Friday, July 17, 2020

4th Session ~ Loving Kindness & Emily Dickinson

Adrienne opened the session with the Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" poem Emotions flowed after today's Loving Kindness practice during which we wished for ourselves and others:

may you be well
may you be happy
may you be peaceful
may you be free from suffering



I shall not live in vain

was our writing prompt that was taken from Emily Dickson's poem

If I can stop one heart from breaking

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.


From Friday ...
by Jo Saunders

How often do I feel the dearth 
of good I do upon this earth
the feeling of hopelessness, of waste
As i rush round in needless haste,
And yet there is a gleam of hope,
when I contemplate the rope;
It takes so little of my while,
To bestow a simple smile, 
To the girl on the till in the local shop,
Most going through a glare do drop,
So say a kind word
(to her and to them, they too are suffering - ahem
Here in Zimbabwe the money is funny,
Drives us all wild,
Pain in the tummy)
No I’m not being absurd:
‘Tis easy to smile at her,
Tell her she’s doing a great job,
And send her a loving kindness message
Be well, be happy, be peaceful, be free from suffering.



Thanks to you all...

Kath: Scotland always does such good events!
Jo: … hi all!
Anja: Sending greetings to all the Glaswegians- my Mum`s from there and I´m always homesick for it!
Giovanna :  Hello all!
Jo : Most of you in Glasgow? My dad attended Glasgow university back in 1920 something ….
Kay : hello everyone  kx
Catrice : beautiful!!!! 
Anja : It is so lovely to hear these beautiful words from all over the world and feel that connection.
Giovanna : Thank you so much everyone, listening to your words has been so wonderful.
Catrice: Thank you everyone, this has been a beautiful experience. Thank you for having me. 
Phyllis : Thank you everybody, I really enjoyed the session and the work x
Hilaire: Thank you!
Louise: whpf! whpf! what a session...  I was w well h happy p peaceful and f free from suffering. Despite the odd tear! And shall remain so mindfully. My writing too ... here’s be!
Giovanna : What a powerful session today. Being asked to turn kindness on ourselves is extraordinary. So much wonderful writing, I wish I could have heard every one of them. Thanks you again Bev and Adrienne.
Eileen: Thank you everyone. loved the Meditations xx
Kay: thankyou very much bev and Adrienne for another wonderful session   a perfect balance   love it  kx
Lesley: Loved it!
Jo : All of a wobble … so much stimulation ...
Kath : I look forward to Friday mornings with inordinate pleasure. Thank you for the community that is developing. I enjoyed today's session very much. Thank you all.
Anja : Thank you so much for creating such a calm and lovely place and to everyone reading, I enjoyed hearing all of you!
Isabel: You have created such a beautiful space. Thank you.
Louise's: thank you to Bev Adrienne and everyone else - hands crossed over chest
Hilaire : Found the mindfulness practice so helpful. Have a fragment or two from the writing that I may share on your blog. Looking forward to next Friday!
Angie: Thank you again for a wonderful session.  I have been keeping a mood diary over the past couple of months to help manage my illness and I have noticed a marked improvement in my sleep, mood and writing since practicing mindfulness.  It has helped keep, what is an often unquiet mind, a bit more focussed.