In the sutra it says, “There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body or mind…” This is Zen Mind, which includes everything.

It is not necessary to make an effort to think in a particular way. Your thinking should not be one-sided. We just think with our whole mind, and see things as they are without any effort. Just to see, and to be ready to see things with our whole mind, is zazen practice. If we are prepared for thinking, there is no need to make an effort to think. This is called mindfulness. Mindfulness is, at the same time, wisdom. By wisdom we do not mean some particular faculty or philosophy. It is the readiness of the mind that is wisdom. So wisdom could be various philosophies and teachings, and various kinds of research and studies. But we should not become attached to some particular wisdom, such as that which was taught by Buddha. Wisdom is not something to learn. Wisdom is something which will come out of your mindfulness. So the point is to be ready for observing things, and to be ready for thinking. This is called emptiness of your mind.

Excerpt from Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

How do you become an observer of your thoughts? What practices allow you to see things as they are? As we open up to our whole self, mindfulness follows, and we can experience effortless Zen practices.

To the Zen of you,
Mary Anne

I wrote in the article, “For some time, I push away the grief like a fly in my ear. But the grief begins to fill my entire body, each cell becoming morphed with endless emptiness. I search my mind for a cause.  I look for the basic needs of the season; I need more sun! There is more than sunshine needed to replenish the parts of me lost and forgotten. I dig deeper and find that I have become disconnected to the necessary life cycles. I am distracted by what’s around me and not connected with who is around me. When there is deep grief, I believe there is often great loneliness. I am a sojourner on the grief path.

It’s the annual visit by grief that consumes my heart and opens the void. I know allowing grief to come and go freely, without judging or blaming, is the key. For me, grief reminds me of how many things I no longer remember and how I long to connect with loved ones that have crossed. I long to pick up the phone and tell my mom about my day, my new project, or a class I am teaching. But my mom passed away, and all I have is the belief that she will hear my voice when I tell her out loud.

There is a crossover between beginnings and endings. I am overwhelmed by the notions of life and death. I wonder if the word “breath” is really just a combination of birth and death.”

It’s been almost ten years since my mom’s passing and I am reminded again of grief as I watch a loved one learn about the return of malignant tumors.  I am reminded of how precious each moment of life is. The gift of grief is that you are completely present to it.

Whether we know how much time we have with a loved one or not, it’s the lesson of “showing up”, even when it’s not easy. We show up with love and that is all grief needs to flow into grace. We show up with love because in the end that’s all we really need.

Mary Anne

This is dedicated to Lorene and her mom.

“I went to work with Bryan after the appointment. It was so nice to not be homebound I crazily said, “Take me to work. I’ll clean up your messy file cabinet. I know you have one.” Bryan laughed. We got some lunch and then headed to his office.

After everyone saw me come in with one leg, Bryan set about doing his own work while I filed. As he was copying something outside his office door, I heard someone ask him, in a polite, well-intended tone, “How can you stay so strong and love so much in this situation with Monica?”

He paused a moment, but not too long and said, “I love what is. Right now. You have to or you go crazy over what could be…or not be. I love what IS…NOW.” I heard some mumbles from the other person about how great that was and something to think about. Bryan came back in his office door whistling and winked at me, “Got ears like a hunting dog. Dontcha?” and kissed my forehead, “but I’ve said that before without you here, so there!” I just grinned and continued sorting the files. And, so, now he knows the story behind the mantra. I shared it with him as he worked and I filed.

I hadn’t previously told him the mantra you shared with me during your shamanic journey and that I repeat several times a day to keep me grounded. And then it came up over the weekend as we toured the new remodeling of our first home. “Hon, what do we need to do right now?” I said, “Love this house as it is?” He nodded. “One layer at a time. Let’s get settled with the newness we have and then talk about other remodeling later.”

I’m learning that loving what is now isn’t just about me, but many other things in my world. Love my work in the stage it’s in. Keep pressing forward, but relish where it’s at right now. Love where my marriage is now, regardless of whether we have children or not. Love my body, even if there’s only one leg and love me…

Love. Love. Love. Right this very minute. So every time I get frustrated and I find something to love about that very moment, even if it’s that it presents a problem for me to solve and learn from.”

Love What Is Now
Mary Anne

This is dedicated to Monica Foster who has been a light that shines so brightly for all of us to see. Thank you for allowing us to learn through and with you.

As an invitation, feel free to close your eyes, sit with your spine straight and take a few soft breaths. Then inhale a little deeper through your nose, and on the exhale, repeat the mantra OM (AUM).  Do this three times. Allow yourself to really feel everything and become the observer of your thoughts. Feel free to focus on one question or statement below and just allow your experience to unfold.

Daily living is our enlightened state. How are you living?

I am the perfect companion I seek with another.

When you question the mind, the only truth left is love.

In the end, love shows up, and if you are open to receiving it, the experience of love is infinite. How do you experience immeasurable love and how does it show up in your life?

How do you define and experience ceremony?

The magic moment, the miracle, the unexpected is happening – are you willing to take the risk and listen to it?

Beloved, what do you hear in the silence?

There is nothing to undo.

I will wait for you – always. In your time, I am here.

Each person will have their own experience­—the invitation is to be open for whatever thoughts flow through you. Allow your mind and body to expand into the experience (without judgment).  Feel free to start with whatever mantra calls to use.

May you experience expansive love in every way. I would love to hear about your meditation experiences – drop me a line anytime!

OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,
Mary Anne

There are so many times I want to ‘undo’ words, actions, and feelings of fear, doubt, and worry. Rather than undo them, I can accept them as they flow through me with no attachment. They just are thoughts and feelings flowing. This can be especially difficult when I am in the process of forgiving someone. I want another person to undo their words and actions. As Louise Hay says, “The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person. The reality of true forgiveness lies in setting ourselves free from holding on to the pain.” She goes on to say we are perfect just the way we are and that we can give ourselves some tenderness.

My best friend reminded of this last week in her email to me. She wrote, “I love you and you are perfect exactly as you are.” In other words, there is nothing to undo. Nice to know my iPhone and friends think the same way – now I have to remember that the next time I am in my head about letting things go or forgiving someone.

There really is nothing to undo.
Mary Anne

Recently, I read a tweet of a Haiku poem by Stevie Ray Robinson, and I immediately emailed it to myself so I could print it out and put it in my journal. It expressed in a few words the simplicity of being empty and full, and fading illusions.

Beginning and end…
Empty and full of all thoughts…
Illusions fade now

Each word has meaning. The words, empty and full of all thoughts, repeated in my head. There is a sense of flow and nonattachment. In infinite time and space, my habits could be less restrictive and more expansive.  As I create new habits of self-love, self-care, deeper connections, expressing my voice, and writing daily, this Haiku reminds me of something my beloved teacher and friend taught me many years ago with the expression,  “We ought to take our work very seriously, but not take ourselves so seriously.

Some of my habits will fade away and the ones that remain will be full of passion, happiness, and love. May every word I express today be generous and expansive.

To being empty and full,
Mary Anne

Thank you Stevie Ray Robinson for sharing your beautiful Haiku. I want to dedicate this blog to my friend Louis Alloro for deepening my understanding of limitless time.

You have to take risks,

…And also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven’t perceived this moment, that it doesn’t exist – that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. But that moment exists – a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.

Excerpt from By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

What are you doing with the everyday miracles that exist inside of you? In the ordinary moments of ‘doing’ is the extraordinary experience of ‘being.’ The magic moment, the miracle, the unexpected is happening – are you willing to take the risk to listen to it?

To experiencing magical moments,
Mary Anne

I have been to wedding ceremonies, prayer ceremonies, fire ceremonies, and even tea ceremonies, but this was my first ever popcorn ceremony!  Given the right attention, openness, reverence, could more of what I experience be ceremony? If young boys can pay attention to their popcorn and create a ritual out of that, could I be more mindful of the rituals I create in my life?

After finishing the popcorn, the young boy looked at me and asked, “Did you like our popcorn ceremony?” I told him it was one of the most fun and sacred ceremonies I have ever been to in my life. They asked me to define sacred – and it was with ease that I told them it was the purposeful act of paying attention to their popcorn and each other. “It is the respect you gave to making popcorn as well as helping each other and sharing it.”

“We have popcorn ceremony every day. Will you come back?” Yes, I will.

Let’s share more ceremony,
Mary Anne

A teacher recently said in class, “Clarity brings confidence.” Amen! How can we bring clarity and the type of precision needed to really ask ourselves the deep questions that unearth our soul’s answers? How can we move with what is now and not live from the past? And how can we acknowledge ourselves with love and compassion as an every day practice? As soon as those questions went from my pen to paper, I turned to see Pema Chodron’s book, The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness, on my table. I opened to the following excerpt:

“Come as you are. The magic is being willing to open to that, being willing to be fully awake to that.”

“Inquisitiveness or curiosity involves being gentle, precise, and open­—actually being able to let go and open. Gentleness is a sense of goodheartedness toward ourselves. Precision is being able to see very clearly, not being afraid to see what’s really there, just as a scientist is not afraid to look into the microscope. Openness is being able to let go and to open.”

“Basically, making friends with yourself is making friends with all those people too, because when you come to have this kind of honesty, gentleness, and goodheartedness, combined with clarity about yourself, there’s no obstacle to feeling loving-kindness for others as well.”

How do you makes friends with yourself? Ask and then let go and let love lead you.

At the end of a meditation in a Yoga class, the following words came flooding in as I asked for clarity: “I will wait for you - always. In your time, I am here.”

Come as you are,
Mary Anne

How much does inquiry play a part in your life? At times of struggle, doubt, worry, anxiety, and even catastrophe, can you pause and question the thoughts that are holding you captive?

In a recent interview with Clayton Gibson (founder of MyOutSpirit.com), Byron Katie speaks about a powerful process of inquiry, called The Work. Katie shares how inquiry can be used to question stressful or painful thoughts. Gibson asked, “How can we release thoughts of shame, feeling less-than, and unworthiness?”

Katie responded:
“We can’t. People have been trying to let go of their thoughts for centuries, for millennia, through meditation, breathing practices, mind-control of all kinds, and it simply doesn’t work, though it may appear to work for a while. You can’t let go of a stressful thought, because you didn’t create it in the first place. A thought just appears. You’re not doing it. You can’t let go of what you have no control over. Once you’ve questioned the thought, you don’t let go of it, it lets go of you. It no longer means what you thought it meant. The world changes, because the mind that projected it has changed. Your whole life changes, and you don’t even care, because you realize that you already have everything you need.”

(For the full interview click the link: Byron Katie: The Work of Gay Liberation)

Is there a thought that you are willing to release the reins from long enough to question it? Inquiry is questioning your thoughts that keep you from peace. When you question your stressful thoughts, you give yourself the experience of bringing yourself to your growing edge and then welcoming yourself home. Inquiry brings us back to who we really are­­—love.

You are invited to question any thoughts that hold you captive.

Welcome home,
Mary Anne

I am so grateful to Clayton Gibson for the opportunity to provide support and assistance with the Byron Katie interview.