Mindful March: Daily Silent Meditations Inspired by Mystics
With meditation teachers Sarah McLean & Shey Khandro
Take another step on your journey of awakening with daily meditation sessions. You are invited to put aside a half-hour each day of the month of March to recenter yourself, find peace, and tap into the beauty of your life.
Hear inspirations from mystics – ancient and contemporary and meditate in silence for 18 minutes. On the weekends (Sat and Sun) there is an opportunity for community connection and conversation after the silent practice. Held online at 9 am PT (12 noon ET, 5 pm UK – check the time as there are shifts in the clock), register for this virtual program free of charge here.
Your presence makes a powerful difference. Not only in your own life but it can serve as a gentle nudge toward the awakening of the global heart on our this beautiful planet.
These sessions are not recorded, but there is an introductory video available, here.
Daily Mindful March Prayers & Passages
March 1: For A New Beginning – John O’Donohue, Irish Poet (1956-2008)
“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”
March 2: From a Course in Miracles
“If it’s not love, it’s a call for love.”
Read Shey’s blogpost about this here.
March 3: Wild, Messy Marvelous – Annie Lamott, American Novelist
“We begin to find and become ourselves when we notice how we are already found, already truly entirely wildly, messily marvelously, who we were born to be,” from Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.
Read Shey’s Notes On A Spiritual Journey
March 4: Bodhisattva Prayer from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
“I dedicate myself to the liberation and salvation of all sentient beings. I offer my body, speech, and mind in order to accomplish the purpose of all sentient beings. I will return in whatever form necessary, under extraordinary circumstances, to end suffering. Let me be born in times unpredictable, in places unknown, until all sentient beings are liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth.
“Taking no thought for my comfort or safety, precious Lama (Buddha), make of me a pure and perfect instrument by which the end of suffering and death in all forms might be realized. Let me achieve perfect enlightenment for the sake of all beings. And then, by my hand and heart alone, may all beings achieve full enlightenment and perfect liberation.”
What prayers animate your heart?
March 5: Do It Anyway – Mother Teresa
This was written on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta and has been widely attributed to her. Some sources say it she rewrote this from Kent Keith’s original composition, The Paradoxical Commandments, which he wrote in 1968 to inspire student leaders.
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create Anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them, anyway.”
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu MC (1910-1997), better known as Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. Born in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire, at the age of 18 she moved to Ireland and later to India, where she lived most of her life.
March 6: The Courage of the Bloom – Shey Khandro
“Ah, the courage of the bloom to respond fully to the call
The call of nature beckoning it to reveal its magnificence, its allure
Tender but firm the petals unfold
Exposed, vulnerable, radiant Its full expression manifest
The world nourished
Ah, the courage to own its elegant beauty
Standing alone, completely open
Offering all that it has without fear
Ah, the Glory! The Calla Lily, symbol of resurrection
An invitation for a new beginning Rising to new life
Remind me, precious bloom, of the beauty within my own being
Remind me of the power of sharing what is my natural state
Remind me that without fear there is only Love
I am that
I am Love”
Here is a link to Shey’s blog post about the poem and the artwork.
March 7 – From Be Love Now – Ram Dass
Love expands the heart and encompasses everything, great and small. When you awaken to love—and I am not referring to romantic love alone—but when you are being love, love is radiated to everything: every living being you meet, all things near and far, every pebble on the trail, every star in the sky, and all that ever existed or will exist.
Richard Alpert (1931 – 2109) later known as Ram Dass, profoundly contributed to the Western world’s understanding of consciousness and the potential that we each have to awaken to it. InBe Here Now, his first book, Richard first dabbled in transcendence while experimenting with psychedelic drugs with his friend Timothy Leary at Harvard in the 1960s. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Tufts, a master’s from Wesleyan, and a doctorate in psychology from Stanford, and after his drug experiences, he took off to travel through India. There, he met a Hindu guru called Neem Karoli Baba, whom he credits with transforming his life. In a later book, Be Love Now, Ram Dass describes the meeting during which he awakened to love:
“If I go into the place in myself that is love and you go into the place in yourself that is love, we are together in love. Then you and I are truly in love, the state of being love. That’s the entrance to Oneness. That’s the space I entered when I met my guru.
“Years ago, in India I was sitting in the courtyard of the little temple in the Himalayan foothills. Thirty or forty of us were there around my guru, Maharaj-ji. This old man wrapped in a plaid blanket was sitting on a plank bed, and for a brief uncommon interval everyone had fallen silent. It was a meditative quiet, like an open field on a windless day or a deep clear lake without a ripple. I felt waves of love radiating toward me, washing over me like a gentle surf on a tropical shore, immersing me, rocking me, caressing my soul, infinitely accepting and open. I was nearly overcome, on the verge of tears, so grateful and so full of joy it was hard to believe it was happening. I opened my eyes and looked around, and I could feel that everyone else around me was experiencing the same thing. I looked over at my guru. He was just sitting there, looking around, not doing anything. It was just his being, shining like the sun equally on everyone. It wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. For him it was nothing special, just his own nature.
“This love is like sunshine, a natural force, a completion of what is, a bliss that permeates every particle of existence. In Sanskrit it’s called sat-cit-ananda, “truth-consciousness-bliss,” the bliss of consciousness of existence. That vibrational field of ananda love permeates everything; everything in that vibration is in love. It’s a different state of being beyond the mind. We were transported by Maharaj-ji’s love from one vibrational level to another, from the ego to the soul level. When Maharaj-ji brought me to my soul through that love, my mind just stopped working. Perhaps that’s why unconditional love is so hard to describe, and why the best descriptions come from mystic poets. Most of our descriptions are from the point of view of conditional love, from an interpersonal standpoint that just dissolves in that unconditioned place.”
March 8: Love Poem – Rumi
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strong pull of what you really love.”
Rumi is a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic known for his spiritual poetry and teachings on love and devotion. His teachings advocate for a spiritual journey guided by love, compassion, and the pursuit of union with the divine, with an understanding of the interconnectedness of all existence.
Read Shey’s post Embracing the Call of the Heart
March 9: Gratefulness – Brother David Steindl-Rast
Video: Gratefulness
Brother David Steindl-Rast — 97 year-old author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude” he has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement. Find out more about him and his collection of works, here.
Here’s a quote from his interview on “On Being” which is interesting:
“The reason why I use the words “gratitude” and “gratefulness” and “thanksgiving” in the way in which I use them is that we really need different terms for our experience. And we all know from experience that moments in which this gratitude wells up in our hearts are experienced, first, as if something were filling up within us, filling with joy, really, but not yet articulate. And then it comes to a point where the heart overflows, and we sing, and we thank somebody; and for that, I like a different term, and then I call that “thanksgiving.” And the two of them are two aspects, or two phases, actually, of the process that is gratitude, so that’s why I’m using it in this way. And this idea of a vessel that is still inarticulate until it overflows, that is also very helpful in another way. It’s like the bowl of a fountain when it fills up, and it’s very quiet and still. And then when it overflows, it starts to make noise, and it sparkles, and it ripples down. And that is really when the joy comes to itself, so to say; when it is articulate.
“And for us, for many people in our culture, the heart fills up with joy, with gratefulness, and just at the moment when it wants to overflow, and really, the joy comes to itself — at that moment, advertisement comes in and says, “No, no, there’s a better model, and there’s a newer model, and your neighbor has a bigger one.” And so instead of overflowing, we make the bowl bigger and bigger and bigger, and it never overflows. It never gives us this joy.”
March 10: Maybe, Maybe Not – a Taoist Tale
“Once, in a humble village nestled amidst rolling hills, there lived a wise farmer renowned for his serene demeanor and deep understanding of life’s mysteries.
One day, his only horse broke free from its pen and galloped into the forest, leaving the farmer’s neighbors to lament his misfortune. “What terrible luck!” they cried, offering their sympathies to the farmer.
The farmer simply replied, “Maybe, maybe not.”
Days passed, and to the villagers’ amazement, the horse returned, leading a magnificent herd of wild horses back to the farm. The neighbors rejoiced at the farmer’s newfound prosperity, exclaiming, “What wonderful fortune!”
Yet again, the farmer responded, “Maybe, maybe not.”
Soon after, the farmer’s son attempted to tame one of the wild horses, only to be thrown from its back and break his leg. The neighbors shook their heads in pity, declaring, “What a tragedy!”
Unfazed, the farmer calmly remarked, “Maybe, maybe not.”
Not long after the son’s accident, a war broke out, and soldiers from the kingdom came to conscript able-bodied young men. Due to his injury, the farmer’s son was deemed unfit for service, sparing him from the horrors of battle. Once more, the neighbors approached the farmer, marveling at his good fortune.
But the farmer, ever wise, offered his familiar refrain, “Maybe, maybe not.”
And so, the cycle continued, with each twist and turn of fate prompting the villagers to pass judgment; this is good, this is bad. Yet the farmer’s heart was peaceful, he remained at ease, steadfast in his acceptance of the ebb and flow of life. Living the principles of the Tao, the farmer knew events are neither inherently good nor bad; only our perceptions and judgments make it so.”
Read Shey’s post on Taoist Wisdom
March 11: Everything is Waiting for You – David Whyte
“Your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone. As if life
were a progressive and cunning crime
with no witness to the tiny hidden
transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny
the intimacy of your surroundings.
Surely, even you, at times, have felt the grand array;
the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding
out your solo voice. You must note
the way the soap dish enables you,
or the window latch grants you freedom.
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.
Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into
the conversation. The kettle is singing
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last. All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves. Everything is waiting for you.”
David Whyte (1955- ) is an Anglo-Irish poet and author who attempts to give voice to the wellsprings of human identity, human striving and, most difficult of all, the possibilities for human happiness.
March 12: Sacred Space – Joseph Campbell
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.” – Joseph Campbell
Joseph John Campbell (1904 – 1987) was an American writer and a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College Campbell’s best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the hero’s journey.
March 13: I Asked for Strength – Hazrat Inayat Khan
“I asked for strength
and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom
and God gave me problems to learn to solve.
I asked for prosperity
and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage
and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for love
and God gave me people to help.
I asked for favours
and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.”
Inayat Khan’s (1882 –1927) teaching emphasized the oneness of God and the underlying harmony of the revelations communicated by the prophets of all the world’s great religions. An Indian professor, he initially came to the West as a representative of several traditions of classical Indian music, and established an order of Sufism (the Sufi Order) in London in 1914. By the time of his death in 1927, Sufi centers had been established throughout Europe and North America, and multiple volumes of his teachings were published.
March 14: Beyond – Mooji
“Beyond even the concept of beyond, there is a vastness that words cannot touch, and yet it is your own Self.” –Mooji, (1954-), a Jamaican teacher of Advaita based in the UK and Portugal
Shey shared a painting inviting a reflection about what lies in the boundless realm beyond our ordinary perceptions. Visit her blog post and see her painting here.
March 15: On Love – Kahlil Gibran
“When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
“Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate on love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.”
An excerpt from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931), a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist.
We also shared Winnie the Pooh’s wisdom (written by A.A. Milne):
“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
March 16: Silence – Lao Tzu
“Silence is a source of great strength” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu was believed to have lived during the 6th century BCE. An ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, he is traditionally credited as the author of the Tao Te Ching, a fundamental text of Taoism. His teachings focus on living in harmony with the natural order of the universe, emphasizing simplicity, humility, and the power of non-action.
March 17: A Blessing for Beauty – John O’Donohue
“May the beauty of your life become more visible to you, that you may glimpse your wild divinity.
May the wonders of the earth call you forth from all your small, secret prisons and set your feet free in the pastures of possibilities.
May the light of dawn anoint your eyes that you may behold what a miracle a day is.
May the liturgy of twilight shelter all your fears and darkness within the circle of ease.
May the angel of memory surprise you in bleak times with new gifts from the harvest of your vanished days.
May you allow no dark hand to quench the candle of hope in your heart.
May you discover a new generosity towards yourself, and encourage yourself to engage your life as a great adventure.
May the outside voices of fear and despair find no echo in you.
May you always trust the urgency and wisdom of your own spirit.
May the shelter and nourishment of all the good you have done, the love you have shown, the suffering you have carried, awaken around you to bless your life a thousand times.
And when love finds the path to your door may you open like the earth to the dawn, and trust your every hidden color towards its nourishment of light.
May you find enough stillness and silence to savor the kiss of God on your soul and delight in the eternity that shaped you, that holds you and calls you.
And may you know that despite confusion, anxiety and emptiness, your name is written in Heaven.
And may you come to see your life as a quiet sacrament of service, which awakens around you a rhythm where doubt gives way to the grace of wonder, where what is awkward and strained can find elegance, and where crippled hope can find wings, and torment enter at last unto the grace of serenity.
May Divine Beauty bless you.”
John O’Donohue (1956 – 2008) was an Irish poet, author, priest, best known for popularising Celtic spirituality.
March 18: Unconditional Confidence- Pema Chodron
Today’s reflection invites us to move through our day with a heart of gentleness and courage, embracing all parts of ourselves as lovable. And developing and maintaining unconditional confidence.
“It’s not so easy to take a straight look at what we do. Seeing ourselves clearly is initially uncomfortable and embarrassing. As we train in clarity and begin to see ourselves honestly in the face of adversity, we see things we’d prefer to deny—judgmentalness, pettiness, arrogance.” – From an interview with Pema Chodron
Pema Chödrön (1936 -) is an American Tibetan-Buddhist. She is an ordained nun, former acharya of Shambhala Buddhism, and disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She’s written several dozen books and audiobooks, and is principal teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia.
Her teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche invites us to embrace all parts of ourselves. He tells us we can learn that ALL parts of us are loveable:
“Unconditional confidence is a gentleness with one’s self, a kind of unconditional friendliness. Having the courage to stick with yourself through thick and thin.” – Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939 – 1987), Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, was a teacher, poet, artist, and originator of a radical re-presentation of Tibetan Buddhist teachings and the tradition of Shambhala, later called Shambhala Buddhism. He was a major figure in the dissemination of Buddhism in the West, founding Vajradhatu and Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method.
March 19: Wild Geese – Mary Oliver
“Wild Geese” begins with a reminder, perhaps even a revelation, that we do not have to be good. Whatever guilt or shame we hold inside, we can forgive. And we do not always have to repent, either. Instead of suffering, or spending our lives trying to find forgiveness, we only have to do what we love to do and that will take us home, together.
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. She found inspiration for her work in nature and had a lifelong habit of solitary walks in the wild.
Read Sarah’s blogpost about her father, here.
March 20: Forgiveness – Mark Twain
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain, American writer and speaker who lived from
Mark Twain (1835-1910) is an American author best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, considered classics of American literature. He was applauded for his keen wit and insights into human nature.
As we move through our day today, let’s ask ourselves: “Like the delicate violet, where might I release the sweet fragrance of forgiveness and send healing ripples through my own being and into the world?”
March 21: Interdepence – Amma
“For five days we are exploring the wisdom that unpins the transformative power of community: interdependence, compassion, generosity, ethical conduct, mindfulness. (Gratitude is woven in as a cornerstone that elevates each of these.) Beginning with interdependence, I took a page from Amma’s teachings today,” writes Shey.
“The sun shines down, and its image reflects in a thousand different pots filled with water. The reflections are many, but they are each reflecting the same sun. Similarly, when we come to know who we truly are, we will see ourselves in all people.” – Amma
Amma, (MataAmritanandamayi), is a current day Indian spiritual leader and humanitarian, who is beloved by many. Sh is widely known as the “hugging saint” for her practice of embracing people from all walks of life as a gesture of unconditional love and acceptance.
Shey suggests you ask yourself, “Where do I recognize and celebrate the things I share in common with those around me?”
March 22: Compassion – Dalai Lama
Continuing with another foundational wisdom practice to foster living in harmony with ourselves and each other.
“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” – Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and a global symbol of peace, compassion, and interfaith harmony. He is revered for his teachings on love, kindness, and mindfulness, and he has dedicated his life to promoting human values and fostering understanding among people of different cultures and beliefs.
Compassion or Karuna in Sanskrit: lies at the heart of Buddhist teachings. The word “Karuna” points to an action-oriented sense of compassion involving actively alleviating the suffering of others. The Dalai Lama urges us to embrace compassion as a revolutionary act, an act of love and solidarity. As we actively pave a path to peace.
As the Dalai Lama is considered an emanation of the Buddha of Compassion in the world, Shey shared an image of Chenrezig, one of my paintings created in the style of pointillism. Each dot a prayer for a more peaceful and compassionate world. Link to image: Chenrezig: Buddha of Compassion
Ask yourself, “Where can I meet each person I encounter anew, with loving kindness and compassion?”
March 23: The story of Hafrim
Another core practice for creating harmony in community is “Sila” in Sanskrit or Ethical Conduct. See Shey’s blogpost, here.
“The story is set in a remote African village far from modern ideas. This ancient tribe has lived together and cared for each other for many generations. Together, as a culture, they focus on cultivating their highest and best qualities for the benefit of the whole community. They put their attention on what they appreciate. In gratitude and joy, they celebrate the beauty and the blessings in each other and in their lives.
As with any gathering of human beings, from time to time there is someone in the community who does something contrary to the agreed expectations. I was curious to learn how they address these transgressions. It is quite different from the culture I was raised in. The members of this tribe do not use their energy to judge, to criticize, or to condemn. They do not punish, divide or lock people away.
As the story was told to me, Hafrim, the youngest son of a successful farmer stole the walking stick of a nearby neighbor. Hafrim was intrigued by the intricate carvings and the strong flexible quality of the wood. He took it with him on long walks and would spin and throw and jump with his newly found treasure. His heart knew he had taken what didn’t belong to him, he knew it would not be looked on with favor by his tribe. His pride had wanted it and convinced him the old man didn’t need this beautiful stick anymore. Each day after his walk, Hafrim would hide the stick in the bushes on his way home.
One day Hafrim was spotted returning the stick to its hiding place by the grandson of the neighbor to whom the stick belonged. The grandson shared what he had seen with his grandfather. That night the leaders of the community called everyone together.
The chief and her husband presided over the gathering. Hafrim was asked to sit in the middle of the circle, he was presented with the stick. As he sat alone in the circle, each member of the tribe came to him and told him of the beautiful qualities they see in him. Some talked about his youthfulness, others his bright and curious spirit. One young woman reminded him of his strong shoulders and sweet smile, Hafrim blushed as he felt joy at her regard. His father reminded him of the love and respect he always showed his Mother. His teachers from school applauded his accomplishments. As he held the stick, he felt a warm flush in his body. He became aware of the pain he had likely caused his neighbor when he took this fine walking stick. Treating it as his own, he had disregarded the feelings of another, he would not have wanted someone to do this to him.
Hafrim stood, knowing he was loved and cared for, he did not feel defensive. He knew clearly it had not been his best choice to take the stick. He turned and bowed to each member of the tribe. When he caught the eye of his elder neighbor, he walked to him and with humility and remorse, handed him the walking stick. Hafrim apologized for his selfish actions.
Hearing the sincerity in his words the grandfather put his arm around Hafrim and asked him about the time he spent with the stick. What did he enjoy about it? Why was it important to him? The old man listened attentively and then shared all about what the stick meant to him. They each sought to understand the feelings and the actions of the other.
No one in this community is ever condemned for their behavior. They each seek to understand the other, to see in each other their highest and best qualities, and to reflect them back, a practice serving the individual and the whole.”
At the core of ethical conduct is unconditional Love. Today’s invitation, ask yourself, “As I move through my day, can I walk in love with my fellow humans and meet any unkindness or disrespect they offer with the loving-kindness they need? Can I choose to love in each moment?”
March 24: Generosity – Suze Orman
Continuing our journey with another core practice for fostering harmony in community comes from what may be an unexpected source, a place where worldly wisdom meets our collective heart space.
“True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable possessions you can share.” – Suze Orman
Suze Susan Lynn “Suze” Orman (1951 -) is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with The Suze Orman Show, which ran on CNBC from 2002 to 2015.
The Dalai Lama often speaks about the transformative power of generosity (Dāna in Sanskrit). When we give from the heart, we create a ripple effect of generosity that spreads far and wide, touching the lives of countless others and creating a more peaceful and compassionate world. It has been my experience, in giving, my own heart swells.
Ask yourself, “What can I share today? My time? My attention? One or more of my many gifts? A simple smile? What makes my heart swell?”
March 25: Mindfulness – Sylvia Boorstein
Continuing our exploration of the timeless wisdom underpinning the cultivation of harmonious community, we touch on our 5th core practice, mindfulness, or sati in Sanskrit.
“Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated than that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.” – Sylvia Boorstein
Sylvia Boorstein is an American author, psychotherapist, and Buddhist teacher. Boorstein is a co-founding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. She is also a senior teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. She offers valuable insights into cultivating inner peace and compassion in daily life.
In this space of awareness, regardless of what arises, may we find peace, joy, and connection in the beauty and wonder of life.
March 26: Allow – Diana Faulds & Shey’s Painting, Gentle Rain
Shey shared a painting, “Gentle Rain.” Inspired by the loss of someone dear to me, she sees this piece as an invitation to be present for our sadness, not to cling but to allow, to let go, to welcome new growth. It features a blue dragonfly in the pointillist style, a soft rain in the background, and the fresh growth of a new leaf. Here’s a link to the painting … SheyGlobal.com, which serves as a backdrop for a poem, “Allow” by Danna Faulds
“There is no controlling life. Try corralling a lightning bolt, containing a tornado. Dam a stream and it will create a new channel. Resist, and the tide will sweep you off your feet. Allow, and grace will carry you to higher ground. The only safety lies in letting it all in – the wild and the weak; fear, fantasies, failures and success. When loss rips off the doors of the heart, or sadness veils your vision with despair, practice becomes simply bearing the truth. In the choice to let go of your known way of being, the whole world is revealed to your new eyes.”
Danna is a contemporary American poet, author, and spiritual teacher known for her inspiring and insightful poetry. A long-term practitioner of Kripalu Yoga, she credits the practice of meditation with giving her reliable access to a vivid inner life and creative voice. Her work often explores themes of mindfulness, self-discovery, and the journey of inner peace.
To punctuate this moment, here’s a verse by peace activist, Vietnamese Zen Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
March 27: Love & Fear – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
“There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment, peace, and joy. From fear comes anger, hate, anxiety and guilt. It’s true that there are only two primary emotions, love and fear. But it’s more accurate to say that there is only love or fear, for we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They’re opposites. If we’re in fear, we are not in a place of love. When we’re in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.”
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (9126-2004) was a Swiss-American psychiatrist, a pioneer in near-death studies, and author of the internationally best-selling book, On Death and Dying, where she first discussed her theory of the five stages of grief, also known as the “Kübler-Ross model” which identified the five stages that most terminally ill patients experience: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Later these stages were identified as those a dying person’s loved ones also go through.
March 28: Self-Observation Without Judgement – Danna Faulds
“Release the harsh and pointed inner
voice. it’s just a throwback to the past,
and holds no truth about this moment.
Let go of self-judgment, the old,
learned ways of beating yourself up
for each imagined inadequacy.
Allow the dialogue within the mind
to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift
out of inner criticism and life
suddenly looks very different.
I can say this only because I make
the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to
acknowledge the real me.
What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but
intimacy – seeing clearly, and
embracing what I see.
Love, not judgment, sows the seeds of tranquility and change.”
Danna Faulds is a contemporary American poet who credits the practice of meditation with giving her reliable access to a vivid inner life and creative voice. She is the author of six books of poetry: Go In and In, One Soul, Prayers to the Infinite, From Root to Bloom, and Breath of Joy, as well as the memoir, Into the Heart of Yoga.
March 29: Be Patient from Letters to a Young Poet ― Rainer Maria Rilke
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 – 1926) a writer born in Prague, Czech Republic, published his first book of poems in 1898 and went on to become renowned for his delicate depiction of the workings of the human heart. Drawn by some sympathetic note in his poems, young people often wrote to Rilke with their problems and hopes. From 1903 to 1908 Rilke wrote a series of remarkable responses to a young, would-be poet on poetry and on surviving as a sensitive observer in a harsh world. Those letters, are collected in a book entitled, Letters to a Young Poet, which is still a fresh source of inspiration and insight, are accompanied here by a chronicle of Rilke’s life that shows what he was experiencing in his own relationship to life and work when he wrote them. Read more here.
March 30: Imagine – John Lennon
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today
Ah
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon (1940-1980) was an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film. In the better world Lennon proposed, people would forgo violence and act out of love and mutual respect. They would recognize that such traditional classifiers as religion, nationality and skin color are meaningless from a cosmic perspective and that any person should be treated simply as a fellow human being.
March 31: The Garden – Rumi
Happy is the moment, when we sit together,
With two forms, two faces, yet one soul,
you and I.
The flowers will bloom forever,
The birds will sing their eternal song,
The moment we enter the garden,
you and I.
The stars of heaven will come out to watch us,
And we will show them
the light of a full moon –
you and I.
No more thought of “you” and “I.”
Just the bliss of union –
Joyous, alive, free of care, you and I.
All the bright-winged birds of heaven
Will swoop down to drink of our sweet water –
The tears of our laughter, you and I.
What a miracle of fate, us sitting here.
Even at the opposite ends of the earth
We would still be together, you and I.
We have one form in this world,
another in the next.
To us belongs an eternal heaven,
the endless delight of you and I.
Rumi is a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic known for his spiritual poetry and teachings on love and devotion. His teachings advocate for a spiritual journey guided by love, compassion, and the pursuit of union with the divine, with an understanding of the interconnectedness of all existence.
Version by Jonathan Star (From a translation by Shahram Shiva)
“A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi” Bantam Books, 1992
Shey Khandro is an artist and philosopher whose deepest wish is to nourish and inspire the hearts and minds of others through paintings, sculpture and philosophical reflections focused on spirituality, art, and the experiences of modern life. Committed to living with an open heart, she invites you to come alive in your own journey through the power of mindfulness and intentionality. Together we explore the transformative power of universal Love and Compassion.
Shey draws on 15 years of training as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition, along with her continuing study in the areas of Eastern philosophy, metaphysics, and contemporary brain science. She is an acclaimed contemplative artist who provides opportunities to learn the fundamentals of meditation and mindfulness as a path to heart-centered living, offering effective tools to support you in navigating our ever-changing world while staying connected to a deeper sense of peace. To learn more about events and programs to support your journey of inner peace and well-being, visit www.SheyGlobal.com
Sarah McLean is a spiritual teacher, non-profit founder, retreat facilitator, inspirational speaker, and bestselling author who blends the spirit of Zen Wisdom, Vedic knowledge, and the philosophy of the Amercian Transcendentalists with modern day contemplative practices, contemporary brain science, and heart-based intelligence.
Her journey began as a young woman when in residence at a Transcendental Meditation community over 30 years ago. There, she practiced meditation intensively on a daily basis, and received advanced training in meditation techinques, all while immersed in the study and practice of the ancient healing arts of Ayurveda.
In 1993, Sarah began her teaching career, sharing contemplative practices alongside thought-leaders and luminaries, while serving as the education director for Deepak Chopra’s Center for Mind Body Health in Calfornia. After eight years working with him, she then took a sabbatical spending months at an ashram in India immersed in bhakti yoga and seva and then returning to the US to live and work in a Zen Buddhist training center. Two years later, Sarah was invited to direct The School for the Work of Byron Katie, there, immersing herself in the practices of Self Inquiry that began while a Zen Student.
She then moved to Sedona, Arizona where she opened a world-class destination meditation center offering meditation teacher training and weekend retreats. She began to serve as the director (and now co-director) of the Feastfor the Soul, a nonprofit organization that created the world’s first virtual 40-day spiritual practice period. Sarah is the bestselling Hay House author of Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation, and The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and its Unlimited Potential with Meditation. She now lives in Santa Barbara, California where she offers online meditation classes, trains meditation and mindfulness teachers at the Meditation Teacher Academy, and continues her mission of helping people wake up to who they really are and become aware of the wonder and beauty of their life. Visit her website: www.McLeanMeditation.com