"Walk as One at One" ~ Imagine centering the spiritual energy of the entire world for 24 hours....we all can be part of this amazing phenomenon as we join other "spiritual pilgrims" to walk a labyrinth at one o'clock in a rolling time zone around the world! Join the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Glen Allen as we sponsor a walk with the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls at 8716 West Broad Street, RVA. Free and open to all, Saturday, May 5th, 2012 - 12:45 short introduction and available til 2, behind Southern States, beyond the cinemas. Labyrinth activities for the kids... If you're not in Richmond,  that's OK, just take a look on the WorldWide Labyrinth Locator at the Labyrinth Society webpage and join us, at any timezone!!! at one!!! Namaste'
http://labyrinthsociety.org/

Spring Flowers, Peepers & Walking Meditation

Greetings ~ new signs of Spring this week... daffodils lived through our first "winter snow" and those little spring peepers began to sing!

Many thoughts this week on purpose and its form, on relationships and health, on mortality and the Divine. In the last ten days, three (!)  friends lost their moms, another gained a grandson, new war headlines raged from Syria, and our bookclub explored the ravages of fracking on water supplies, health, and farmland in Pennsylvania.... Life can be such a delicate balance between working, coping, and dropping $4/gallon for gas vs. having compassion for friends and countries in greater debt or crisis..... Often, mere walking centers and calms these whirling thoughts for me ~~~~~~~

There's this sweet little book called The Long Road Turns To Joy - A Guide To Walking Meditation, by Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Today I offer you some of his words, to consider, even if it's only in walking inside from a parking lot....then a mandala website to offer some visually centering Spring for your soul ~

"When you begin to practice walking meditation, you might feel unbalanced, like a baby learning to walk. Follow your breathing, dwell mindfully on your steps, and soon you will find your balance. Visualize a tiger walking slowly, and you will find that your steps become as majestic as his.......
... You don't need to join your palms together or wear a solemn face to practice walking meditation. If possible, choose a quiet path in a park, near a lake, or along a riverbank. The best practice is formless. Don't walk so slowly that people think you are strange. (Good advice for us Westerners!) Walk in a way that others do not even notice that you are practicing. If you meet someone along the way, just smile and continue your walking."


And, exquisite flower mandalas for sitting meditation: 
http://ngartsite.com/galleries/mandala/index.htm#img/1.png


NAMASTE', Karen

Re-Centering on a cold winter day

"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton

Love that quote! Have been spending some extra time reflecting lately on life purpose, how the work we do in JuVe often brightens those kids' lives, and how to respond to some of the pain and challenges in the world at this time, especially in the lives of some close friends.... the quick snow gave me an extra day off to ponder some special sites to share here. May they reflect some sources of new light into your world ~

Kate Middleton Champions Art Therapy - ArtLyst

How exciting that Kate understands the value of our amazing profession in working with kids with emotional problems! Kate Middleton Champions Art Therapy - ArtLyst

Trusting New Beginnings

Good Morning New Day! New Blog, New Year almost, and New Friend! Although the topic isn't new to me, blogging sure is, so here I go, trusting a new path, just as I have done so many times before in making new artwork and on the labyrinths I walk.... just what this blog is all about. I suppose a perfect example of "practice what you preach" :)

So, as we explore the joy, wonder, and possible fears of rediscovering parts of ourselves I invite you to try some of the practices and links offered here to expand your own ability to integrate mindfulness into your daily routine. Although a trained clinician and artist, my own daily practice could use a bit of tuning up, to say the least, so we'll undoubtedly learn a lot from one another.... My first intention, for all of you to witness, is to be consistent for you here, mindful of my commitment to you and my joy in sharing "sacred circles" and their power to heal from within ~~~