Finding Sanctuary
Painting by Martin Johnson Heade in the National Gallery of Art
The door to the Sanctuary is within. ~ Rumi
There's a short letter below that I wrote yesterday, but I'm putting the postscript HERE because when I re-read it just now, it didn't sit right with me. I had just come from hearing another piece of disturbing news, and even though I believe in the ideas shared below -- that there are good, positive, helpful ways to live and understand life -- a part of me wonders if all those good, positive, helpful ways will make enough of a difference in the larger scheme of things.
I decided to send yesterday's words anyway because the experience of making that shift from fear to love, from anger to a state of indescribable peace over and over, every day, year after year, has so deepened my trust that I can comfort the inner worriers and open again to the experience of grace. Because no matter how many times I've wandered away, the grace is still there when I bring my awareness back to it. Also, I know I'm not the only one practicing this "shift to freedom." There are so very many people who are doing the work to grow, heal and transform . . . to be peace . . . because we know this is how to change the world.
So, here's the letter. And I will resist signing it as "Pollyanna."
Dear Friends,
I hope you are finding sanctuaries every day. . . moments of stillness, peace and beauty, of giving and receiving kindness. It matters! Every smile with friend or stranger is valuable currency here and always on our small planet. The collective consciousness evolves as we do.
It's true that we can never really know the effect we have on each other. But we can know how we'd like to feel and how we'd like others to feel in our presence. What we resist may linger. What is given from the heart comes back to us multiplied.
With love,
Elizabeth
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BUDDHIST MEDITATION: The Brahmavaharas are the 4 Immeasurable Heart Practices of Compassion, Loving Kindness, Resonant Joy and Equanimity. The beauty of this meditation is that we are focusing on qualities/energies that are already inside us, already a part of our innate Buddha Nature. As we attune to each quality, we retrain our brains and nervous systems, and amplify our ability to see and respond to the world with more kindness, love, joy and peace.
Wednesdays, 7 - 8 pm, October 1, 15, 29
Suggested offering $10-20/class
Link to join: Meditation with Elizabeth
DAYS of GRACE, A Women's Retreat on the Beach: I have been leading retreats for almost 30 years and what happens during these hours with the brave, beautiful, awakening souls who attend is magical, healing, and transformational. We explore our hearts/Selves/bodies through the powerful experiences of breathwork, ecstatic dance, deep meditation, sacred silence in Nature, laughter, tears, and more. The group size is limited to create a safe and intimate container, so if interested, please register soon with a deposit to hold your space.
Friday-Sunday, Nov 7 -9, Private Home, Indian Harbour Beach
Cost: $250-450 sliding scale. Deposit $100 to hold your space, fully refundable until 10/31. See ways to pay below.
To reserve a spot, email me: ehstamper@gmail.com