Good morning, dear sangha friends. This morning, I awoke, had a cup of water, and then headed directly to my meditation corner in my bedroom and practiced mindful breathing and sitting. I had intended to meditate for 20 minutes or so, but ended up sitting for about 60 minutes. It was very refreshing. I guess I really needed it. I hadn't been feeling well yesterday, and I skipped dinner and the meditation gathering last night. I felt that I needed to "begin anew" once again.

I also decided to practice mindful writing after this morning's sitting meditation. Below is what the "Buddha in me" wrote through me just a few hours ago. Some of you know that I began this mindful writing practice two years ago. However, what you probably don't know is that I haven't done it in a while, due to various reasons, such as a broken heart, family crisis, etc. I have sometimes felt blocked. So, this morning, I decided to "just do it," even if I believed I was blocked. Our beliefs are "not always so." The Truth is always there, blocked or not.

Also, after meditation and breakfast, I decided to practice mindfulness with a couple of my family members. When my baby niece awoke, and after my brother bathed her, I brushed her hair and walked her around. She didn't want to play or eat or say anything. She just wanted to be held silently, just gently opening up to another new day. Then, I thought of Shaun and Kara, who recently had our first sangha baby, "Sam." And I decided to breathe and walk with my baby niece in my arms in mindfulness, in solidarity with Shaun and Kara as they struggle with the new joys and challenges of mindful parenting. Wow, I realized in that moment that one could even meditate with a baby in one's arms! I suppose I knew that intellectually, but it's another thing altogether to realize it experientially. :-)

Afterwards, while I was typing the words from my journal onto the computer, my mother walked into the computer room. She was telling me about how she wished she had more help at work. At first, I wasn't sure why she was telling me about this, especially since she knows how inept I am at real estate business. As I walked away, I checked in with my heart, and I realized that what my mother was really doing was not asking for help in business but making a call for help in her spirit. So, I dropped what I was doing immediately and told my mother to put on her jacket and shoes. I took her hand and walked her outside. At first she fussed a little because she needed to get to work, but that didn't last long because I knew that what she really needed and wanted was some quality time with someone who loves her out in God's beautiful creation, all available through the back door, in the here and now. "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto you."

I gently instructed my mother to try to just enjoy the walk, to breathe in "Dear God" and to breathe out "Thank You." To feel the breeze, hear the birds, see the sky and trees and ducks and pond. Every few seconds, of course, she would chime in about this needs to be fixed, that needs to be replaced, these weeds need to be pulled, that tree needs to be trimmed, etc. Chuckling to myself, I knew that it was all okay, for I knew that the healing power of mindfulness was doing its work quietly underneath the chatter of the mind. I just continued to breathe, walk slowly, holding my mom's hand, letting my mindfulness be enough for the both of us. At one point, I felt inspired to give my mom a simple practice she could use anytime she needs. I told her that, whenever she felt stressed, she could take a slow deep breath and breathe in all of the healing energy of the Earth, and then breathe out, letting go of the stress, entrusting it into the care of the Universe. So she did that right then and there, three times. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Toward the end of our walk, another inspired thought came to me, and that was to invite my mother to sing one of her favorite church hymns. I figured, well, if she can't practice walking meditation very well yet, perhaps walking and doing a spiritual practice she was familiar with might be helpful. I know she loves to sing at church, so we did singing and walking practice in place of breathing and walking practice. We sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow and I Know He Watches Me." :-)

Then we fed the ducks. . . .

Please enjoy your day today.
It is a gift, a love letter, waiting to be opened.
Mindfulness is the key.
I need your support.
Let's start fresh together.

Thank you.

Enjoy the Buddha's "love letter" to you below.

In light, love and life,
Br. ChiSing