I have had such a lovely day today. It is always good when you feel a plan coming together. My little charity tea party is taking shape and it is a real community event; both real and virtual. This is just the start of a summer of fundraising that, I hope, will finish with a Butterfly Supper in September. The people of Arran do a huge amount for charity so I am always a bit nervous about asking for support but I need not be as they always deliver. But, for me, it is the additional support of my little virtual community that has made this event so special. Many of you have used the words 'I will be there in spirit' and that is so warming to the soul.
Speaking of warming our souls up I have been formulating a plan for sometime and I feel now is the time to get it underway. Yesterday, I highlighted the work of Hannah Brencher the young woman who has started a global project involving volunteers who write supportive and inspirational letters and leave them around the place to be found by random strangers. I have since been reading some of Hannah's breathtaking writing on her personal blog. I was so impressed by her writing and can hardly believe she is on 24. One thing she said has stuck with me -
'I am a writer. not my choice. by the fact that I’ve had the hearts of others stapled to my sleeves since childhood and searching the ground for syllables seems like the only way to finally put those heavy hearts down.'
A few weeks back I wrote a post where I confessed to 'holding onto people'. I have done this all my life, even when I was a child. My thinking over the past couple of days has taken a slightly new twist. All my life people have told me their stories and all my life I listened. I have also tried to help where I can. These stories are always filled with honestly and authenticity and I always think of them as shards of light streaming through a grey glen. The stories have the capacity to change thinking and, in most cases, that is exactly what happens. I always, always feel priviledged to have these stories shared with me and I have felt like a storykeeper. Unlike Hannah I have never found them to be a burden and I think that is because we find ways to set the stories free. I set free my story of my first baby, that we sadly lost, in a blog a few weeks ago and have felt a really healing ever since.
This week I talked about my illness in a way I have never done before. I am quite sure that is helping me as we speak. However, what is interesting is that my story of my chronic illness has provoked other stories. Since Tuesday I have listened to so many stories. They are not all to do with illness. Some are at bereavement, others are about family issues. Some are life affirming stories about journeys people are on at the moment. Alongside that I have been responding to questions about my meditation practice and how that has helped me with my chronic illness. I would say that meditation has helped me with my illness more than anything else I have tried but it is worth even more than that. I have been meditating for quite a few years and intensively for the past two years. I would be completely lost without it now. I take my practice out of my 'pocket' everytime I need it and it never lets me down.
I have no doubt that meditation has brought me greater peace and happiness and I am not sure we can ask for anymore than that. I am at a stage where I feel ready to share my practice and I have given this some careful thought. I am writing a course that will take 6 months to complete and the focus is on introducing meditation as a tool for happier living. In order to engage fully with my practice I am going to thread a writing dimension throughout the 6 months in the form of a journal. This course is designed for anyone who has been curious about meditation but has not found the space to investigate further. There will be two ways of studying this course reflecting my two worlds. For locals I am going to start a small group off one morning a month with new practices to experiment with and short writing tasks to explore. This can then be taken forward in their own time until we meet again a month later. For my virtual friends I am offering a montly pdf to drop into your inbox with detailed exercises as outline for my local group. I will make myself available for both groups via email in support during the month between teachings.
I do not have an outcome in mind as I feel strongly that each person will begin their own personal journey and only share with me and, perhaps, others what they want to. Meditation and creative writing isn't just for people who have issues they want to resolve; they are both practices capable of bringing great joy. The course will begin in June and end in December at which time we shall be able to see how far we have come and where we might go next.
As this is my first gentle step into teaching meditation I am offering this course absolutely FREE. Don't fall off your chair and don't shout at the laptop Mother! All I ask in return is that you stay on the course for the 6 months if at all possible and help me review it at the end. That way my teachings will evolve and be able to reach more people. It is not a course where you have to do everything that is suggested as I hope you will select the exercises that inspire you and that you have the time to complete. It is not about how much you do but the intention you bring to what you do.
If you are interested all I need is your email address so I can start compiling a database. In the next few weeks I will send out the course outline and you can see if it is something you might like to persue. If the virtual group takes off I would hope to run a residential course on the island sometime in 2014. This would be offered on a reduced rate to all the people who have been part of the first course. It would be my way of saying thank you!
For local people I would appreciate a quick email indicating your interest and saying which morning is good for you - remember we would only actually meet once a month.
You will all know that I could never have imagined that this would be an outcome from this blog. Perhaps we can all see the power of writing. I think we all have stories to tell and this is just another one of mine that I hope to share so that your stories can be found.
Onto more pressing matters.....I dashed about today collecting yet more lovely craft work for my little charity tea party while George began the big bake off in the kitchen. For those of you coming on Saturday bring a list of pressies you need for birthdays this year because the shopping experience will be wonderful.
I had a quick coffee with a new friend who came on one of my flower courses a while back. She has donated two wonderful jewellery frames and I had to fight back the tears as I loaded them into my car. I am so touched by the effort everyone has put in and it speaks volumes about the human spirit as its best.
We did chuckle over coffee at the weather report that was being shown on the TV. 20 degrees in the south and 10 degrees up here. You have so got to love island living.
I have managed to timetable all my courses for the entire year and all my writing projects as well. With the addition of my meditation and writing course I am full. That is it, no more ideas Fiona! Are you listening girl?
Do let me know if you are up for joining me on my meditation course by emailing me either via my scottish island mum facebook page or direct at natureslarder@gmail.com
I really look forward to hearing from you.
Until tomorrow, when I will probably not be so calm....xx
No comments:
Post a Comment