1. I Want the Certainty of Love in Another Language
You walked in like the light
From every sun that rose This year had exploded Symmetrically from your eyes I was uncertain—no I was certain I wanted your eyes to shoot Laser beams straight through me It was certain we were soon to be Bound by something mythological It was certain that when you moved The hair away from my mouth A locust in your eyes Moved farther afield It was uncertain if one day We would be saying I will not love you The way I love you presently It was certain we spoke The danger language of deer Moving only when moving Our velvet bodies in fear
Christie Ann Reynolds
2. This is my body frozen in fear at a photo shoot a few years ago. I was like 30 pounds heavier here than I was in the 90's and it was torturous for me to attempt to shoot in this condition, but I didn't know how to communicate how uneasy I felt in front of the camera and the session was an utter wreck. (Massive apologies to the photographer/designer!) The memory helps me maintain perspective about the ways my body has changed and aged and managed to regenerate itself when I apply some effort.
This is me some months after taking the previous pic.The trauma of being so uncomfortable in my bodyand so utterly paralyzed at that photo shootpropelled me to get in shape pretty quickly.I need this visual to remind meI can grow strong again if I try.
3. Audible, Pema Chodron, and Don Miguel Ruiz“If you do your best in the search for personal freedom, in the search for self-love, you will discover that it’s just a matter of time before you find what you are looking for. It’s not about daydreaming or sitting for hours dreaming in meditation. You have to stand up and be a human. You have to honor the man or woman that you are. Respect your body, enjoy your body, love your body, feed, clean, and heal your body. Exercise and do what makes your body feel good. This is a puja to your body, and that is a communion between you and God. You don’t need to worship idols of the Virgin Mary, the Christ, or the Buddha. You can if you want to; if it feels good, do it. Your own body is a manifestation of God, and if you honor your body everything will change for you. When you practice giving love to every part of your body, you plant seeds of love in your mind, and when they grow, you will love, honor, and respect your body immensely. Every action then becomes a ritual in which you are honoring God. After that, the next step is honoring God with every thought, every emotion, every belief, even what is “right” or “wrong.” Every thought becomes a communion with God, and you will live a dream without judgments, victimization, and free of the need to gossip and abuse yourself.”“The basic message of the lojong teachings is that if it's painful, you can learn to hold your seat and move closer to that pain. Reverse the usual pattern, which is to split, to escape. Go against the grain and hold your seat. Lojong introduces a different attitude toward unwanted stuff: if it's painful, you become willing not just to endure it but also to let it awaken your heart and soften you. You learn to embrace it.
If an experience is delightful or pleasant, we want to grab it and make it last. We're afraid that it will end. We're not inclined to share it. The lojong teachings encourage us, if we enjoy what we are experiencing, to think of other people and wish for them to feel that. Share the wealth. Be generous with your joy. Give away what you most want. Be generous with your insights and delights. Instead of fearing that they're going to slip away and holding on to them, share them.”4. PHAROAH SANDERS: The Creator Has a Master Plan5. Finally made reservations to try Kumiko. :)
