guest blogger

Mia Staysko, an interior designer and certified Feng Shui Professional, has communicated with me a couple of times this past year responding to the website and newsletters.  She has contributed this story about creating a sacred space to resume her daily meditation practice.  She lives near Calgary.  Thank you Mia!

I have recently returned to my meditation practice after about a year long hiatus. I was diligent for nearly 18 months in making sure that I ‘sat’ every day. After setting up a special corner, a sort of ‘sacred space’ for myself I have come again to the silence. It is easier, I think, to meditate when we have a space to call our own. A sort of self imposed ‘time out’ place that we can go to when we need to know ourselves.

A corner, room or spot which is set up just for the purpose of reflection, meditation or prayer draws us in and calls us to practice. It waits patiently for us to take up the offer and just be, if only for a few minutes. It also will not judge us when we are unable.

While it can be hard to carve out a little niche for something which can seem self indulgent, it really makes a big difference to the consistency of our daily sit.

Mia Staysko

Feng Shui practitioner, Calgary, AB, Canada

mia@whitelotusinteriors.ca

www.carryoutkindness.com

My friend Carol McKeag has sent this blog describing a very recent insight, enjoy….  Nancy

I’ve spent twelve summers at my current home and just this morning found a new, delicious, serene and nurturing space in which to do my morning practices. My normal morning ritual is to go downstairs, make coffee, bring it upstairs and get very cozy in my comfortable bed with big pillows and do my daily reading/writing/meditating in that space. I love my bedroom space. I can look out the window and see the seasons changing; it is light and airy, spacious and warm.

This morning instead I took my coffee outside on the back patio deck and sat and watched the beautifully colored wild birds dance around the birdfeeder. Saw hummingbirds examine the new feeder and come back to eat! The air outside was coolish; this space gets afternoon sun so is shaded in the morning. I was surrounded by blooming roses, green trees and a bubbling fountain; just me, the birds, nature and my books and journal. What a joyful, peaceful and soul feeding experience that was.

Sitting there I was struck with the awareness that I had lived in this space for thirteen years and never experienced the gift of morning time on the back deck. I spend lots and lots of afternoon time in the sun there. I wondered how many other wonderful experiences I have missed because of my tunnel vision, seeing only what had become familiar to me. How easy it is to keep returning to what I know and trust and is routine rather than taste something new.

My reading this morning included Alan Cohen’s message for the day from his book A Daily Dose of Sanity, and it was so on target. It was entitled “Peripheral Vision” and discussed how when we are fearful that fear narrows our corridor of sight. I wasn’t fearful this morning, yet my corridor of sight was very narrow. I think “routine” narrows our corridor of sight.

As I was completed my morning practices and was ready to return in to the house I saw two white butterflies flying together in an upward spiral as though they were dancing…up, up, up and away. And I thought about the joy and peace that comes from seizing the moment; don’t wait to seize the day. Revel in, enjoy, roll around in and taste, seize this moment and soon you will have a whole day.

“You can assess the sate of your mental health by

the number of options you are aware of.”

unknown

Carol McKeag, CPC

Life Coach & Spiritual Mentor

www.Coachingforlifeandspirit.net

My cousin, Carrie Link, blogs several days each week.  Her blog fully-caffeinated.blogspot.com is heartfelt, often humorous and always straight forward, whatever the subject. She has readers all over the world who read and comment. She writes of personal insights and daily family life along with frequent touching stories about her dear 13 year old special needs son.  Love, honesty, pain and spirituality shine through her writing. Through Carrie I met Deb Shucka, first through her blog catbirdscout.blogspot.com, then in person. Deb writes beautifully of her life experience and observations along with fascinating stories of time she spent with a cult.  Both have extensively studied and practiced the art of writing memoir.  Together they are offering an online class to begin January 11th as well as an in-person class here in Portland.  This will be an amazing class for sure!

Nancy, Owner

Creating Quiet Spaces

Posted November 23, 2009 on Carrie’s Link’s blog fully-caffeinated.blogspot.com

AN ONLINE CIRCLE

As those of you who visit here regularly know, Deb Shucka and I are offering a writing workshop in Portland starting in January. We are amazed and excited that so many of you have asked about the possibility of an online memoir writing class, as well. So it is with pleasure that we are announcing one, to begin Monday, January 11. (We still have 2 more spots in the in-person class, if you live in the Portland area.)

Many of you are in situations where going to a class won’t work, but you’re hungry for a memoir writing community and for the accountability attending a class creates. If you’re looking for a safe place in which to tell your story and receive support and feedback, whether it’s your first effort or whether you’ve finished a book, this class will satisfy that need.

We will provide prompts, deadlines, teachings that will add to your craft tool kit, and detailed feedback for your writing. You will write, share your writing, and offer gentle feedback and support to each other.

Please contact us for cost and additional information. We’re looking forward to learning and writing and moving closer to the light of truth together with you.

carriewilsonlink@comcast.net or dshucka@teleport.com