Thoughts

In recent weeks, Its becoming quite evident that I was expected
to create something with my free time.  
This is called social indoctrination.
In early age we are given ideas and attitudes about what we
should be doing and the mold is set.  

These first two weeks of September I am noticing
art projects that I made as a child. 
This string art piece was from the late sixties.
 My father would go to Chicago each Tuesday to see his therapist.
 It was a two hour train ride from the town I grew up.
As he would stop at a Chicago Deli and
bring home all kinds of delightful foods, then go to Old town
to his favorite bookstore for books on Asian philosophy,
and then the art store to find the latest kits for me 🙂
I loved it. Little did I know that that was the start
of the habit that formed me.  

Pantanjali wrote about the Sutras, a word in Sanskrit
that means sutures or stitches.  
From string to twine to cord to rope it’s the habits,
the addictions that binds us. 
Like the string art, each strand, each layer
each time we do a repetitive behavior
it binds us to this behavior.  
Some habits are better than others. There are eating,
drinking, working, sexting, now phone addictions.  
 Addiction switching is inevitable unless we are aware of it.
This is where we resolve a problematic behavior
and re-route the same behavior towards
other areas of our lives. Same pattern, different fixation.
 This does not address the feelings driving the
addictive behavior.  
This requires a lot of awareness, self-honesty
and accountability. 
If we want to create habits pick good ones.
 Meditation twice a day helps us to realize
the strings that bind us. 
Pantajali says with each practice we clip a strand
until we are free from the binding effects of addiction. 

Take a tip from my pops. Read a book, Do art.
See a therapist if you are struggling,
Meditate and join our group. 
Thanks Meg Reynolds for your insights

9. 15. 2024 Deck Talk available upon request info@fifthfloormeditation.com

In grade school we were given an assignment
to sculpt a person or object out of clay.
At the time, I was struggling with
navigating my mom.  A strong force of nature,
a stay home mother that was so filled with creativity
and energy she felt stuck.
And as a daughter, I could feel something uneasy
but did not know what.
She designed sets for the local community theater at night.
Cooked for the food fair and
was active in the art community we lived …
but that did not fulfill her.  

There are so many people in our communities
that are not fulfilled in the lives that they are living.
That are afraid to make the move to something new
and something different.
They stay in their lane frustrated. 
It takes strength and stability to make a move.
First one needs to tap into their inner silence
to understand all possibilities are out there
to live a dynamic life.  
The best way to find it is stilling our inner state.
Once we are still we can then take action
in the direction of progressive change.  
An action towards grace. That’s the beauty
of our daily meditation practice.  It allows us the stillness
to sense the directions of our desire. And evolution.

Back to grade school..
I picked Lucy from the comic strip Peanuts. 
I connected with her.
She was bossy and opinionated.
She bullied Linus and Charlie Brown.  
My hidden secret was that Lucy and my mother
seemed to be the same character.
Most of my friends’ moms were kind and
not as openly verbose.
I have lived with this sculpture of my mom
since grade school and as each year passes
I am thankful for that screaming
tenacity. An exemplar of a woman that wanted more.
.
 Her “being” made it clear that I needed to follow
the charm presented to me and not stay in my lane.
To move in the direction of creation for work,
for myself and service for others.  
My mom, like all of us evolve with three evolutionary forces
Creation, Maintenance and Destruction
and they are there as our teachers to
provide guidance. 
Let’s tap into yours.

9.08.2024 Deck Talk available upon request info@fifthfloormeditation.com

Don’t Yuck my Yum. A few months ago, a dear friend and architect
Michael P Johnson sent me a gift.  
He was clearing out things from his home in AZ and sent a
handwoven vest from the 60’s with huge bundles of wool and hair.
A tactile connection. I was touched and immediately put it on.
I sat with it, pondering what to do and
discounting all the fun loving comments by friends,
“not sure you should wear that in public.”
 I thought. Ok they have a point.

This week a new phrase came into my life..
 a phrase that has been around for quite awhile but new to me. 
Don’t Yuck my Yum. 
In reading the The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali,
the eight limbs of yoga lead me to the concept of Yama.
Yama (in paraphrasing) is the abstention of harming others.
 We are to live so that no harm or pain is caused
by our thoughts, words or deeds to any other being.
 In a positive sense, this means
that we must cultivate love for all
and try to see that love within everybody.
Our words and thoughts must
be truthful and not causing harm to ourselves and to others.  
In teaching the 4 day course this week,
there is a common concept in beginners thinking:
 ‘all my thoughts get in the way
and I can’t get a restful deep meditation,
especially in the morning’.
In all actuality, this is untrue.
 A thought filled meditation is
a good thing happening,
as we are essentially ridding ourselves of stress.
 As we deepen into the least excited state,
thoughts arrive and we simply let them go.
Releasing stress with each thought.

In a way, the critical thinking
we do to ourselves each and everyday
IS Yucking our own Yums.
 Turning a positive yummy practice
into something negative. 

This leads me to the vest.
I released all notions of what it was
 I contacted my favorite cut and sew company
and turned this textile into pillows.  
When Michael saw them he muttered
 “I knew you would come up with something” . 
Loving Life.  Letting go.

9.01.2024 Deck Talk available upon request info@fifthfloormeditation.com

In May 2024, my team and I hosted a weaving project with 16 formerly incarcerated women at Why Not Prosper in Philadelphia. Why Not Prosper members brought in an assortment of materials: court documents, baby clothing, graduation sashes, jewelry, shoe laces, and other objects to weave an artwork that tells their personal journey from incarceration to reintegration. 

The artists began by describing the significance of their materials and then shredded or cut up those physical remnants of their past experiences and memories that are no longer relevant to their
lives today. Each artist wove the strands of materials into the weft of the lap looms, paying homage to
their personal style, their life story and their hopes for the future and inspiring viewers who visit F.I.R.M. – the United States first museum dedicated to previously incarcerated women artists, where the weavings hang today. 

Visit @suzannetick to watch short clips of the weaver’s sharing the back stories behind their weavings.

I am proud to be Reverend Michelle’s friend and a fellow board member of the Light Inside, run by fellow Vedic Meditation instructor Joh Jarvis – helping spread the mission of the Light Inside about the benefits of Vedic meditation in those who have been previously incarcerated. 

Why Not Prosper now has four properties  serving formerly incarcerated women. As well, thousands of previously imprisoned women have benefited from the organization’s programs for employment training, alcohol and drug abuse support, finding affordable housing, and assistance reuniting with their children.
 
Rev Michelle and the women of Why Not Prosper need your support to fund some vital aspects of their new endeavor.
 
The museum, which opened Aug 23rd requires $22,000 for a number of key features to complete the space. Still to be acquired are window display boards, shelving, touch screen monitors, and an audio system so people can listen to women’s stories.
 
Let’s support this incredible project! Your generosity can make a tangible difference in the lives of many, fostering a community of support, education and empowerment. DONATE HERE NOW.

We have been working with this embroidery
mill down south for the last 9 years.
I remember walking into the facility and seeing
miles of navy blue fabric on the machines and
thousands of white bobbins
being prepped and wondering
what are they embroidering.

We had just elected the 45th President
and I was feeling less than patriotic at the time.
And I thought to myself,
Oh dear have we made a mistake.

Then they walked me past the machines
of dark blue and we came upon our beautiful
light gray felt substrate
being embroidered with Celadon thread
to create Navigate.

This moment .. was followed
by one of their thirty year quality control
employees engulfing me with the
most wonderful hug and exclaiming
“bless you darlin – now I don’t have
to go to sleep every night with these stars
embedded in my brain..after 30 years,
now. I will mend these beautiful subtle colors,
“I thank you and my family thanks you”.

The mistaken intellect is very active in our minds.
Casting judgements, activating fear,
indulging hopelessness, inciting worry
and worthlessness which all seem
very real in the time while we are deep in these thoughts.
.
An active meditation practice allows
the awareness to seep in before being overtaken
by negative dark thoughts. And giving us the ability
to cast them away.
In most cases a good meditation (two times a day),
spending time outdoors, a long walk,
a talk with a friend you trust, a good nutritious
meal and staying socially active will give
us the answers we need.
And trusting that all decision we make
will lead us to the right answer.

Nature has organizing powers far beyond our own.
This past week we all felt the palpable shift
from a country that could have been ruled by
fear based administration to reclaiming
our patriotic spirit and be proud to be a part of this
UNI (one) VERSE.

One song, sung with each other.
Helping each other without knowing
As we are all worthy to believe in the American dream.

Cheers to Embroidered stars for the American flag

8. 25. 2024 Deck Talk available upon request info@fifthfloormeditation.com