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A few weekends ago I gave myself the gift of presence. It was simple really. I created an at-home retreat, something many of us can do. Was it easy? Not for me. You see, despite being a deeply contemplative person, I am also a doer. I like to do things. I carry many voices inside me that remind of what I could be doing, or worse yet, what I should be doing. One of my lifelong lessons it seems is to acknowledge these pesky voices and then turn my attention elsewhere; to listen instead to the voice of my soul. The voice that says, “Nourish yourself. Rest.”  Mid-winter in Michigan is the one of the best times to go inward. There is a profound stillness that covers the landscape. Even the Great Mother Inner Ocean (Lake Michigan) still sings her comforting lullaby despite the cold. I used to think that I hated winter; I dreaded it in fact. But something happened a few years ago and my soul turned toward it. It heard a beckon call to return to the comfort of quiet--inner and outer stillness—to give myself permission to rest in it. Winter has become for me a season of spiritual self-care. And one of the ways I engage this care is by creating an at-home retreat. Key to ensuring silence and rest for me is disconnecting from all devices. In my day-to-day life, I am too often drawn to regularly checking my phone or email, or following the next best rabbit hole of interest on the internet. On retreat, I must put my computer in a different room so I don’t see it, the same with my phone. An email autoresponder is turned on. I know my own mind and poor habits and one of the best gifts I can give myself is freedom from distraction. I often marvel at how patient the Universe must be with me to tolerate my tendency toward distraction. Retreats, especially at-home retreats, need to be prepared ahead of time. We must inform any others with whom we share space that we are taking “time-in” and cannot be disturbed. Food and drink will need to be prepared and handy; creating a comfortable retreat space for yourself that’s ideal for rest and reflection. A chair for reading and writing unless you prefer to do it hunkered down under the covers as I do. There is nothing better than greeting the morning with prayers of “Thank You,” stealing to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, then crawling back into a warm bed with a book and my journal. Only then, once all this orchestration has taken place, does the retreat actually begin. I don’t know about you but it always takes a little while for me to settle down inside myself, to “gentle down” as I call it, and slide into neutral. To be more receptive to the movement of the Spirit, for this is primarily what retreat time is for me: a time to let go of my own agenda, to listen, to receive, and to follow the sacred threads of what is being revealed to my deepest me—my soul. I’ve always needed a book or two on retreat to open the door of any deeper knowing. It could be one simple phrase that reveals an entire universe of discovery. And perhaps not so much discovery as remembering—who I am in my essence, who or what the Divine is to me, and how it is working in my life, calling me deeper yet. The depths, I have come to know, are cavernous, immeasurable, spanning into Forever. But I accept the invitation and enter. This time while on retreat the book I journeyed with was Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal by Christine Valters Paintner. I chose it carefully, or should I say, its spirit chose me. I believe that focusing on one tract or tome, minimizing the voices in texts to a few, is key to greater attention and deepening. The “success” of one’s retreat may depend on what you have been guided to spend your time with and how. An entire suitcase of books is not necessary, and yet while on retreat elsewhere, I have witnessed attendees doing this very thing. Bringing stacks of books for fear they will miss something!
I believe the Divine doesn’t work this way, but instead meets us right where we are as we are—with little or nothing at our disposal—and perhaps this scarcity of texts and tools is best. After all, we are being invited to simply BE during this time of turning inward. The primary invitation of retreat is simply listening, being, breathing, attending to our inner movements, and trusting that we are being guided into the Great Depths that can nourish and restore us. During my at-home retreat, I found a rhythm to my days. I read, journaled, rested, walked. I sat in silence and looked out the window—watched the snowflakes fall. I listened to gentle music and drank a lot of tea. I found myself praying more than usual which was quite lovely. Mostly, I tried to receive because I do trust the movement of the Spirit and know in my heart the gifts can be great and bounteous if we leave our personal agendas at the retreat door and humbly enter in. I was not disappointed. In fact, this retreat felt monumental to me as if a great internal turning had taken place. I let go, I trusted, I followed Sacred breadcrumbs and was nourished by them. As the months or years go by, I will undoubtedly write more about my experience, but not now because the gifts are still being revealed, and sometimes it is best to hold these tender bestowals close to your heart. They are still warm, still fragrant, and continue to take me deeper. I wish the same for you. May deep rest and inner nourishment be yours. May Presence reveal itself in unexpected and healing ways. May you know that you are loved. With metta, Jan Lundy  I don't know anyone who doesn't wish to be more loving. A loving attitude is difficult to access, however, if we are being assailed by other emotions, especially those that we might deem negative.
Today, I share a Guided Practice with you that can help you turn your attention away from difficult emotions to refocus on the love that lives in you and can be transmitted through you. I call it "Leaning into Love." Attending well to our emotional selves is an attribute of Presence. Taking good care of ourselves—our moods, thoughts and feelings—ultimately enables us to be more present and loving toward others. I hope you find it helpful. (Mp3 is 5 min. long.) http://www.awakenedliving.com/podcasts/LeanintoLove.mp3  Lovely friends, with so much turmoil engulfing our planet, our hearts can feel equally troubled and agitated. We long for answers, for relief, for an end to the suffering of so many, including ourselves. These are difficult times, no doubt.
We are encouraged to not remain silent to injustice and to lift our voices; to act on our convictions. There is another inner voice which also claims to be heard now too. It is the voice of silence and discernment; a call to inner quietude to rebalance ourselves. This is vitally important so that we can think clearly and act with wisdom. It is impossible to think and act wisely if we cannot access any degree of calm within us. Calm = Clear = Wise. A few years ago, I wrote this article for Spiritual Director's International: "Finding Inner Refuge in Trouble Times." Clearly, what I wrote about is still applicable and especially so today. I hope you will find it helpful and take a few extra moments to work with the practice. May relief and refuge be yours. Read it here: www.sdiworld.org/blog/finding-inner-refuge-troubled-times May Love hold us. In today's blog I share some thoughts about we can ensure our hearts do not become armored in stressful times. If you're feeling impatient and irritated, or frustrated, it may be a sign that your heart is closing off due to low level trauma. (Many of us these days are experiencing low level trauma due to the pandemic.) This is the perfect time and opportunity to hold presence for yourself! The video includes one of my favorites practices for this. From My Heart to Yours Today, I have a gift for you, a guided meditation (MP3) that I call "Resting Into Love." During trauma-filled times, it's a potent practice for letting go into ease and rest, into Love!
To receive this practice, SUBSCRIBE to this blog. The link to download will be sent to you in the subscription confirmation email. SUBSCRIBE by entering your info in the green box on the right side of this page. That's it! Thank you for joining me in the practice of Presence. If you are viewing this post on your phone, scroll down until you locate the green subscription box.  This week I received this affirmation card from Unity. I'm on their mailing list and they send me lovely inspirational prayers, poems and booklets upon request. This card came unexpectedly. I didn't request it, but I sure did need it! When I read the words of the affirmation I thought to myself, "Well, I'm not feeling this right now, that's for sure," which in itself is a cautionary tale. "So, where are you?" my wiser self asks. Honestly? In the middle of pandemic like everyone else. A little bit lost in boredom and feelings of isolation. A note of worry or fear creeps in now and then. But mostly I feel agitated, ill-at-ease within myself. Not sleeping well, distracted, disoriented. The questions beg to be asked: So what can you do in this moment to hold yourself kindly, with loving presence? What might you need to move away from so you can move toward the freedom that is expressed in the affirmation card—to feel unworried and free from tension? For me, I need to experience less noise and more quiet. Have fewer items on my To-Do list and more rest. Less focusing on day-to-day drama and more attention paid to breath and being at ease in the moment. One of the best ways for me to cultivate presence for myself in this time of pandemic and begin to "move easily in the flow of life" is to engage in Listening Meditation. Years ago, I made this short video offering instruction for Listening Meditation. I hope you find it helpful. I still find it remarkable how letting go of doing anything in particular other than listening can return us to ease—even in difficult times. Today, in the early hours of the morning, I sit listening to a cacophony of birds doing their daily rounds: calling to one another, rustling in the underbrush locating twigs to build nests, and singing gentle songs of new life to come. In just a few minutes, I feel myself back in the flow of life ... May it be so for you with the help of Listening Meditation.
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