Tag Archives: sweet breathing

Two Breaths

From the introduction page to Mark Nepo’s Seven Thousand Ways to Listen:

“At a gathering in San Francisco, I met Marco, a careful and patient photographer from Santa Clara. When asked what surprised him during the last year, his voice began to quiver. He’d witnessed two breaths that had changed his life. His daughter’s first breath. Then his mother’s last breath. As his daughter inhaled the world, it seemed to awaken her soul on Earth. As his mother exhaled her years, it seemed to free her soul of the world. These two breaths jarred Marco to live more openly and honestly. He took these two breaths into his own daily breathing and quickly saw their common presence in everyone’s breathing. Is it possible that, with each inhalation, we take in the world and awaken our soul? And with each exhalation, do we free ourselves of the world, which inevitably entangles us? Is this how we fill up and empty a hundred times a day, always seeking the gift of the two breaths? Perhaps this is the work of being.”

 

In Gratitude for the Rain

Ecstatic in the bounty of the rain today.

Its waters slow sinking into our earth,

A deep and boundless love offering,

A joyful pour of life.

Today, I am in gratitude for the rain.

Rain Drops, Pine

 

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head

with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

-Langston Hughes

“How quick we are to find the rainbow,

before being thankful for the rain.”

-Dieter Uchtdorf

Scenes from Winter – A Gallery of Photos

“No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place”

-Zen Koan

Fence-Snow-Blues-Sunset-680x1024

“Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness.”

-Mary Oliver

“Let us love winter

for it is the

Spring of genius”

Pietro Aretino

 


Click onto any image to see a full sized version, then use the arrows to continue with full size slide show
:

Spring Sampler – A Gallery of Photos

“Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.” -Ellis Peters

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of Spring?” – Neltje Blanchan

“Come with me into the woods where Spring is advancing, as it does, not matter what, not being singular or particular, but one of the forever gifts and certainly visible.” – Mary Oliver

Click into any image to see a full scale version and to start a slideshow…

The Untrimmable Light of the World

“Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for –
to look, to listen,
to lose myself
inside this soft world –
to instruct myself
over and over
in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,
the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant –
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,
the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help
but grow wise
with such teachings
as these –
the untrimmable light
of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?”

-Mary Oliver

Breathing

River-Rocks-Water-Glacier“Breathing in I Feel Gratitude…
Breathing out I Give Thanks…
Breathing in I Feel Joyful…
Breathing out I Celebrate…
Breathing in I Know Compassion…
Breathing out I Am Compassion… Cedars, Lake McDonald
Breathing in I Feel Loved
Breathing out I Offer Love…
Breathing in I Am Still…
Breathing out I Am At Peace…
Breathing in I am Enough… “

-Aunty Nania, Molokai

 

Sweet breathing indeed!

*The photo at the top of this post is of Nanaistako, Chief Mountain, a most sacred place of the Blackfeet Nation.   It radiates power and masculinity for miles and is quite beautiful in myriad ever changing light blessings and in every season.   Love spending time with the Chief.