Taking a Deeper Breath

Or wherever you hang helpful reminders. From "Lions Roar Magazine, Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time.”    Lions Roar Until tomorrow, stay healthy, stay home, and stay centered as best you can. Love, Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

Are you familiar with Banksy? Known for his deliberate — and well-guarded — anonymity and the speed of his work, for over 20 years he’s been arguably the world’s most famous street artist. Here are some examples of his work, which often pops up overnight on walls, fences, and bridges in the U.K. and elsewhere: Perhaps you remember his most (in)famous prank, the shredding masterpiece. Here’s an article about it: Banksy Prank Although he’s known for street art in public places, even Banksy has to work from home during the COVID lockdown in the U.K. I thought you might get a laugh out of seeing what he’s been up to: Banksy Works From Home Wait for the photos to change from one to the next. (Spoiler alert: the toilet is a bit grim). Until tomorrow, stay safe, be well, and look for whimsy where you can. Love from Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

You may have noticed something of a theme in these daily e-mails. As I said at the outset, my main goal is to provide a few minutes’ respite from the news each day. But another purpose is to offer ways to help stay grounded and centered in these uncertain times. That’s why I’ve sent messages about things like deep breathing, yoga, noticing sensory experiences, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-care. We all face the unknown, and we are all susceptible to fear or grief. But we can all benefit from staying in our body, staying in the moment, and building our capacity to observe our thoughts, feelings, and emotions without being judgmental. Yes, we all want answers. Our brains are wired to seek certainty. We like patterns and predictability. We want to know what our future holds. But we live in a very uncertain time. And we can be more calm and centered if we are able to come to peace with not knowing. If you are frustrated by the uncertainty of this time, perhaps it will help if you ...

We’ve all had many reactions to the strange and disturbing world we inhabit now. Most of us probably have cycled through a range of reactions within moments, depending upon how, where, and when we get our news. But I wonder how many of us have truly been awed or amazed lately, or how many of us have experienced deep joy while we’ve been socially distanced and sheltering in place. Those are huge feelings. They might not come to you here. But if you let yourself relax and sink in, perhaps you’ll experience one of them through this immersive Van Gogh exhibition from the Atelier des Lumières, or Studio of Lights, in Paris:  Van Gogh   If you prefer Gustav Klimt, here’s a link for you:   Klimt “Dreamed Japan” would have been better without the tourists and background noise, but the lanterns starting at 7:54 are particularly mesmerizing:  "Dreamed Japan" There’s more to see here:  Atelier Lumieres .  Be sure to scroll down to the photographs on t...

Of course you don’t. But I wish you did, because on yesterday’s walk we heard something unexpected and delightful. I’ll get to that in a minute. But first, here are a few other things we heard: a busy woodpecker; a pair of pint-sized guard dogs who couldn’t have weighed over three pounds together but gave it their all when we passed by their house; here and there, Tryon Creek, rushing down the hill through backyards and next to the street; friendly greetings from other walkers and from bicyclists gliding down a steep hill, and a surprisingly perky hello from a gentleman of a certain age who was steadily peddling up it; two different leaf blowers (not every sound is golden); our own voices; more towhees than we could count; an unseen young child in a front yard; some song sparrows; a second hello from a bicyclist who passed us again going the other direction; the rustling and clucking of contented chickens in a side yard coop; the sound of our feet moving through the...

Does Jack Kornfield’s name ring a bell? He’s a clinical psychologist, Buddhist practitioner, and one of the earliest teachers to bring Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He began his training as a Buddhist monk more than 50 years ago.  As we continue to walk together through this painful time, Kornfield is one who can offer hope and help.  “Epidemics are a part of the cycle of life on this planet,” he says. “The choice is how we respond. With greed and hatred and fear and ignorance? Or with generosity, clarity, steadiness and love?” Here’s a portion of what he told reporter David Marchese in an interview published in the New York Times Magazine on April 11. Perhaps it will help lift you up for today: "In the Buddhist tradition, there are beings called bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva vows to alleviate suffering and bring blessings in every circumstance. They choose to live with dignity and courage and radiate compassion for all. The beautiful thing is that we can see b...

How was your weekend? We celebrate Easter at my house, and it was a very different celebration this year. I had not been looking forward to it, actually, because of the family traditions I cherish that would not be happening. They did not happen, of course, but it was still a lovely day. I suppose part of the reason was that my expectations have shifted. If I’m not expecting the family for brunch, then it’s a treat just to see children and grandchildren on Zoom and FaceTime. And if I’m not expecting an Easter egg hunt at home, then a trip to the park to throw frisbees in masks and gloves is a delight. If I’m not expecting fresh spring flowers on the table, then the short-stemmed blossoms and clovers that three-year-old Cedar picks for me — and sets down on the ground at a safe distance for me to collect — make the best Easter bouquet ever. The other piece might be that the rhythm of my life has changed. With this time of being apart has come an abrupt slowdown in nearly every one ...

Spring is bursting out even as we shelter in our homes. At least here in Portland, each day seems to bring more vivid color to our world. Renowned British artist David Hockney is in Normandy for the duration, and he has been sharing iPad paintings of the area as his gift to everyone. Here are eight of them. I hope that they bring pleasure to you today, especially if your skies are cloudy.  And if you are staying indoors today, here’s another opportunity to explore beauty: Tourism Flanders has put together a guided tour of the Flemish master Jan van Eyck’s exhibit.  The exhibition visit is also accompanied by an extensive audio guide that tells the story of van Eyck and his time, and highlights a whole series of works of art.    Jan Van Eyck On this Easter Sunday during Passover week, I wish you all a blessed day. And until tomorrow, take good care, be well, and let the sunshine in! Love from Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

Yesterday I described some of the ways that I have been learning about myself during this new life. There have been endless lessons for all of us, for our country, and for our world in this time of pandemic. Scroll down for another message from Sr. Barbara Kennedy, OSM. May it be so. And here’s a website that shows what it looks like when we do rise up and do better:  Love Beyond Walls    Be sure to  scroll down to the video at the bottom of the home page, and read Terence and Cecelia Lester’s story here:  Lesters' Story   Then watch the video about the portable washing stations that allow homeless people to at least wash their hands now: Washing Stations      There are more Love Beyond Walls videos here:  Videos Until tomorrow, take good care, all of you, and stay healthy. I am holding each of you in my heart this day and every day. We are not alone. Love, Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma Quote by Jodi Miller, Mayor of Freepor...

Those of us celebrating Easter this weekend are well acquainted with hard boiled eggs. This is probably the first time in 66 years that I haven’t had colored eggs in my home for Easter. Between dying Easter eggs with my children and grandchildren, making plenty of deviled eggs and potato salads for summer picnics, and just cooking eggs for breakfast, I would estimate that I have boiled roughly a bazillion eggs in my lifetime. And it turns out that everything I knew about boiling eggs was wrong. For one thing, the best boiled eggs aren’t boiled at all; they’re steamed. And it’s not true that you should start eggs in a pan of cold water. Shouldn’t you bring the eggs to a boil and then turn off the heat? Nope. Nor should they get an ice bath after they’re done cooking. I was pretty sure that I knew how to do this basic task, but chef and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt taught me otherwise. He has the data to prove it. Here’s the New York Times article about his adventures in wha...

Do you recognize these? They’re forget-me-nots. At least, that’s what I always called them until we moved to Switzerland for a time and I learned to call them by their genus, “Myosotis.” That word is taken from the Ancient Greek for “mouse’s ear," which the foliage is thought to resemble. Charming, no? No. Not to me, anyway. I  was  charmed, the first year that we were in our house, when forget-me-nots arrived in our garden to announce the arrival of spring. I like blue flowers very much, and these little ones are cheerful and low maintenance. But that was just the problem. They were too hardy and intrepid. Between the wood violets and the forget-me-nots, there was soon no room for the new flowers and berry bushes I wanted to plant. “Garden pests,” I began to call them, and I set out to conquer them, pulling them out by the roots and bundling them off to the bin. Year after year. It’s been an ongoing battle (those aren’t my only garden pests), but I have made room f...

Last Friday I shared some information about mindfulness, and on Monday I offered some ideas about practicing mindfulness. I recommended meditation, and pointed to Headspace and Calm as two online resources that offer a free trial. My terrific niece, Kelsy, sent me another recommendation to share with you, Smiling Mind. She says that it’s  "a free mindfulness/meditation app developed by psychologists and educators. It has adult programs but also programs for children that are broken out by ages. It’s comparable to Headspace just without the huge subscription fee. ” Dr. Kelsy Newton is a pediatric psychologist who works in a hospital setting with children who have chronic health conditions. She is a specialist in anxiety disorders. (Thank you, Kels, for the vital work you do every day and for sending this information to me to share.) You can find Smiling Mind here:  Smiling Mind To quickly recap, mindfulness allows us to stay in the moment with our thoughts, emotions, and...

This video was made in 2011. Keep that in mind as you watch it from today’s perspective. I have no words for this, except to say that Eric Whitacre has been one of my top favorites for many years. I have never heard a piece of his work that was not transporting. But this is a whole different experience. I recommend that you watch it in full screen on a tablet or laptop, if you can. Eric Whitacre TED Talk If you want more, here’s #2, “Sleep”: Virtual Choir, "Sleep" And here’s #3, “Water Night”: Virtual Choir, "Water Night" Until tomorrow, look (and listen!) for beauty, embrace joy, and take one day at a time. Be well. Love, Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

Last Friday I talked about mindfulness, the practice of paying attention, staying in the present, and just observing and accepting our thoughts and sensations without judging them or being overwhelmed by them. I suggested the exercise of taking a pause to breathe, count, and then simply notice and name your feeling or emotion when you start to feel something overtake you. The goal was simply to stay with it — to stay present — and to be able to choose what you need next rather than just mindlessly react. Did you try it? Was it hard? For many of us, mindfulness feels foreign; it’s the exact opposite of how we have been used to moving in our fast paced, multi-tasking environment. Yet in this time of anxiety and grief, mindfulness is exactly what we need. Just like a muscle, mindfulness can grow stronger with repeated exercise. And like any other new skill, mindfulness gets easier the more we practice. Here are a couple of easy ways to build more mindfulness into your day: Mindfu...

Look what we found on our walk yesterday: It was the first rose of the year for Carl and me. And while it’s a little disconcerting to see a rose out in early April, it feels like a gift of hope right now. This particular rose tree is a highly fragrant one. I always stop to smell these roses at the top of a hill near the end of my walk. It’s encouraging to know that I will be able to inhale that fragrance again soon. It’s the rhythm of spring, the reliability of it, that brings me hope and encouragement in these days. Here’s a poem by Mary Oliver that speaks of all these things. I hope that it brings you hope and encouragement today, and that, wherever you are, you are able to enjoy the signs of spring around you. Spring In the north country now it is spring and there Is a certain celebration. The thrush Has come home. He is shy and likes the Evening best, also the hour just before Morning; in that blue and gritty light he Climbs to his branch, or smoothly S...