2011.09.13 _ 12

::: Grasshoppers hopping
::: Pale green boreal lichens
::: Huge erratic blocks

/me smiling and loving haiku droplets. Also admitting that last night I did not sit before bed. The day felt to have a mind of its own and at some point finally let me sleep. :)

Inspired by Wester's report from yesterday, today I did some prostrations again. It felt great, waking up a different aspect of awareness. I do chant, sit, and engage in various practices during the day, but prostrations I don't do daily, though I have fond memories of doing them during various retreats. Perhaps time to incorporate some of those in my daily practice.

I had to squeeze in my meditation between some things coming up - or do it in the evening, and I seem to have acquired a taste for mediation in the morning.

The cats get very affectionate when I'm mediating.

Started and ended with prostrations. It does give the meditation a different flavor, more yielding.

Nice to read that doing prostrations was shared!

Oh my goodness so funny you say this Wester ... I stopped for a short sitting this afternoon and the cat was like I'd never seen him. I thought of the story of the monk who is being supported by a woman, who sends a girl to show affection and when he has none, she kicks him out and burns down the house. So I stopped and spent time with the cat for a while before putting him out of the room. haha.... edited 22:16, 13 Sep 2011

Another day packed with 'distractions' - until the 13:00 PaB session: "Everything Speaks." The session began with good talk about various divination methods. Individuals shared their experiences: different types of Tarot, porcupine quills, and more. For me, it was all about "participation." Is the cosmos like a lover? -- Things seem to go better when she's in the mood "to participate."

I have been consistent in my practice. I have also been consistent in extending this to try to visualize the physical moves in my exercises right after I climb into bed and things quiet down... unfortunately, or fortunately I have consistently and immediately fallen into a deep sleep before I even begin visualizing the third move of my exercise. Seems I have discovered the secret to falling to sleep quickly ...... Thank you WOL!!

Tai Chi this morning found me deep inside my joints, moving carefully through space, extending and bending.
I took great pleasure in painting the little woodland cutting that I picked up on my Sunday walk in the park. The sinuous curve of the edge of the leaf jagged but delicate.

Silly Smartphone was left upstairs fair distance from bed. Gonging every 15 minutes all night.
Also funny, twice a cat has come in and joined by quietly sat on lap.

recorded on walk:

sounds of birds echo
perception stretches open
full in 9 seconds