Ohmygoodness, I await the delivery of the weekly iJourney read with delightful anticipation! *giggle  With each delivery I am encouraged to think beyond myself and I am sweetly reminded of how beauty-full life is and can be with learning and living.  This weeks iJourney read, I am reminded of the engagement received at the Wednesday gatherings, the peaceful quiet of the Mehta family home and sharing of thoughts and feelings and ideas.

I felt those same blessings here the last couple visits to this iJourney post reading the thoughts and feelings of those that have shared here... I found the poem and poet to be as Pavi stated, "gentle and sharp at the same time" and reading through Katherine's and Manisha's experiences and then Somik's wisdom and connection to "The Mahabharata", I am beautifully nudged to open my heart further and my mind more to Ms. Nye's message.

Kindness, indeed awareness, can come with the experiences of a heavy load or the weight of responsibility.  These experiences can give way to understanding.  When the understanding is shared with another in empathy it becomes kindness.  This is how it is for me, too,  though additionally I would share that at best it is also in practicing kindness, or simple goodness for this matter, that the behavior will become habit and a part of my very person and further a part of my identity and my way of be-ing or the way that I am; I am kind.

I have deep and incredible gratitude for the many kindnesses shared with me, my family and those I love.  Though I am sure that there are many I have forgotten, there are so very many acts of kindness I summon to my thoughts and whilst doing so I give thanks and a prayer for these kindness givers.  Those that share a kindness with me inspire me to reciprocate within my world, and I do.  Kindness feels good.

So my thoughts on kindness are that in practicing kindness I become kind,  in recieving kindness I am energized to share kindness, and the gift of kindness and being kind increase my quotient of gratitude in living and loving. 

It's all good-ness!  xo

I am interested in my mind.”, this statement conjured up so very many things the days before our weekly gathering and even still today several days following. Then reading the passage from “Why I Sit” by Paul Fleishman, brought to mind many more things about nature, about our human nature, about meditating, about why we as individuals do any number of many things we do and also about taking care of our bodies and our hearts and minds by being present with ourselves as well as with others. As is the usual case, the nature of the Wednesday evening gatherings at the Mehta Family Home, this coming together of mindful, thoughtful and heart felt individuals was as colorful and profound as Mr. Fleishman’s eloquent prose.

As the mic rounded the room, people spoke of why they choose to meditate: for clarity, for peace in their hearts and minds, to recharge, to connect with their inner self, to connect with nature, to learn more about themselves and to better understand themselves and others.

Others spoke about our very natures as individuals and as a species and comparing ourselves to the snow goose that innately knows it must migrate with the change of season. The comparison came with the fact that as humans we have choice. The choice to find quiet within that in practice allows us to be better connected with ourselves and with each other and with the world around us. The choice of inward reflection affording us the internal resources to assess situations with better clarity, to be able to have compassion and understanding of ourselves and others, and to find the joy in our connections and in our everyday.

A common thought this evening was that as humans we are born with this ability to find quiet within and to understand and have compassion and understanding for ourselves and others. Several people shared stories of their children and of themselves as younger people and the how naturally we seemed to do these things but as life becomes more full or we become more involved in living we loose touch with this ability.

For me discovering meditation and recognizing my desire for seeking quiet within , is a gift from Maddie, my oldest daughter. Maddie introduced me to meditation when she was 8 years old (she’s now 14!) as she was enjoying doing this in class with her second grade teacher Mrs. Gillies. Maddie invited me to create a sacred space in our home and to sit with her and meditate. At 8 my daughter was where I desire to be right this minute in my 40‘s! I learn so many things from Maddie that I, as my friends shared this evening, practiced and “knew” when I was a kid. I feel blessed in so many ways, mostly that one of my most favorite people, who I’ve thought I would be teaching about life and living, wonderfully teaches me every day about loving, acceptance, understanding and compassion.

I sit to nurture myself and to recharge this mind and body of mine because I am also interested in this mind of mine.

This weeks passage and gathering was as enjoyable and impactful as always, though I noticed that the e-responses on the site here were much more than usual!  A very interesting and topic of interest to many!

If I Really Pay Attention... I found myself changing the word my to I all week as I reflected on this passage.  The change became powerful for me in my every interaction with customers, coworkers, friends, family and especially my lovely daughters!

This Wednesday evening in the Mehta Family home, there was great energy around this topic.  Some interesting threads of thought exchanged are as follows:

How we are "heard" by another and what another person's perspective is on what we say.  The gent sitting next to me this evening hit it right on the head with this observation.  What he actually said was that it is never too late to reflect upon what someone says and really understand what you heard.  He shared that his coworker in a remote office misheard and misread his intent when he was visiting the local office and requesting assistance on a project.  At first he didn't get it at all, but later, upon reflection he totally understood where this person was coming from and why they reacted the way they did to him and his request.  Such a powerful recognition.  If we can slow down and listen more effectively at the moment, wow, what clarity, understanding and harmony we might be able to contribute to in an exchange.

Another sharing was that when we concentrate on the words a person is saying we loose the message and actually the physical experience of listening is limited.  Sharing furhter around the room it came to be said that listening is observing, hearing, having compassion and understanding, and feeling with our hearts the other individual.

A couple of people shared experiential exercises they participated in regarding "listening" activities.  From corporate training events, to university studies, to non profit organization team building exercises.  The information discovered was the same; communication takes at least 2 of us, it requires being "present" with the other person andi n the intereaction, this allows "feeling" the other person by observation, energy, physical expression and curiously the 'words" though valuable and important were not neccessarily the key componanat to listening! Really!!

For me, "If I Really Pay Attention" to my daughters as they share with me about their most recent test scores, or the upcoming class project, or student activity at school, I will hear thier desire to achieve, to make and build good relationships, the anxiety that comes with being a teenager, and perhaps I will realize that sometimes the simple act of listening, giving a smile, a high five, a huge hug and kiss, being available to take and pick up, is really all these lovely women need at the moment... just lending an ear and reaching understanding.

balance

the measure of time given to a task at hand

or the need to be fulfilled

or a desire held deep within

giving equal measure to each

learning to be comfortable

with incremental gain

a fullness of pleasure

observing a wholeness of self

sb 6/20/09

I had the pleasure of sharing another Wednesday evening in the company of like hearted people in the Mehta Family home in the south bay! I’m humbled again and again at the mindfulness of this community, the true consideration that many give to the thought for the week. Perhaps the best part is the joy and laughter that we share too, about the thoughts especially with Thoi, Bhoutik and even Pancho!

This passage makes me think of the vision the Mehta family first had 12+ years ago with the first meditation evening hosted in their home. Did they believe the group would continue these many years later, be in practice around the world, and having touched so many peoples lives? Or do they simply focus on the week in which the Wednesday falls. Preparing the lesson, choosing the food menue…

Interesting how the author simplified the processes of vision and focus to a housekeeping chore- sweeping the floor; something we all can relate too, in one fashion or another. The repetitiveness of sweeping, the necessity of the act, and the strategy of the focus on the task. The analogy is able to be used in regards to so many different things in our lives from our jobs and the companies we work for, to our personal lives and families , mates, children and parents and all we do each day in this circle of people. The process transfers to a students plan for education whether it be for secondary education or post secondary education; the need for a vision or a goal and for focus on the achievement of this goal.

This Wednesday evening the number in attendance allowed for a bit longer sharing when passing the mic though the input and the thoughtful nature of the group was par for our weekly gathering. Several different analysis of the ideas of “focus” and “vision” were shared in ways that we all could understand from the perspective of a software engineer and the constant bigger picture of applications running in the background and the immediate use application in the foreground, to focus & vision compared to a volume button of a radio; all interesting and thought provoking.

Our community welcomed newcomers and returning members alike… I’ve been very focused lately on a particular project of importance, and when I step back and gain perspective of my vision again, I am able to breath a sigh in the realization, that the tasks are doable and that my vision remains reasonable and attainable.

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Thank you to the the Mehta Family for your home and the delicious meals you prepare for us, for your loving nature and the opportunity to sit in meditative repose within community.

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