Joy's Edge

Changeability
Living in a mountain valley provides innumerable opportunities to witness life’s ever-changing nature. On a small scale, our temperatures swing 30 degrees or more from day to night.  We see sunny skies fade behind sheets of rain… rain solidifying into snow… and snow disappearing quickly as the sun returns.

Less visibly, and more impactfully, the elements create change in the apparently solid rocky cliffs that surround us.  As rain and snow melt seep into the granite’s cracks and then re-freeze and expand, small crevices grow. The solidity gradually shifts until it gives way, and rocks and boulders come tumbling down the mountain side.

Last Monday, activated by this slow process of change, large boulders fell onto the main corridor out of town to the east.  I-70 has been closed for almost a week as crews remove debris and inspect the canyon cliffs for more loose rocks, and then guide them down.

As much as people like to get to where they are going, and commerce uses I-70 extensively, there’s a beautiful honesty in this process of clearing. Perhaps we would have preferred if everything continued as usual.  And, yet, change is underway: the mountain is shifting.  And, we can bear witness and give space and support for that change, or we can risk real harm.  How lovely to simply be willing to be present with the transformation: to dance with it and to encourage its unfolding.  After this shift, the canyon will return to relative stability.  And, there may be just a little more sunlight shining through.

What’s True for You?
What a lovely invitation to reflect… to see where transformation wants to unfold… to be consciously willing to invite that process, and its messiness, knowing that growth can be gradual until it isn’t…  that life can appear stable until its shifting gives way to big changes.

As I’ve settled into a new community over the last six months, my first changes were much more like the weather – obvious change as I explored the community and the land, finding my favorite spots and adjusting to the town’s rhythms.  I’ve at times felt anxious to begin my next steps towards where authenticity would lead me to grow.  I’ve felt crevices expanding…  creating openings for deeper transformation.

Where are you in discovering and stepping into what’s authentic now?  Are you feeling that call to silence, to being still and listening to your inner voice?  Or, can you feel those quiet shifts…  those beautiful hints of upcoming change?  Or, perhaps, you see where transformation is leading you, and you are actively engaged in creating something new?  Each phase is so beautiful when explored authentically, with loving, attentive interest in whatever arises.  I wish you much joy and discovery as winter melts into spring.

The Gifts of Mindfulness

I moved to the Western Slope (in Colorado; the two landscape photos posted in this newsletter are from my neighborhood) in August, eager to hike its many beautiful hills and canyons and to develop a new practice of commuter bicycling. In early September, I was hiking with my boyfriend, our dogs, and friends when I lost my footing, resulting in a twisted ankle.

One gift of mindfulness is that it can support you through the unexpected. Just after I slipped, I saw where my mind had drifted from what I was doing, creating the opportunity for the experience. And, as you might expect, I saw my mind quickly moving into the near future, wondering if I could make it down the mile or two to get to the parking lot.While I was in pain, we were able to see that my ankle seemed to be able to do everything it needed to do, so we continued walking down the trail (now, with a walking stick).  As we traveled, mindfulness practice was tremendously helpful for me, redirecting my mind again and again from worrying about a thousand steps to simply doing one step, and then one step, and then one step until I was pleasantly surprised to see the trail open to the parking lot.

Another gift in practicing mindfulness is that it gives you the mental space for flexibility. On the one hand, you can develop the mental flexibility to notice where you are off-track… the space to notice where your mind has drifted from the present without judging yourself harshly. On the other hand, mindfulness is very helpful in investigating and softening your expectations, opening your mind to new possibilities.

Welcoming the Unanticipated

I am so happy to be writing once again, after quite a summer of fluidity! I am excited to have a place to call home once more, and a computer that seems to be back in working order.

Welcoming Transformation
Over these last few months, I experienced a powerful invitation for change…  an invitation that I embraced wholeheartedly, trusting that my intuition is pointing me along a path towards tremendous opportunities for growth for myself and my family.

After living in Fort Collins, a lovely Colorado college town, for several years, I suddenly felt a strong impulse to move to Colorado’s Western Slope, nestled in the valley of two flowing rivers.  To make the move, I did the work of a general contractor, pulling together a dozen professionals to update my 60 year old house, readying it to sell.

The process offered numerous opportunities for learning about assertiveness, confidence, practical choices, and house repair. I also learned a lot about paring back – getting rid of about half of my belongings, and streamlining what was left to the essentials needed while traveling with my dogs in my car during the weeks when I was between homes.

Initially, it was unclear where we’d end up, and there were several hiccups along the way.  And yet, now that we’ve landed, what a wonderful place to be!  I love waking up surrounded by red cliffs (the picture above is a view from my window), and I can already see ways in which I can bring real value to my clients at my new position.  I feel tremendous enthusiasm and gratitude for where I am and for the possibilities ahead.

Effecting Change
When you see an invitation for change, are you willing to take it?  If you see an opportunity for beneficial transformation, are you willing to step forward? Especially when you know that you just don’t know how things will turn out, are you willing to take a leap of faith?

Sometimes change appears as invitations that we can easily refuse: slight adjustments to our schedules and routines that may provide unexpected joy, such as by making new friends or accepting new challenges at work.  Sometimes change is much more insistent, such as through unexpected inheritance or pregnancy, or by getting laid off or losing a house to wildfire. For me, I had a quiet realization that a fundamental shift was necessary for my next flowering.

However it happens, it is lovely to discover what unexpected beauty can unfold when we take a chance at saying “yes” to our intuition’s guidance.  I wish you all the best in your growth and joy.

As I’ve watched the heartbreaking news from Nepal over the last few days, I’ve found myself reflecting on time I spent in Nepal and India about 15 years back. I remember the Nepalese fondly. I met many kind, generous, resilient people… people with twinkling eyes and quiet strength.

On that trip, we discovered how quickly circumstances can change, and how perilous it can feel to be far from modern conveniences. As our group traveled through India on a bus, a cyclone struck. It uprooted huge trees, washed away roads, laid debris across train tracks, and knocked down the airport’s tower.  At one point in our journey, as the rain poured, we came to a place where a flood of water washed over our dirt road. We stopped to deliberate.

If we turned back, it was likely that the road behind us would also become flooded out.  And, the trains and planes were shut down, likely for weeks, due to the cyclone’s damage.  If we waited for clear weather, it seemed likely that the flood waters would carry the dirt road out to sea.  If we drove across the flood waters, our bus could be pushed off the road and washed downstream. Or, the road could wash away beneath us.  Or, we could safely cross the path of water.

It can be difficult to move forward into the unknown. And yet, in that moment, doing so was our best option. We decided to drive across, and so each of us made our own preparations. I zipped my passport, a few food bars, and a bottle of water into my pockets.  Then, as we crossed, I reflected on my loved ones…  picturing each in my mind’s eye – their appearance, their mannerisms, the sounds of their voices, their unique smells…  For each, I reflected lovingly on their qualities, appreciating their inner and outer beauty.

As I reflected, and as love and gratitude filled me, I felt tremendous joy and appreciation for our connection, for my life, and for the dangerous moment that so powerfully slowed my mind’s activities. I felt the power and love that arose from deep gratitude – as well as the understanding that, truly, in that moment, everything was OK.

Since that journey, I’ve found it tremendously beneficial to meditate on love and gratitude in other challenging moments…  to welcome whatever is present, even (or, perhaps, especially) when the outcome is unknown.  If you find yourself in a challenging position, I invite you to take a moment to deeply reflect on love and gratitude and then to see what arises for you.

And, if you feel inspired to support the Nepalese relief efforts, there are many wonderful organizations helping the people, and there are several sites that describe the type of help your donations would support (such as on CNN, at the New York Times, and at Buzzfeed).

I hope you are tremendously, joyfully, well.

Namaste (an Indian and Nepalese greeting which means “the light in me honors and bows to the light in you”),

Robin

Spring has arrived in a big way in Colorado, with vivid colors bursting from bulbs (I’m sharing a few recent pictures from my backyard garden), grass shifting from brown to bright green, and birds singing joyful melodies. Last weekend, my boyfriend, dogs, and I hiked through our local state park… strolling a few miles under warm, blue skies before enjoying a picnic at the top of a ridge. And yet, as I write, storm clouds are blowing in… carrying a promise of snow and a reminder that spring is all about unpredictability and change.
For the last few weeks, I have been consciously attended to just how important it is to tap into your heart…  to be truly willing to feel the places in your life that are resonant with you, and to be willing to feel and identify anything that feels somehow dissonant.  This study is at times quite uncomfortable: it can be painful to honestly draw your mind’s eye to your places of dissonance.  And yet, what beauty lies in the process of being willing to compassionately and mindfully notice where your life feels out-of-sync with who you are- and then to make the shifts you need for greater alignment.
So, in my life, spring has provided exquisite reflection and inspiration. The sun and the newly blooming flowers are lovely, and they easily inspire simple joy.  And, the storm clouds are at least as beneficial.  My reaction to the cold they bring reminds to notice where I withdraw. And, the water they bring reminds me that both storm and sun are essential for growth.

Clearing for the new year
In Colorado, we’ve had quite a cold spell in the last few days.  On my drive to work yesterday, a thermometer showed -12 F (-24 C).  Luckily, it heated up to the 20s by the afternoon–warm enough for the dogs to enjoy a bit of a stroll in the cool, bright sunlight.  And, I’m hoping our lovely blanket of snow protected most of the plants from our frigid weather.

When it gets this chilly, it is especially inviting to stay in, reflecting and clearing in anticipation of the year to come.  Over the last month or so, I’ve been focused on clearing things out–getting rid of shoes that were too well worn and those “solo socks” lingering in the drawer, donating clothes in good shape that don’t fit or that I simply don’t feel inspired to wear, completing small projects, organizing the files on my computer drive… Simultaneously, I’ve been clearing internally: examining aspects of my life and thought patterns, considering what is ready to be released, and where I might most beneficially grow.

For many of us, our lives get so busy in the lead-up to year’s end that it is hard to find time for reflection.  If that’s true for you, perhaps you’ll find a welcome opportunity for clearing in the next few days, when so many of our work lives are still operating at the slower pace of “holiday mode,” and yet there are few events to plan and to attend.

Welcoming the new year
If you feel inspired, what a beautiful time to spend in quiet reflection, acknowledging and feeling grateful for moments in the last year–moments of challenge, of connection, of accomplishment, of apparent defeat, of ease, of sadness, of love, of frustration, of joy.  How lovely to truly reflect on gratitude for yourself, for your loved ones, for your community, for the opportunities and discoveries that you encountered along your path.  I find that gratitude is incredibly powerful in opening my heart to the present, and in softening the grasp of thoughts like “could have, would have, should have.”

A visualization for gratitude
When gratitude is difficult to tap into, it can be tremendously helpful to begin with a visualization meditation, grounding in light. For this meditation, first find your meditative seat–a place of balance and ease in your physical body, whether sitting or lying down. Next, reach through your seat (and feet, if in a chair) with roots, extending into the earth, feeling supported and nourished. Visualize a golden sphere around you, and light pouring through your crown, filling you and your sphere with light, support, and love.  You may also find it exquisite to visualize light pouring through the back of your heart and out the front, filling your heart with love that flows out, filling your sphere.  When your meditation feels complete, dissolve your roots, seal your crown and back, and visualize the dissolution of your sphere.  Rest in love and support for as long as you like, perhaps completing your meditation with heartfelt gratitude for whatever arose.

Traveling your authentic path in 2015
Gratitude can be tremendously profound in supporting your opening to whatever and whoever is present in your life, and to opening your heart to what your spirit would most love to create in the new year.  As you step into 2015, I invite you to take time for reflection, for gratitude, and for visioning–tapping into what changes in your life would most truly serve you and your authentic path.  I’d love to hear from you about your discoveries.

I hope you have an extraordinary, joy-filled 2015!