For the past two weeks, I’ve had the honor of offering retreats, time-out-of-time to step out of life, into study. Since I wasn’t able to be at Rohatsu Sesshin at Upaya during the first week, I viewed the recordings (resources listed at the end of this piece). On day three, the talk given by Kaz Tanahashi Sensei and Monshin Nannette Overley helped me orient myself to better serve the folks who’d come to learn and rest with me.
Monshin lifted up a key teaching from Shunryu Suzuki. In essence, the fullness we perceive in each moment of our lives depends on how present we’re willing to be.
“What’s possible,” she asks, “when we’re really willing to be, rather than rejecting what’s here?”
She invites us to stop shoring up our attention with preferences, with being defended, to practice simply being present. Coincidentally, I’m reading Suzuki’s biography right now, and stumbled upon that very quote just hours after watching her speak.
Perceiving the fullness of each moment anew, today will include a short reading of the Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage with a two-minute sit. Having shared this poem in almost every class, discussing it line by line toward the end, the grass hut holds new weight and meaning. Awake and alive to the freshness of each moment, the practice is attending to the gifts that are here.
The handful of images are from Pete Longworth, with two casual shots from dear friend Marilu Montero. Captions are below each photograph.
But first, announcing (!): Our 2025 Planning Session is upon us, our annual time to be together virtually to reflect and offer ourselves direction for the coming year.
Save the Date
Planning Session 2025: Reflection|Direction
with Elena Brower and Michelle Martello
December 30th, 11am-1230pm Eastern Time
Treat yourself to clear and focused energy to begin the new year.
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