I'm stretching Weekend Cooking as far as it will go!
For many years I have been doing a yoga exercise on youtube with a fellow called Bhaskar Goswami. Recently, he began a series especially for this time. Every day is different, and ends with a very special story and /or meditation. I could do all of them except the couple days it was floor work. He is a wonderful teacher. I'll tell you how to find him in a minute, but I want to tell you a story he told one day. I put it up on Instagram, as well.
Jack Cornfield speaks of a time when he was studying in a monastery for many, many years under a great master. One day the master was going for a walk in the forest with his students following. And the master suddenly stopped and pointed at a boulder, a massive rock, and he asked the question, "Is that boulder heavy?" The students very sincerely nodded, saying, "Yes, master, the boulder is very heavy." And the master responded, "Not if you don't lift it."
Bhaskar went on to connect this to what we are all living through as a way to say not to worry about every horror that we read about, but to take what we need from the news reports and not let the rest give us too much anxiety.
What a great lesson. That it's only heavy if you lift it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that.
I thought it was pretty great, too.
DeleteWe can all use food for the body and soul . . . Great story, and I'm going to check him out.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I think you'll like the man.
DeleteThank you for sharing the story, as well as the link to daana. I plan to send this on to my neighborhood girlfriends since we are not able to do yoga together... for now.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteSuch wise words. I try to watch the news but have to confess that I don't always make it to the end before I just have to switch off.
ReplyDeleteA TV recommendation for you, Nan. It's called Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul... seven TV personalities walking from Budapest to Istanbul. One of them is Pauline McLynn who plays Mrs. Doyle in Father Ted. It concentrates on spirituality, the seven people all having varying beliefs and religions. I thought the first instalment was wonderful. It's a BBC programme.
I looked on Acorn, Britbox, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and youtube, and couldn't find it. My guess it will appear over here at some point. Thanks, Cath!
DeleteYoga sounds like a good idea, but I just don't have enough discipline to stop reading and re-reading the terrible news! Yes, I see how you stretched the idea of weekend cooking.
ReplyDeleteBe Well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I read maybe 20 minutes a day, total.
DeleteStretching and yoga! I see what you did there!! lol
ReplyDeleteOh, and you are way more clever than I am! Haha. Never thought of that. Brilliant!!
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Nan, for posting this. Sending all good thoughts to you and yours. And oh how I love those two little cats looking out the window.
Mary
Thanks, Mary. And the kitties are so much fun. Pure delight.
DeleteI love the kittens, too, Nan. My last cat died a couple of weeks ago - boy I miss a little shadow around the house. Loved the boulder story. Keep safe, you and yours. x
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about your cat. I was so lonesome without a cat in the house. The kittens came at just the right time. Lots of distraction and laughter.
DeleteSo true about that boulder! I have learnt to let most of the "boulders" in my life simply stay where they are, not trying to lift them.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean I am completely passive when it comes to obstacles in my path. It is just trying to discern between where it really makes sense to "lift the boulder" and where it is best left where it is, making my path around it.
Yes! Me, as well.
DeleteThis was a lovely post; I'll have to check out this "daana" yoga session. I've been doing a few poses at home here and there each day but, not the full routines - I need to get more disciplined and pull myself away from the news, online games etc.
ReplyDelete(I love your header and can't believe how big the kitties got; they look like they will be large cats.
I have to push myself to read any of it. haha. And I've never played an online game.
DeleteI think Maisie will be big, but Gemma is quite small. I bet she was the runt.
I think this was a great suggestion, Nan. And I see the 'stretch' to the weekend cooking event. Ha! I'm having to be rather strict with myself regarding the news. Having some success. Now I've determined to get myself reading normally again - whatever that means right now. I'll get there eventually.
ReplyDeleteGee, you are as smart as Marg above! I never, ever connected.
DeleteI read a bit in my local paper, and a bit in The Guardian UK every day, but that's it. Tom is much more "newsy" than I am.
Lovely, Nan. I need some variety in my own daily routine and will give daana a try. Yoga, tai chi, and qi gong all help settle the breath and the body.
ReplyDeleteI just began qigong a couple months ago. A woman named Marissa on youtube. I've liked it a lot.
DeleteOnly heavy if you lift it, I love that! In fact, I am thinking ahead and hoping I can go on a lovely group hike up Panola Mountain where we pass gigantic boulders on the trail to the mountain and telling the group that very quote. I know it is meant as a metaphor and I quite understand the meaning, so I will share when I read it, and from where also, from very nice woman from Maine! Take care. xx P.S. Been singing "Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth" from our lovely George! Help me cope with this heavy load.
ReplyDeleteNH not Maine!
DeleteAnd yes, to George.
I just did the first practice and enjoyed it! It was very similar to the first part of my own practice with the exception that I'm on my mat, but this is such an excellent practice for a chair. Looking forward to the next practice and feeling a little easier in my body. Thanks for the suggestion, Nan.
ReplyDeleteI am so very pleased you tried it. I can't do the mat work anymore so am happy chair work exists! Each day is a little different - some more "difficult" than others, and all good.
DeleteSuch sensible advice! Thank you for sharing this today, Nan... it's just what I needed to see.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome.
DeleteBe well. I am trying to settle in and not doing so well.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you.
DeleteIt's trying to decide which boulders are important enough to try to lift and which aren't that flusters me. Because everything seems like a boulder now, and I want to move them, have to move them. Don't I?
ReplyDeleteJust the way you put that makes you a bit of a poet, you know.
DeleteThank you so much, Nan! I have read two of Jack Kornfield's books and I listen to 10% happier everyday. They are having online meditations with different excellent teachers everyday at 3pm. And on Instagram I read lisaolivetitherapy too...It all helps, doesn't it.
ReplyDeleteI will look into both, and I thank you!
DeleteI think about the Buddhist idea of not shooting yourself with the second arrow during these times. Actually, all the time. The first arrow are the bad things that happen in any life. The second arrow is your reaction to them which is in your control.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. Just brilliant. Thank you. I'd not heard this.
DeleteI just said to Bill this afternoon that when we get home I will be looking for yoga classes on YouTube ...(that was basically the end of that conversation ;)j). Thank you for the link! I will investigate as soon as I can! Gonna need it!
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