LEE KLINGER LESSER
Newsletter - April, 2010
Do you ever feel like things are upside down and you are lying on a bed of rocks?
I wonder if we can meet these challenging moments in our lives with the ease and grace of these role models?
I love these photos! They make me smile and they invite me to slow down and land just where I am.
For the past 40 years, Sensory Awareness has been a refuge and resource for me. When I am distracted, worried, upset, I can pause and become quiet to notice the actual physical sensations I am experiencing in the moment. Becoming "embodied", brings another level of clarity all through me. The experiencing of physical sensations offers an intimate and fresh connection to what the moment is actually offering, and asking of me, beyond the story I create or the expectations I might carry. This practice provides tools to meet the many changing and different situations of our lives with our own deepest and most attentive presence, knowing these moments are unique and our time is limited.
I went for a walk one evening at dusk along a bike path. It was alive with birds, dogs and people - colors, sounds and smells. My walk was filled with simple moments and poignant memories. Experiences related to changing, aging, sickness and death circled through me. I saw young children playing on the same soccer fields where my now-grown-children used to play. As I was walking the sky began to darken and the birds began to settle. One day turning into another. Life keeps changing, each moment offering its own gift, even the ones we don't like.
I thought of a friend facing surgery to remove a tumor from her brain. I went with her earlier that morning to meet her surgeon. He described how he was going to cut through her skull to remove the tumor. He explained the procedure, clarified next steps, and identified possible risks. After the appointment and the "wealth" of information, we went to lunch where we saw a poster for the Soweto Gospel Choir. Like a magnet it called to us, and two days later, (four days before her surgery) we were in a large auditorium with a group of friends clapping and dancing to the life-affirming music.
I once had a T-shirt that I wore so often it became worn through. It was emerald green with black letters that said: "Life may not be the party I hoped for, but while I am here I might as well dance." Sensory Awareness invites me over and over into a wonderful dance. I look forward to dancing with any of you who would like to join me!
Honoring the Path of the Warrior - Tools for Returning Veterans in the Transition Home
Meditation and mindfulness practices have been used to for thousands of years to build concentration and focus, and to integrate body/mind experiences. They have given me tools that sustain me in my life. I carry a deep trust that they can offer sustenance to returning veterans.
My friend and colleague, Chris Fortin, who is a Buddhist priest and psychotherapist, and I wanted to contribute something towards healing and welcome for people who have been in military service. So, two years ago, we began talking and meeting with representatives from programs working with veterans to find out if there would be interest in what we could offer. Little by little we began to grow this project, "Honoring the Path of the Warrior - Tools for Returning Veterans in the Transition Home." It has been an educational and moving journey for us, as veterans help to develop and shape the program.
We have learned that physically challenging and engaging activities mixed with quiet, contemplative practices are a great combination! Since October 2008, we have offered 8 one-day events combining hiking or rock climbing, with meditation and Sensory Awareness. And we held a 3-day camping/white water Class III and IV river rafting trip. As veterans attend these events they contribute their own leadership and expertise to open doors for new veterans who are participating.
In the coming year, we will continue to hold one-day events every other month in addition to our annual river rafting trip and a new overnight adventure. The interest is growing. The days have provided opportunities for connection, fun, concentration, relaxation and ease. They offer an introduction to meditation and mindfulness tools that can be integrated and used in many situations.
San Francisco Zen Center has become the fiscal sponsor for our project. In order to offer these events, we need to raise money. For people who would like to make tax-deductible contributions, please contact the San Francisco Zen Center and tell them you want to contribute to the Vets' Project, or contact Lee for more info.
A young veteran who participated in the first event we offered in the Fall of 2008 and has continued to come back and help to facilitate other retreats said:
"I came to these workshops a year and half ago isolated, dealing with addiction, and spiritually empty. Through participating in these retreats I rediscovered my integrity, recognized a growing awareness, guided compassion and a sense of place, and found serenity by utilizing the tools cultivated through participation in these retreats. Each breath is another opportunity for Warriors to meet their journey."
Jeremy B. Lopez, United States Marine Corps, Rank: E5/Sgt.
Dancing...
For 40 years, Sensory Awareness has been a refuge and resource in my life. Charlotte Selver, my teacher, and I were leading a workshop together at Green Gulch Farm on the day I turned 50 years old. She was 100 years old. Charlotte continued to practice and teach Sensing until she died at the age of 102 years old. On the last night of Charlotte's life, a small group of people came together in her living room. We sat and breathed together.
We landed in the comforting home of our sensations. Over these 40 years, one thing I have come to trust, is that there is no place else to be than where we are. When we can be deeply present for whatever is happening, new doors open towards our own aliveness and freedom.
Wishing you sustenance, refuge and lots of dancing,
Lee