the death thing

Someday we're going to die
me oh my

you and I,
dear,
no matter how much we
love
each other
or any one or two or two hundred people,
or take them for granted
or, Golly Forbid,
resent and dislike/ hate them

whatever we feel
they feel
we do
they do

whoosh

it's all gone one
day
one breath we are
'here'
and the next
'gone'

and what does that
mean?

who knows?

whatever you want it to
mean

and you and I
and any one who wants
to love live
and enjoy the life
we are having
however long we
are having
this moment
followed
by
this moment
followed by this moment

might ponder
that the complaining moments,
the "death isn't fair" moments,
take away
from the joy of now

so,
it's like losing the life
we do have now
over the eventually loss
that we don't even know
what it will be like

and is that our
complaint

the big fat unknowness
of death?

could be

and what better way to
practice
that to love the big fat unknown
of the next moment
when
we are "really now"

wow

preparing for death
by surfing the now

now that's
a fun way
to be

(or at least seems
so
to me)

now, nature, love and you are perfect, enjoy

now
nature
love

this can take us almost anywhere we want
to go
and guess what?

the easy part is that we are already
there

think of nature,
and how easy it is to love a redwood
tree
or a rose

and what if
what if, a wonderful phrase,
and  way to live,
what if
we saw every person we saw
today
(and even Bigger: ever person we "thought about")
as beautiful and perfect and magnificent,
like a rose

who demands the rose
be prettier
or that the redwood tree be
thinner
or that either like love and appreciate
us more

we want nothing from them
and they give us
the everything

of how free full and loved
we feel
when we are just
loving out
loving out
loving out

and not really slogging around
in the "what am I getting back"
trenches

and
now
what's now
got to do with it

ah, the redwood
the rose,
and we forget tomorrow
and yeterday
and don't worry what to say
to them
and just enjoy

does love have to always be
in the present?

no, we can remember love
and imagine love in the future,
but the good feeling

that's always right
now

at least that's my take on
it

but the thrill of this adventure
called
life
is for you to be your own
well loved
"what if" experiment

what if you paid attention
to how and where it felt
to love today?

what would happen?

who knows?

and how wordless and wondrful
could that be
and you don't have to report
it to anyone

you're going to do
just perfectly

wow

now

wow

nature

wow

love


ciao,
Chris

prayer to enlightened and ecological abundance

life has many ways
to delight us
and allow
help
goad
encourage us
to be
"Who we really are"

that magnificent Self
inside all the conditioning

One way out of the little
self
is love

and that's a big story
and path of being present
to the other person
or yourself
without the
"Story"/ thought/ judgment
that always brings unhappiness

A second way out
is prayer:
some sort of chat,
talk,
plea
demand,
thanks,
song,
dance
to the Divine, Spirit,
God, whatever

down below is a little prayer of
affirmation for the goodness of life,
a modification of something from the Abundance
Book by John Reynolds Price


and then,
but now now,
nor ever really on the computer,
except to point toward it
and hint you
go down to the river,
or out to the garden,
or under the stars
and find "it" yourself,
the third and great "escape"
back into "who we really are"
is to be
in silence
emptiness
stillness

the empty taking to, listening to,
basking in the vast Void/ Immensity
of "it all," The Universe,
God, call it what you will,
but it has no name,
right,
it's the word less ......
underneath
around
behind
....
"it all"

Anyway,
here's the little lover prayer to the possibility
of how wonderful we are and how wonderful life is:

My inner supply
instantly and constantly
takes on experience, form
& mysterious delight

according to my deep and real needs
and desires

And,
as the Principle of Supply in action,
life is sending my way constantly
and easily
fulfillment, delight, bliss &
opportunities of love, awaken &
serve

This service is of ease, delight and learning
for me
and those around me
in each and every
delightful and awakened
moment

Good
Happy prayer,
and some say always pray
and always start your prayer with thanks
(Paul, Ephysians 4)

The children are busy, and we are at the computer

it's so important
we think, feel, imagine, believe

(and "Is it true?")

so important
to get
"just one more"
email read,
written

one more cool video
watched or
interest tracked down

and then
zoom
two hours are gone,
no time with the child
lots with the computer

alas

what to do

the usual:
slow down at the computer

follow the wonderful breathing

sense your skeleton hold up your head

relax and move your eyes

touch the key pad softly
a little or a lot slower than
usual

think of touching the computer
with eyes and hand
the way you'd touch your child

and think
ponder
compare

hmmm
maybe it is time to go
touch the real child

and if you don't have one
one the wonderful little ones

what is it time
to give my life to
right now

this moment by
miraculous moment
gift
we
have

the good old
I'm alive
right now

thing

Good

Saturday night

Saturday night

is a great night
to
Do the Work

take a walk

write in your journal

do all the usual stuff
but at
slightly different
vibe
tempo
attachment
placement of attention

as usual

what would that mean?

try it
and
"find out"

a change
with
awareness
is always
a portal
into........
the real
you

the one who relishes
and lives in
and thrives
on

the unknown

the new

the now

happy Saturday evening

Chris

falling into the glory of being, BEing, BEING alive

Some place are getting cold
and maybe they had beautiful days
somewhere between June and October

in Austin we had about
zero
and now it's
beautiful
so maybe that's "fair"

or maybe it's the way the globally
warming Earth is playing
its game this year

for whatever reason
I commend you
all
to take some time
out
doors

today

not rushing to the car

not "getting a lot done"
in your garden

not even doing your "power walk"
or walk and talk walk

and what's left:
just go out
and see where your feet
lead you

is that fair

on a Friday?

when there is
"too much to do"?

yes

why?

someday you will take
your last breath
on this planet Earth

what happens next is belief
superstition, possibility,
who knows

but the last breath comes
and as it approaches

you get to be present
to the immense glory
of being alive
and having been alive

fall
does that to people
somehow

gives the preview to the
looking back
and feeling the immense
glory and wonder of
it all

so fall out of your routine
and into the fresh air

and feel experience see hear
notice enjoy
whatever happens

good

when is enough enough?

one of life's sweet
resources
is a nagging feeling
of "eggads"
I've done enough

of gardening
or computering
or worrying
or talking
or, God forbid, working

and then
what's it time to do:

something else

Winston Churchill used to
say:
a change is as good as  rest

so I'm going outside
now

and even as I write this
have any idea
and inliing
and inclinaion
and motivation
to be present
to the last of the computering

since that change
that inner change
to the nowing
of breath
and gravity
and light
and skeleton
and fingers moving
and cars outside
and the shape of my legs

boring to you
perhaps
except you have legs skeleton
breath and whatnot
that you could fall
back
in
love
with
too,
couldn't you?

if that's your
inclination
and curiosity:


why not?


good,
and now outside for me

what for you?????

ankles and wrists: a movement lesson of the most simple sort

one of the sweetest paths
to now
is
to move slowly
and with attention
variation
curiosity
and a desire to "feel what we
feel like
in the moment"

this is a game for parents of special needs
children
or anyone with an ankle "glitch"

it's pretty easy,
and if you play with it
slowly enough
deeply satisfying "just"
as a game of learning

say you have a "touchy" ankle.
Let's say it's your right ankle.
Then the game will start with left ankle
and right hand.

If the "touchy" ankle is your left
ankle,
swap things around.

So: sit at a table
and place both feet flat on the floor,
and start with the non-touchy ankle and the opposite
hand.
the hands are on the table.
feet on the floor.

start with the right hand and the left foot,
and gently press the little toe side of the foot
into the floor
and the little finger side of the hand
into the table
then release

go slowly enough a number of times
each time follow something more
your breathing
the bones of your hand
the feel of your wrists and ankle
the bones of your feet
your knee
your elbow
your breathing

make it a nice little meditation

then rest

now the other side:
thumb
and big toe, again right hand and left foot
for "touchy" right ankle.
press, release, sense, listen, learn

rest

Now front of the hand, to wit, press the fingers into the table
and the toes
and release.
Go slow
this is more advanced than we usually would notice
shoulders
hips
back
pelvis
lots comes in
to
this
go slowly many times
aiming for enjoyment pleasure and learning each time

try the difference eyes open
vs closed vs one eye open

try slightly rounding your back
slightly arching

notice your breathing

rest

and then, of course: heel
of hand and heel of foot

rest

now if you feel up to playing the opposites:
go for thumb and little toe
and little finger and big toe
toes and hand heel
foot heel and hand fingers

but only if curiosity and time
and ease of mindful movement call to you

now
stand and walk around a bit,
noticing what all this diagonal work
hath wrought

maybe even lie down
a bit
and enjoy the differences

then go to "touchy"ankle
and the other hand
and do all the above
except:
A LOT LESS
A LOT GENTLER
IF ANY PAIN ONLY IMAGINE THE MOVEMENT

slow and gentle and aware
pay huge dividends

try it
meditate through it
enjoy it
learn and improve

this is you
on awareness
a nice place to live
from

and/ or
a nice place from which
to live

Good.

For a batch more movement lessons:

click the label below,

on in the cloud at the right which says there are 90 some lessons,

or,

what the heck

just click this: Movement Lessons

Mindful Suffering is Finite

Let's say we is
suffering

we feel bad
and it's almost
ALWAYS
the good old:
not getting our way
thing

in one form
or the other

marriage/ relationship
was "supposed" to last

the good feelings were
"supposed" to laugh

someone's appreciation, attention, love
approval
was
"supposed" to
be
MORe

and that's the deal:
this suffering
can be out-thought
as in
impermanence blah blah blah
or
non attachment blah blah blah

but the way in
can be deeper
to the senssation
and the emotion
and the thoughts
and then
the game
of some many freedoms
with awareness and being
present

you figure it
out
or call me
or
?????

and that's the great thing
about life
with mindfulness
suffering has to transform
to the glory wonder gratitude of
knowing the
most important thing:
we ARE
right now

and without
mindfulness,
ah
alas,
suffering can last till
the day we
die
(and maybe more,
who knows)

so have a happy
day
mindful
and whatnot,

or, if suffering
have a mindful day
and let the happiness
sneak up on
you
when you drain the bathtube
of all the weirdness and habit
and illusion
and .....
(you discover)
that glues the suffering
together

ciao
for
NOW

Chris

Love is the answer, what is the question?

IF LOVE is the ANSWER
what is the question?

And why is the question there?

Because we love to be in suspense

be cause we love to trip fall dance leap
move forward

if we always know
their is no learning
no asking
no wonder

I wonder what love is for

for to clue the planets together?
for the grow the grass?
for to sing song life into action
and keep it rolling and roiling


life from movement
the sexy stuff
that can be love
always hints at love

and then we cling
and demand
and try to control
what we can't
and love

seaps
away
crying

but not dying

love never dies

it just goes into a cave to nourish
itself

into the pearl to become an oyster
or into an oyster to become a pearl

which came first
the answer or the question:

what is love for?

for your delight
and falling out of the cage
of the self that doesn't exist
falling out, and having to fly,
the bird push out of the nest

no you
and yet you have wings
and you could fly
you have to fly

and what flies you
wings you onward?

love


....
this appears to be a mystical answer
me
my
mo
mooo

it's fun to know
not
what we are going t
o
do
or
say
or learn from the word,
pushed out of the nest,
where are they going to go

maybe they will fly

today,
it felt like they did

good

How now can fear be?

it curls up around us
as if it owns us
a snake
a big wrap around
and squeeze the life out of
you snake

not the happy type
climbing into trees
and coaxing Eve on:
go on
go on
try something new
set the whole adventure in motion

So what if God gets pissed
that's a story in the Bible
God doesn't get pissed
She's chuckling ever second
at the amusing glory and silliness
and tragedy and glory
of love
love everywhere and every how

but wait a minute,
back to the fear snake
squoozing us
and making us feel like
we can't move on

well, hell
stand up
walk around
sense the ground

maybe we can move after all

go outside
touch the ground
reach up for the sky
feel, hey we can move
and it's an up and down
and amazing world

and then let the fear thought
come out
right on out
and write it out

three times:
slow and serious like you "mean" it
fast and frivolous, it's just words
and then you pick, some third way

realize these is just words

look at them like they run you:
sense how that feels

look at them like you wrote them
and they're an opinion
you don't have to believe

sense how that feels

play back and forth:
I believe in the power of the fear statement

I don't believe in it

write the opposite, see if that could be as true

write a tangent

write a dream

write five things you are grateful for

go back outside and skip walk dance a bit

it's you,
alive

that fear is just a game your mind and heart
habit
are trying to trap you in

it's you doing it
you can stop

AND
have a bunch of fun at the same time

good

feeling bad in the context of bigger body, bigger mind, + "now"

feeling bad isn't the worse
thing in the world

though attacking yourself
or others when you feel bad
is how the  world starts to fall apart

but hey, what of feeling bad
and being present
to the bigger picture
of the you
that is breathing
and awaring your feet and legs,
your hands and arms,
your spine and head

aware all that
and be aware that you are aware
and feel bad
at the same time

and what happens?

try it next time
and see.

and whatever you are feeling now,
find the sensations
of that feeling
and concentrate on them

and then bounce out to the arms and legs
and spine
and head

make that the basket for
your feelings

and then add on light
and sound

they are there
anyway,
just notice them
and then:
how are you

who are you,
all this awareness
all this juice in the now

does it really matter what you're feeling
or
more probably:
how can all this awaring of
yourself
in the moment
not get you at least a little giddy
thrilled
with the joy
or being alive

right
now



good

dancing is good 4

dancing is good for the soul
they say

and one is wise never to
listen too closely to they

and then again "they" may be
occasionally "right"

if "right" exists
and that's leaving the dancing floor

and now
we are on a computer page
and we have feet
and the feet have soles

can we sense our soles of our feet
as we read this

and can we imagine playing with the grass or the
living room floor or the dance floor with
our soles

so dancing surely is good
for our soles

and since they never say that,
or rarely,
it could be worth looking into

the way feet look;
the sensation of you
inside you
sensing you

right now

(and that's neither right nor left
nor right nor wrong,
but just plain old
moving along and changing changing
changing
right now)

bye for now

right now

wow

Sometimes we anger, sometimes we sad

Sometimes we charge
up and anger our world

sometimes we slump in
and sad-ify the whole joint

Not fun, either one

And we usually gots someone else
to blame

And hey, that's a shame,
play this game:

Go now time
go present

sense the this and that in your body
about the anger or about the sad

where is they live?
how big?
what are they clamping in on?
what would happen if you made them WORSE?

What if you sensed arms and legs
and spine as a basket for them?

And breathed into these sensations?

And looked out at the big beautiful world?

And forget about having or getting rid
of these "feelings"

Just experience them
And light
and breathing
and your whole body
and the smaller place of the anger/ sad oowie inside us constriction

and dig on that

just experience
your life
with some anger some sad sensations
and then all this rest
of you:

breathing
a world to look at
sounds too, by zounds
and the skeleton and your awarness
and pelvis and legs arms
and the head up high
and the Big Knowing:
I AM ALIVE

it's a lot

hey yes
it's you
it's a miracle

enjoy

that's right

enjoy even anger or sad making
because in this bigger now
you've come to
not so big a deal

nah,
not so big a deal

Love poems from Now: The Daily Feast begins

Today is not
yesterday

It's not a banana
nor a winter squash

Not even (gasp)
a To Do
list.

What is today?

A skin around the moment,
this moment,
which is either alive and pulsing in
us
as we experience it

or not.

How's your today?

What is in your skin?

learning vs pushing someone/ the child to do what the person/ the child doesn't know how to do

This is a distinction (the title is:
learning vs pushing someone/ the child to do what the person/ the child doesn't know how to do)

Distinctions
Differences
Getting clear in thinking
Increasing complexity
Understanding subtleties int the world

It's a big wonderful game.
Called learning.
Called being human.

Notice that: it's how we learn:
perceiving differences

It's how the children learn:
any difference
big toe and little
big toe and thumb
arm going forward with the belly in
arm going forward with the belly out

it's all part of getting smarter and smarter
and more able to move
in ways the child intentionally chooses to move

And so the title:
learning vs being demanded / shown to do what you can't do

And it's obviously not a great strategy,
being demanded to do what you can't do,
and so much of traditional "teaching" and "therapy"
is that:
someone has a stroke; stand 'em up and start them walking again
never mind teaching the connection of arm to shoulder, of foot to pelvis,
of back to head,
just: hey, you need to walk, get walking


and again and again with the kids in traditional therapies:
you are "supposed" to sit by now,
so let's crank you into a sitting position

arms don't cross the midline,
hey,
let's crank 'em across

The sadness of all this
is forgetting how fun and amazing learning is
and
anything can be broken down into little enough
pieces so that someone can learn it.

Even us.
Working with kids.
Parents to kids.
If there is some help or teaching we "can't quite do"
YET
it's  a chance to slow down and find
a small piece we CAN do,
and Can at least experiment with doing

This being present thing.
And the trying different possibilities thing.
And observing the results from what we tried.
And being honest and backing off
and trying something else just to see if there's
a better way.

This could all make for a good life for us "adults"
and certainly for our
relationships.

Okay. That's our game this week:
think about when we demand of ourselves
or any of our children that we or they instantly
do what they or we don't know how to do yet,
instead of giving ourselves the pleasure and thrill of
discovering for ourselves:
how can this be learned.

Ciao
and happy cooler weather
if you are in Texas,
and around the country
it looks like rain and real fall are coming along.

Good.

Chris

Lovely quote

Until one is committed,
there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative ( and creation),
there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favour all manner of
unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now".

- J. W. von Goethe