The Zen Master Suzuki Roshi once said, "The
most important point is to find out what is the most important point." It's
easy to get confused, to chase after arbitrary goals or accomplishments, and
miss the inherent blessings of our lives. The poet Rumi says, "You miss the
garden because you want a stray fig from a random tree, let yourself be silently
drawn by the stronger pull of what you really want. Don't go where you think you
want to go-ask the way to the Spring."
Whether in Yoga, Zen, or daily life, it's easy to
forget the important point. In our retreats, while practicing asana, pranayama,
sitting and walking meditation, while talking and eating, we endeavor to realize
the most important point. What could it be? Alignment? Awareness of Breath?
Mindfulness? Compassion? What about effort, concentration, gratitude,
forgiveness? What about sincerity, determination, courage, patience? Let's see
what we can find out and know for ourselves. Let's enter into the Blessedness of
the Present where we find the refreshment of the Spring.
To practice together is a mutual creation,
eliciting one another's Beginner's Mind, goodheartedness, and receptivity. We
meet face to face and heart to heart in the midst of these ancient practices.
Thank you for your interest.
We usually offer two yoga classes a day, one active and the
other restorative, as well as four or five periods of meditation, talks,
question and answer periods, and individual "practice discussions." We
are aiming to encourage choice and discovery rather than coercing
"correct" behavior. Blessings.
