I am a co-facilitator of the Stroll for Well-Being at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, and am thrilled about it.
This program was created by Ruth McCaffrey, DNP, FAAN, a professor of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University. It's my privilege to be learning from, and co-facilitating with, Ruth. She is a gem.
Ruth originally created the program for the Morikami Garden in Palm Beach County, Florida. Over 700 people have participated in it. Here is what participants have to say about the Morikami Stroll for Well-Being program:
Ruth created a customized program for the Bloedel Reserve. Today was our first of three meetings for the spring sessions (one group in the morning and one in the afternoon). Each person present received a beautiful journal, filled with inspirational quotes, ideas for reflection, maps, blank (unlined - wonderful!) pages for writing/drawing and gorgeous, full-color photographs of the Reserve. The journal itself is a treasure, but in addition, each participant also receives a one-year membership in the Reserve.
I predict that it is going to be great fun, and a healthy experience for everyone, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Both of the Spring Stroll sessions are filled, but if you are interested in joining a summertime Stroll for Well-Being, just contact Erin (ejennings@bloedelreserve.org) and she will put your name on the list.
I cannot imagine a better job for me, right now. Thank you, Ruth, Erin and Bloedel Reserve for making this possible!
You have likely read here about the Stroll for Well-Being at the Bloedel Reserve - how much I enjoyed the pilot program in 2014, how it inspired me to photograph, write and draw from nature, and the peace and healing which I experienced as a result.
Part of the reason I loved this program is expressed by Mark Nepo in his Book of Awakening, in the passage for March 12th (titled "In the Likeness of Everything"):
In truth, we each carry within our own innate makeup, like chromosomes, the minute aspects of everything that forms the Universe. And so, the art of freedom becomes the necessary adventure of grasping the secrets that are everywhere in the open and stirring their aspects within us, in such a way that we come alive: learning from the fish how to surface and dive, from the flower how to open and accept, from the stone how to crack and let the light in, and from the birds that wings are more useful at times than brains.
I'm thrilled to report that I have been invited to be a facilitator of the program, starting next month. The founder of the Stroll for Well-Being at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is Dr. Ruth G. McCaffrey (a professor at Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University). Dr. McCaffrey facilitated the pilot program for us last year, and it will be a privilege to work alongside her and to learn from all of her experiences.
If you live in the area and are interested in joining the program, please contact Erin Jennings at ejennings@bloedelreserve.org - we'd love to welcome you!
If you have any interest in studying and practicing Reiki, here is a wonderful opportunity in Seattle:
TadaoYamaguchi and his mother are the founders of Jikiden Reiki; his mother was a student of Chujiro Hayashi sensei. Hayashi sensei was taught by the founder of Usui Reiki Ryoho, Mikao Usui.
Mr. Yamaguchi is my Reiki master's teacher.
If you have any questions, please contact Emerald City Reiki Center, or info@jikiden.org.
"Yours is to live it, not to reveal it." - Helen Luke
I am reminded of the gift of Mark Nepo's gentle wisdom as I read the piece he has selected for each day of the year in his luminous work, "The Book of Awakening." Today's reading begins with the quote above, from his mentor Helen Luke - some of her last words to him before her passing. As abrupt as this quote sounds upon first reading, Nepo goes on to explain:
"...I've come to understand her last instruction as an invitation to shed any grand purpose, no matter how devoted we may be to what we are doing. She wasn't telling me to stop writing, but to stop striving to be important. She was inviting me to stop recording the poetry of life and to enter the poetry of life.
"This lesson applies to us all. If we devote ourselves to the life at hand, the rest will follow. For life, it seems, reveals itself through those willing to live. Anything else, no matter how beautiful, is just advertising."
This passage struck me deeply. What does it mean to "devote ourselves to the life at hand?" Looking up "devote" and "devotion" tells us that it involves wholehearted giving of oneself and one's resources; the root is in "consecration," - the word's origin is "vow."
It resonated with one of my favorite passages in "Radical Grace" by Richard Rohr. Writing about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her actions upon receiving the visit from an angel who announces Mary's pregnancy, Rohr says:
"The events themselves will be her guide and teacher. She does not need to figure it out and plan accordingly; the plan will be given by God through life's encounters. Reality is her teacher. That is why she could hear angels.
"Decisive action beyond our fears gives us a sense of our own power and the power of God within us. [Mary] can hold her power comfortably because she knows it is from Beyond."
I held on to this passage when Katie was in the hospital. My prayer practice had been so peaceful and regular, before her illness; once we were uprooted and transplanted from our old life, my practice became prayer-in-action, pray-as-you-go, the prayer of living service. It was the prayer of devotion, wholehearted giving. Now, eight years later, I pray to work and live as wholeheartedly today as I did then, in the midst of the crisis of illness.
Since Katie's passing, I have accepted invitations to serve in places which - eight years ago - were not even on my personal radar: the University of Washington's School of Medicine and Field's End Writer's Community are two examples. Serving on panels, taking classes and teaching classes are fun and rewarding ways to give. Now, I have entered a new field of learning and service: I recently completed the first level of Jikiden Reiki training. Reiki is a spiritual healing practice which is not linked to a religion. It originated in Japan, and it is a way to practice healing prayer, relying upon the power of Universal Life Force, or ki (which is another name for God). I am enjoying the practice enormously.
This is a natural step, after a summer of suffering physical pain, limitation and the medications which masked it. It is also a natural step, considering my attachment to my DVD project as "the" way to help clinicians deal with their grief and pain. In releasing my grip on that project, I can now see other ways to serve. Reiki is practiced in medical centers and has unlimited potential. Its Gokai, or five principles, are: Just for today - Do not be angry
Do not worry
Be grateful
Do your duties Be kind to others
In "Do your duties," I hear, "work wholeheartedly," or "devote yourself."
Life itself is revealing where I need to go. God provides the inspiration, and the power of His creativity and love, and I follow, as wholeheartedly as possible.
I'm participating in a pilot program at a local nature preserve (the Bloedel Reserve) called "Stroll for Well-Being." You may know that I'm an avid walker and love reflective reading and writing, and all of these elements came together when a friend posted on facebook about this opportunity to try the program here for the first time. It is already in place at the Morikami Garden in Florida.
Two dedicated women - one a professor of nursing and the other a professor in environmental studies, outlined the purpose and function of the program. It is inspired, and a pleasure to be part of the "beta test."
Yes, that's the family home; the Bloedels were once "timber barons."
The Bloedel Reserve is a local treasure. Sometimes, I take it for granted, as our family has property - and I now live - nearby. It is open for membership, and it is worth the fee, whether you join or just visit. The Bloedel family home - large for a house, small for a chateau - is graceful and beautiful, and gives a stately sense of "heart" to the property.
The 150 acres of grounds, filled with indigenous and imported plants, are best appreciated in silence, and the Strolls - mapped out in a beautiful journal which includes 12 themes, many inspiring photographs, quotes, and marked places to stop, reflect and write within each - are designed to take full advantage of the refreshment offered by nature.
Sharing this refreshment was a core value for Mr. Bloedel as he established and developed the property.
The reserve has structures which blend harmoniously with the plantings. The Japanese Tea House and Garden, the Orchid Woods and Puget Sound Overlook, the Bird Marsh, Trestle Bridge and Boardwalk, the Moss Garden and Reflection Pond are all integrated into the themes of the strolls.
There are a great variety of plants, trees, benches and water features, wide and narrow spaces, winding paths, stairs, textures, scents, colors, vistas and sounds to stimulate the senses.
In the past, I have loved to walk (fast) for fitness. Because of health issues which arose during the summer months, I have been forced to slow down and focus less on fitness. It became necessary to focus, with increasing patience and gentleness, on nurturing wellness within, as back pain, root canal and infection, ear surgery and recovery took turns demanding my attention during the later weeks of summer and early fall. I am truly grateful to say that I am finally able to walk a couple of miles at a time; my jaw and ear and graft are healing nicely. The Stroll for Well-Being could not have come at a better time!
Did you see this article? My friend (the multi-talented photographer, writer, painter and actress) Diane Walker shared it with me. It's true, for me and many others I know, who have written and blogged their way through some of the darkest times of their lives.
Writing is also a wonderful way to express joy and gratitude, and that is therapeutic as well. What is your form of self-expression? Is it painting, theater, gardening, singing, dance, running, drawing, sports? What do you do when you're at the boiling point? What do you do when you're overflowing with joy?
The important thing - in my opinion - is not to keep grief or anger bottled up, under pressure, but to find a constructive expression - a way to let it out that does no harm to you or others. There are times when expressing the deepest, darkest, most powerful feelings can bring healing to me and to others. Very simply put: when I share my feelings, others know that they are not alone. When you tell me that something I write resonates with you, I know that I am not alone.
I found this gem at a 2nd hand store - the Children's Hospital Bargain
Boutique on Bainbridge Island - when we were out taking a walk before a dinner date. It is the original 1961 English
translation of the French classic (which was written in the 1930s). It is considered the definitive encyclopedia of gastronomic science and history. So exciting!
In recent days, I have been spending my writing energy on the "Morning Pages" for the Artist's Way. My back is slowly recovering strength. I have had two root canal procedures which have kept me from feeling tip-top, but have forced me to rest, allowing my back to heal further. In the near future, there is the Ben Towne Foundation Benefit, and then a two-day minor surgery to remove a "beauty mark" (I prefer to think of it as a "beauty mark" rather than a "mole") and a skin graft to repair the area. After that, I will be keeping quiet for a few more weeks, and looking forward to a more active life after recovering. Meanwhile, the view from here is always changing...
This ship belongs to the cruise line for which David is working. It sails in and out of our town's harbor about once a week in the warm months.
My sweet parents sent this to me in celebration of Katie's 19th birthday - a symbol of transformation (and resurrection)
One of the greatest gifts I received during the week at Ranch La Puerta was beginning a yoga practice. I was nervous to try it, since I have always had difficulty learning new dance steps and following physical prompts. For example, I took a ballet class in college, and (though I enjoyed the movement) the unsympathetic, rapid-fire teaching style of the instructor left me feeling slow and foolish. I am not uncoordinated, but I learn dictated movement only with great effort and plenty of repetition.
I have heard so many good things about yoga that I pushed through my fear of embarrassment and took a class early in the week. It was challenging without being intimidating; it was difficult, yet gentle. Yoga combines the physical, mental and spiritual in a way that I have never encountered before. I liked it immediately, and went back for more.
Here is a brief sample of a yoga session with Maya, one of the excellent teachers at Rancho La Puerta:
At the Ranch, yoga classes are not progressive. The teachers lead with positions for beginners, and then suggest intermediate and advanced adjustments. If we felt comfortable and stable in a beginning pose, we were invited to deepen it and try the next level - but there was no pressure to do so. One of the instructors liked to suggest such variations with great good humor by saying things like, "And eventually - maybe, someday - you will raise your leg up here...and maybe, someday, out to the side..." I loved the invitations, the lack of judgment, the absence of competition and stress.
One of my decisions in "taking the Ranch home" was a commitment to finding a yoga studio nearby and trying it here. Bainbridge Yoga House is just a few miles from our home, and I've been going to classes there.
Some of the great gifts of yoga come through its teachings - intention, awareness, breathing, acceptance, gentleness, stillness-with-energy, concentration, strength, ease, flexibility, forgiveness and peace. Yesterday, we were invited to "be a fountain, not a drain" - clear imagery imparted with gentle humor.
It is much easier for me to quiet the mind and bring awareness to the present moment while practicing yoga than it is just sitting in meditation. It is easy to smile at myself when - just as I am trying my best to hold a difficult pose - the instructor reminds us to soften the jaw, or to be aware of what our body needs, trust our intuition, adjust a bit, or "engage the bandhas."
Practicing yoga, I notice tenseness, tightness or inflexibility in my body; there are always opportunities to check alignment and make tiny adjustments. Each correction makes a difference, and can bring the feeling of "Ah! That's better." Instead of berating myself for what I can't do, I can recall beginner's mind: we are all beginners, every day, starting fresh, again and again. That's a privilege - a kind of daily forgiveness. The practice of accepting and being gentle with myself, just as I am, helps me to feel gentler toward life and the rest of the world.
Yoga is also transforming me in ways which I did not anticipate. Feeling at home in my body, awareness (and acceptance) of it are things which I did not learn while growing up. Christian Science expends a lot of energy denying the physical senses, so to one coming from that background, body-work is basically a foreign concept. Practicing yoga helps me to connect with myself physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally - all at the same time. I feel stronger, and enjoy what my body can do, while becoming aware of what it cannot (yet) do - and what is possible, with practice. After class, I feel invigorated and accomplished. It is a wonderful way to begin the day, with gratitude, integration and joy.
I'm so thankful that I tried yoga at the Ranch, and can continue here at home.
Sculpture depicting Child's Pose at Rancho La Puerta
Katie made her presence known
at various times during the week, in “coincidence” connections with other guests,
as well as in the presence of butterflies - in art, and in living, moving creatures.
These beautiful
stained glass doors open into the art studio.
A ceramic butterfly at the base of the signs.
Katie also appeared as I walked the pathways around the ranch.
Can you see the butterfly on the white daisy? It actually flapped its wings when I spoke to it.
In preparing for this week, I
resolved to abstain from online contact, replying only to the
most pressing emails, and avoiding social media. I even gave up reading my usual daily devotionals; I went seeking God everywhere, in everyone and everything, intentionally not
following my habitual ways.
I wanted to trust in simply being, as Richard Rohr writes:
“Faith is to trust that an intrinsic union
exists between us and God. Contemplation is to experience this union…There is nothing that is not
spiritual for those who have learned how to see.”
I did read a
few words from www.gratefulness.org, and each one seemed to fit the day, simply and perfectly.
Sunday, Feb. 9
Each minute of life
should be a divine quest. -Paramahansa
Yogananda
Monday,
Feb. 10
Our approach to
gratefulness has to be big enough to embrace all the difficulties of the world. - David
Steindl-Rast
Tuesday, Feb. 11
I have the nerve to walk my
own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the
rattling wagon of wishful illusions. - Zora
Neale Hurston
Wednesday, Feb. 12
When the waves close over
me, I dive down to fish for pearls. - Masha
Kaleko
Thursday, Feb. 13
Just to be is a blessing;
just to live is holy.
Rabbi
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Friday, Feb. 14
Treat everyone you meet as if he or she were going to be dead by
midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can
muster, and do so with no thought of reward. Your life will never be the same. - Og Mandino
A chalkboard near our casita held inspirational verses, on its front and back, every day.
One
of the pleasures of the ranch is getting to know the other guests; they were friendly and interesting. A conversation might begin
with, “Where are you from?” or “What brought you to the ranch?” or “Is this
your first visit?” We learned that many guests come back year after year, with
family members, friends, or even on their own.
I was surprised to see how many people are
willing to invest in this kind of self-care – and I began to understand that it
is not self-indulgent, but wise and healthy.
The people,
messages and activities of the ranch (and Mother Nature herself), opened my heart with gentleness
toward myself and others. Each hour encouraged me on the path of openness, to
letting go, and to fresh, new beginnings, leaving the past behind, and listening to
what is, here and now.
As I was
nourished by delicious vegetarian food (the fuel for our body's energy and restoration), restful sleep, five to nine miles of daily
walking, stretching and simple awareness, I began to hear these words in my
heart:
my body is a temple.
At first, it made me laugh to think this, but gradually, I started to believe it.
“Do you not know that
you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?...the temple of God,
which you are, is holy… everything belongs to you…and you to Christ, and Christ to God.” – 1 Cor. 3
My
body IS a temple, and yours is, too - a dwelling place for the Spirit; I am in God,
and God is in me. I could feel this truth energizing me, strengthening and opening
me. My skin became clearer, my body felt fluid, relaxed and strong; I gained a
sense of well-being, from the inside out. I felt healing taking place.
I
could also see my mom relaxing more with each day, experiencing joy and tender care, making friends and becoming bolder to
take classes and try things which were new to her.
The environs of Rancho La Puerta, and majestic Mt.
Kuchumaa which stands over it, are considered sacred ground to the Kumiai Indians,
and I believe it is so. The positive energy is palpable.
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