big room full of people sitting on pillows, meditating intently. Or maybe they sat in pews? Would there be a talk first? A slideshow? Or would we meditate for a full hour? I pictured them closing & locking the doors at 11. "Sorry, you're late! No admittance. Can't go in there. You'll disturb the serious meditators who arrived on time." I went a little faster.
Got there at 11:05. Place was dark, no one around.
Oh no! Wrong day? Wrong place, wrong time? I wandered down the hall and recognized two women from the Center.
"Right day," they told me. "Right time and place. You're the only one who showed up. Go ahead, turn on the lights, go in. Meditate. There's a yoga class at 12, you can do that too."
I went into the big bare room, spread out a yoga mat and a cushion. Got comfortable. Meditated. Thought, now I'm yin: potential energy. Thought, I came here to meditate with other people. To join and uplift our energy, to connect with like-minded people, yet I"m here alone. Ironic.
I let my thoughts drift. I focused on my posture and my breath.
45 minutes later the yoga teacher came in with two other women. We did yoga for an hour. Yang. We sent love energy to Japan: the land and the people. We reposed in corpse pose: yin.
Then I drove to the Old Port section of Portland. I went to the fancy hotel where my son Micah cooks. He grilled salmon for me, and placed it on a bed of spinach, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. The salmon was crispy outside, like melted butter inside. This isn't on the menu, but he knows I like it so he makes it for me every time. There was a rim of zinfandel sauce dripping lazily down the plate.
Dessert was chocolate torte, covered with chocolate cream, garnished with a sliced strawberry, whipped cream, and a generous drizzle of chocolate sauce. The texture was rough and chunky, the flavor rich.
Afterwards we went to Whole Foods and bought coconut water, brazil nuts, grapefruit, cabbage, and sunflower seeds.We went to the library, to see the renovations. I admired the sculptures, huge windows, slate floor, and light fixtures like twisted origami. Took Micah home. Good day.
Please send love energy to Japan: the land, the people, the plants and animals. Thank you.
March 23, 2011
Whoopie Pie (R) v Blueberry Pie (D)
or lard v vegetable shortening....
It's the Great Whoopie Pie debate in the Maine Legislature.
Republicans proposed and are backing the Whoopie Pie, while Democrats are fighting for the Blueberry Pie. Legislators are arguing about antioxidants in blueberries and lard in Whoopies, obesity, diabetes, saturated fats, and agriculture. They are debating the language: dessert or sweet treat?
Meanwhile our Republican governor is dismantling art panels depicting the history of labor in Maine. He said the panels make business leaders uncomfortable.
And that's Maine politics today.
It's the Great Whoopie Pie debate in the Maine Legislature.
Republicans proposed and are backing the Whoopie Pie, while Democrats are fighting for the Blueberry Pie. Legislators are arguing about antioxidants in blueberries and lard in Whoopies, obesity, diabetes, saturated fats, and agriculture. They are debating the language: dessert or sweet treat?
Meanwhile our Republican governor is dismantling art panels depicting the history of labor in Maine. He said the panels make business leaders uncomfortable.
And that's Maine politics today.
cone head?
Going to a medieval costume party. What do I wear? A pointy hat with fabric coming out of the top? Burlap? Chain mail? Must google medieval fashions.
And then what? Sew something: no. Walmart medieval section: no. Thrift store, online, borrow from friend: no no no. Oh no. What to do?
Egads! Forthwith! I'll go as a time traveler from the future.
And then what? Sew something: no. Walmart medieval section: no. Thrift store, online, borrow from friend: no no no. Oh no. What to do?
Egads! Forthwith! I'll go as a time traveler from the future.
raw
Eating more raw food: grapefruit with brazil nuts and dried cranberries, cabbage with onion and cashews, sunflower seeds, broccoli dipped in humus. I stopped drinking coffee and wine 2 months ago, and have been drinking lots of water and green tea.
Guess I'm spring cleaning my insides.
Guess I'm spring cleaning my insides.
March 22, 2011
spring hike
Fluff & I climbed a mountain: saw gorges dripping with meltwater and heard the rustling of oak leaves. We saw spring streams, boulders, and frozen ponds. We walked through mud and slush or hiked on foot-deep ice pack. I took pics, but none really captured the spirit of that beautiful place. I brought home a little parallelogram of milky quartz.
Happy Birth Day
Hello Wyatt, welcome to Gaia...
love you...
love you...
March 21, 2011
puddles
Eeek. New puddles in the basement.
I'm prepared with mop, bleach, fan, and ..... wet vac!
Puddles inside and snow outside. It's the first day of spring and we're getting 3-5 inches of wet snow. It's nice to be warm inside looking out at the big flakes.
I'm prepared with mop, bleach, fan, and ..... wet vac!
Puddles inside and snow outside. It's the first day of spring and we're getting 3-5 inches of wet snow. It's nice to be warm inside looking out at the big flakes.
Be confident!
When I ask patients what quality is most important in a nurse, most often they cite "confidence." "Teach your students to be confident," they tell me.
So that's what I tell my students.
Their confidence must be based on knowledge and inner resources, since they don't have experience. They're learning, doing procedures on live people for the first time. I'm there to make sure they perform properly, and to cheer them on.
Patients are frequently uncomfortable and uneasy. They want their nurse to be calm, confident, capable, and compassionate.
So that's what I tell my students.
Their confidence must be based on knowledge and inner resources, since they don't have experience. They're learning, doing procedures on live people for the first time. I'm there to make sure they perform properly, and to cheer them on.
Patients are frequently uncomfortable and uneasy. They want their nurse to be calm, confident, capable, and compassionate.
just plain reiki... or a mix of modalities?
Should reiki be shared in it's purest form only? Or is it OK to mix with other modalities such as: sound, crystals, angel messages, aromatherapy, shamanism, etc. Are we offering reiki, or are we offering ourselves as practitioners? Reiki in it's simplest form, or our complex messy selves?
I go back and forth on this... for me, I guess it depends on the situation. I tend to stick with plain regular wonderful reiki when it's the recipient's first session, or when I'm in a hospital, or I'm teaching students. Then, if it's friends or family, or pets, in private practice, I work more freely... and am more likely to pull in my other interests. I love sound & crystals.
As a nurse, I use a variety of modalities to help someone feel better. Same with reiki.
Nurses use voice, tone, medications, positioning, and instruction to help people. Same with reiki. I use my voice, energy, skills, and experience. I strive to be compassionate and calm.
I go back and forth on this... for me, I guess it depends on the situation. I tend to stick with plain regular wonderful reiki when it's the recipient's first session, or when I'm in a hospital, or I'm teaching students. Then, if it's friends or family, or pets, in private practice, I work more freely... and am more likely to pull in my other interests. I love sound & crystals.
As a nurse, I use a variety of modalities to help someone feel better. Same with reiki.
Nurses use voice, tone, medications, positioning, and instruction to help people. Same with reiki. I use my voice, energy, skills, and experience. I strive to be compassionate and calm.
plain or complex?
Should reiki be shared in it's purest form only? Or is it OK to mix with other modalities such as: sound, crystals, angel messages, aromatherapy, shamanism, etc. Are we offering reiki, or are we offering ourselves as practitioners? Reiki in it's simplest form, or our complex messy selves?
