Last Sunday I was at a Kathina Robe Offering, a yearly ceremony, offering cloth from lay supporters to the clergy. Back in the Buddha’s day, disciples wore robes sewn from left-over cloth and rags taken from cemeteries or cremation grounds. Can you imagine how unhealthy and how unhygienic this would have been!

This is what Mum sounded like before Dementia took hold.

Though she was small… she was mighty!

I’ve been teaching a bit of Tai Chi for meditation in class this week. It’s how I meditate so I thought I’d pass it on. When I found it, my whole meditation practiced relaxed… perhaps it even started right there. Before finding a meditation technique that suits you, it’s a bit of a desperate concentration. This changed meditation for me from effort to non-effort.

A while ago I went to a lecture by Matthew Remski about climate change and the Bhagavad Gita. Remski likes to look at the central character of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, and relate to his hopelessness. Remski says that each and every one of us is standing in Arjuna’s place with regards to climate change.

I’m an improbable student at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, studying an ancient yogic text called the Haṭhapradīpikā. It’s the first text that mentions physical yoga practices. I’m wading through academic language which seems to waste words for no reason.

Well! I was driving along and look what popped up on the radio: The lost art of breathing, a podcast by James Nestor. I’ve written about him before, three times, and a couple of you reported that you bought that book. Here’s a short-cut to finding out about his terrific work.

I saw Hamlet yesterday and it strikes me that Hamlet doesn’t have mental health issues! Like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, he is faced with an impossible task and has a melt-down. Who wouldn’t if their recently murdered father’s ghost appeared and demanded revenge by the killing of their uncle, the mother’s husband? Arjuna is the same in the Bhagavad Gita - he has to kill an opposing army of uncles and cousins or be killed… and so has a melt-down. Of course he does!

October is my month! The best month! I celebrate my birthday all month long. The month used to conclude with Friends & Fun at the Yoga Show (postponed another year. Sigh!). I thought I might apply to teach there next year…

I came across this quote that reminded me of the retreat from Rod Stryker in his book The Four Desires. He says that there are three signs of the effectiveness of one’s practice: “More joy, less fear, and a shortening of the time between creating an intention and having it come to fruition”