The Jizo Chronicles

I’m a bit behind in sending this out, but then I realized that the full moon is a perfect way to schedule my newsletter, much better than “the first of the month.”

Time and space are how we move through this world. In this digital age, we’ve gotten so attuned to our devices, whether they are smartphones or laptops or something else. The more digital we get, the less human we are…. that’s my feeling, anyway.

Over the past few months, I’ve been remembering how good it feels to pay attention to the moon. When I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was part of a small sangha (Buddhist community) that took full moon walks along a eucalyptus tree-lined trail in the Oakland hills. We would walk about 20 minutes in silence until we reached a certain overlook. Along the way, someone would ring a bell of mindfulness every so often. Then on the way back we took time to catch up on each other’s lives, renewing friendships and connections that might have been put aside in the busy-ness of the previous month.

In July, I co-led a full moon ceremony at the International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice center in northern Thailand. My co-conspirator for that ceremony was Nicole Sangsuree Barrett, an extraordinary young woman who was there for the Buddhist Education for Social Transformation course that I was helping to teach. Sangsuree was a gifted ceremonialist and she designed a beautiful ritual to support all of us to reconnect to the earth and with each other. Just five days later, Sang was killed instantly when she was hit by a car in Chiang Mai.

As you might imagine, her loss was devastating for so many people who loved her. At the same time, there were many gifts that flowed from her death (I wrote more about Sangsuree’s life and death here). For me, it was that reminder of how important ritual is, how deeply we human beings need that chance to find our way back to the ‘home’ that is always there in nature and deep inside each of us.

As you move into this next month, how can you create time and space in your life to re-connect and renew yourself? It might be as simple as turning off all your digital devices for one day of the week and being more present to yourself and those you love. This is so important in this world of ours these days… it’s really an act of healing to be present. I’d love to hear how you do this in your life – drop me a line and let me know.

In freedom,

Maia

What’s Coming Up… photo: Katya Lesher Re-Connection and Renewal Interested in bringing mindfulness into your workplace? Re-Connection and Renewal (R+R) workshops and retreats are designed to do just that. This month, I’m traveling to Ohio to co-lead a one-day retreat for the staff of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Get in touch with me to learn more about how you can bring a custom-designed R+R to your group or organization.  June 2015: Retreat at Upaya Zen Center Katya Lesher and I will be co-leading “Re-Connection and Renewal: A Women’s Weekend of Mindful Nourishment” at Upaya Zen Center, June 26-28, 2015. I’d love to have you join us here in beautiful Santa Fe.

When I was growing up, I loved the start of the school year – new books to read, inspiring teachers to learn from, and reconnecting with friends returning from summertime adventures. I’ve always had a passion for learning and connection.

September has always felt to me like the real beginning of the year – I wonder if that feels true for you too? 

As this September starts, I’m ready to create something new… hence this newsletter!

A little background may be helpful. You’re receiving this email because you’ve signed up for one of my lists: the Liberated Life Project, Five Directions, and/or the Jizo Chronicles. Over the years, I’ve discovered that readers on any one of those sites often have no idea that the others exist. It seems I’ve created different spaces for different parts of myself… but now I can see how connected they all are.

Recently I’ve started to see how all these venues — and my whole body of work — have one thing in common: creating space for learning and transformation. 

In the next few months, my big project is to bring together these online personas into one integrated space, a place dedicated to transformative learning and mindful awareness and to supporting those who share those values. This monthly newsletter is a first step in that direction and makes it easier for me to tell you what else is going on in my ‘world work,’ as a friend calls it.

I know lots of folks are downsizing in the email department. If you need to unsubscribe from this one, I understand. But if you feel that you’d enjoy hearing what I’m up to, staying in the loop about ways to learn along with me, and keeping connected to the other great folks please do stick around! I would love to stay connected – if that feels right to you.

blessings and love,

Maia

p.s. the beautiful photo of the spider web, above, was taken by my friend and colleague, Katya Lesher.