The human brain is complex and mysterious.  Even after centuries of scientific and medical discovery, there is so little we know about what the brain does and how it influences our thoughts, emotions, and actions.  However, one thing we do know is that the brain is divided into two asymmetrical hemispheres and that each hemisphere interacts with and shapes our world in distinct ways. 
 
The left brain is where language originates, and it craves details, labels, and categories.  The left brain wants closed endings and certainty.   We use this left mode to analyze the past and plan for the future. 
 
The right brain instead is comfortable with open endings and takes in the big picture – the forest not the trees.  The right brain deals with ambiguity, paradox, and mystery and helps us to make sense of metaphors and allegories.   We use this right mode to be aware of all that is happening the present moment.
 
Another thing we know about the brain is that, in most humans, the left brain is dominant.  Often impatient with the wondering musings of the right brain, the language-making left brain will take over and try to reach a logical conclusion even when it is not suited for the task at hand.*
 
Which brings us to Thomas.  The Thomas we encounter in the Gospel of John – the proverbial “Doubting Thomas” – is in full-on left mode.  He could not understand how the other apostles had seen Jesus.  After all, Jesus had died.  He saw it with his own eyes.  A resurrection made no logical sense.  Before he would believe, Thomas wanted proof.  He wanted answers.  He wanted certainty.
 
We can certainly relate to Thomas’ predicament.  How often are we so attached to the need for certainty, that we are stuck in place?  Unable to move?  How often are we clinging to the past or anxious about the future that we miss finding the presence of the divine mystery in ourselves, each other, and the world around us?  It is how we are a wired. The dominant left brain needing to see in order to believe. However, the big picture right brain is still there ready to believe without seeing but it may take some work to access it.
 
Throughout time, spiritual seekers have identified tools to quiet the verbal left mode – what Buddhist refer to as “the monkey mind” – and access the present moment in order to encounter the divine mystery.  Through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation, fasting, mindfulness, movements, and postures we can disrupt our entrenched patterns and tap into the right mode skill of belief without seeing.
 
Lynne Goodwin painted Thomas for Thomas Chapel employing such a discipline.  The orans posture is an ancient posture of prayer.  It is a posture of openness and vulnerability.  The following is an opportunity to meditate on Psalm 63 and explore the orans posture to the extent that you feel led.

Read this translation** of Psalm 63 to yourself or aloud:
 
I will meditate on thee in the night watches;
Far from life, lone and still.
In the shadow of thy wings will I live and move.
Thy right hand upholdeth me; my soul has found its peace.
So, I will bless thee while I live, lift my hands to thee;
My soul followeth close behind thee, how my heart does sing!
I will seek thee all my life, meditate through time.
Thy loving-kindness, better than life, it has been my help.
Just to be there in that holy place, feel the breath of God!
I will meditate, meditate – I can touch my heart to thee.
 
Now from a seated near the front edge of the chair or a standing position on the floor, place your feet about hip with apart or a little wider.  Bring your awareness to your feet.  Perhaps you look at your feet or bring your gaze to the floor in front of you.  Notice the grounding of your feet into the floor, the weight of your feet, the pull of gravity.  How does that feel in your feet, your legs, the rest of your body? Bring your arms by your sides and turn your palms out slightly. 
 
Now bring your awareness to your breathing.  Follow the sensations of your inhale in through your nose as your lungs fill up, and your belly expands.  Follow the sensations of your exhale as your belly collapses, your lungs release, and air escapes through your nose.  Take at least 3 steady and even breaths.
 
Now add some movement to your breath.  As you inhale, lift your arms to shoulder height or a little higher and lift your gaze upward.  As you exhale, lower your arms and gaze.  Moving with your breath, inhale up and exhale down. 
 
As you do this, don’t be surprised if the left brain comes up with things like – “I’m not doing this right” or “when is this going to be over” or some other distraction.  Try to let those thoughts come and go without reacting to them.  Continue to focus on your breath and movement.
 
After several rounds of this movement.  Hold the orans pose with arms and gaze lifted and breath naturally.  Perhaps you may want to turn the corners of your mouth into a smile like Thomas in the painting.  Take one last deep inhale and as you exhale lower your arms back by your sides.  Take note of the sensations in your body.  Be present and aware. 
 
Finally, find a quiet, grounded posture. It could be orans, hands in prayer, hands over heart, hands by your sides, or hands in lap.  Perhaps you close your eyes, lower your gaze, or focus on one spot in the room.  Scan your body from head to foot and be aware of what you are feeling.  Hold this posture for several moments then slowly bring your awareness back to your surroundings with sense of contentment and gratitude.
 
Peace.

MEB

Notes:
* This is a gross oversimplification of the complex workings of the brain’s hemispheres. If you want to dig deeper, listen to this Hidden Brain podcast with Iain McGilchrist and/or read his book “The Master and His Emissary; The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World.”
 
** Lyrics from “Meditation I” by Joe Utterback

The stories proclaimed within the Advent liturgies of the Christian tradition recount situations when humanity is most lost in its own greed, tribalism and violence and the victims are those most outside, vulnerable, and powerless  These stories include a remarkable cast of very human characters who played pivotal roles in God’s extraordinary interventions into human history.
 
They are us.  The sacred texts hold a mirror up to the hearer not only urging us summon the courage the be faithful servants, but also challenging us to recognize the villain within ourselves.  These stories call us not only to be watchful and alert, but also to be proactive in the divine plan.  This week, Mother & Child.

Wild Eyes
mixed media
Matt Sesow
2010

On a hot summer evening at an airfield near his home in Nebraska, eight-year old Matt Sesow was struck by the propeller of a landing airplane.  The accident resulted in his left arm being severed and the loss of his left hand.  With the help of family and friends, Sesow learned to excel in both athletics and academics.  It was not until he was working as an adult in the tech industry that Sesow discovered painting.   In the evenings and on weekends he played with painting and ultimately developed his hobby into a path of healing and a mission in life. 
 
"My paintings are the emotional response to a traumatic past, the road to healing, and the confidence of finding a new language to express feelings felt but never shared.  While some people see my paintings as angry or aggressive, many of my collectors and fans (including myself), see my work as hopeful, joyous, and eager to take on the world!"
 
Matt Sesow’s Wild Eyes expresses what any new mother might feel. This wild-eyed mother holds her child close as she looks toward a future she knows will be filled with both struggle and hope.  The child in her lap with a severed hand is more than an autobiography.  Sesow’s image is a universal message of family, protectiveness, and faithfulness.  It is about a journey from brokenness to wholeness. 
 
In what will become her great song of praise, the mother that dominates the Advent stories accepts both the pain and hope of a journey she is destined to take with her child.  Her strength for this task comes from her knowledge of the long prophetic traditions of her faith.  Even at her young age, she knew the stories and songs of a God who empowers those of humble estate (from every generation) to scatter the proud in their conceit and bring the mighty from their thrones.  While this mother knew she was unprepared to be in the middle of this great cosmic drama, she also knew that she would grow into the role as all new mothers or prophets do.  God and family and friends would provide.
 
But maybe more heroically, she understood from these same stories and songs the ultimate cost of this discipleship and this journey.  There would be much sorrow before vindication.  The real courage of faith is simply saying yes to the call to be a player in the divine spectacle of deliverance.  Faithfulness is the place where faith is worked out in actions and where even the most banal of actions and gestures achieves profound meaning and significance. In the actions and gestures of this woman/mother are the aesthetic expressions of an ethical worldview lived out.

“In you the journey is.”  Tony Kushner begins his epic work Angels in America with the funeral of the grandmother of one of the main characters.  In this scene, the rabbi (yes, portrayed here by Meryl Streep) describes this Jewish refugee as “not a person but a whole kind of a person.”  Such a person’s actions motivated by a drive for survival and sustained by faith and perseverance, cultivated the ground from which her descendants grow their own futures.

Mary exclaims that all generations will call her blessed and in doing so she affirms the upside-down character of God’s reign – valleys raised up, mountains made low, a little child leading.  Her blessing does not come from seizing worldly power but rather from relinquishing a safe and normal life to play a pivotal role in Gods divine plan.  This does not mean that she gave up agency or self-worth. On the contrary, she stakes her claim by actively consenting to help overturn the status quo and bring about justice.  As Rory Cooney’s setting of Mary’s song, Canticle of the Turning (sung here by Katherine Moore) proclaims, “My heart shall sing of the day you bring.  Let the fires of your justice burn.  Wipe away all tears.  For the dawn draws near and the world is about to turn.”

What do you learn from Mary's story?  How do you experience the call to participate in God's reign?  How will you respond?

Suggestions for further exploration:

• Read and meditate on the lectionary texts for this week.
• Listen to Steve Thorngate's After the Longest Night:  Songs for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
• Practice walking meditation to bring mindful awareness to your movements and actions.  Like mindful breathing practice, walking meditation brings focus and awareness to a common action that is often taken for granted.   Such awareness helps in gaining a greater sense of understanding of thoughts, feelings, and actions and leads to more constructive ways to respond. 
• Watch this TED conversation with Marian Wright Edelman reflecting on her lifetime mission to fight childhood poverty. She says, "The reinforced lesson from (my parents) is that 'God runs a full employment economy' and that if you follow the need, you will never lack for a purpose in life."
• Give of your time and resources to support local organizations that serve women and children. Find out more about The Bedford Christmas Station, Bedford Domestic Violence Coalition, Bedford Community Health Foundation, and Bedford Area Family YMCA.

As we noted in our previous blog post, there are legends that tell of the Apostle Thomas traveling to India after the resurrection to spread the Gospel.  To this day, there are still Christians in the Indian state of Kerala who trace their origins to Thomas.  They are known as Saint Thomas Christians, Syrian Christians or Nasrani.  This community blends elements of Hinduism and Indian cultural symbols into their Christian liturgy and iconography.   It is one such blending of these elements that we have adapted for the Thomas Chapel logo which is based on the Saint Thomas Christians Cross, featuring a square cross resting atop a lotus flower.  The lotus flower is a symbol of the sacred.  It represents purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth.  Through incorporating the lotus into our logo, we create a connection to one of the earliest Christian communities and draw insight from the symbolic meaning of the lotus.

Bedford artist Lori Leist graciously accepted our invitation to create her vision of this symbolic flower for the space at Thomas Chapel.  Lori is well known for her large floral paintings which feature bold colors and movement.  When explaining her frequent choice of subject, Lori explains, “Flowers are very alive and familiar to me. The colors and fragrances can transport me to another place and time, connecting me to memories of family and friends.”  She also connects the flowers she paints and the process of painting to a broader spiritual and cultural context, saying, “…one of my hashtags on Instagram is #flowersfeedmysoul. I do believe that my need to create or paint is a gift from God. I am so thankful to be able to express myself through my art, and his gifts. Also, when I am painting either florals, or my new landscapes, I feel like I am part of something bigger, more connected to the earth, and humanity as a whole.”
 
The lotus flower and the environment in which it grows illustrates deeper insight into understanding the human condition.  With the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha explained that, while inevitable human suffering comes from attachment and craving, happiness can be attained by following a path of renouncing our cravings and attachments.  This does not mean ignoring suffering and only focusing on happiness.  On the contrary, it requires a concerted acknowledgment that the suffering and happiness are intertwine and, in fact, we cannot fully understand one without the other.  Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh illustrates how the lotus symbolizes this juxtaposition when he writes “Everyone knows we need to have mud for lotuses to grow.  The mud doesn’t smell so good, but the lotus flower smells very good.  If you don’t have mud, the lotus won’t manifest.  You can’t grow lotus flowers on marble.  Without mud, there would be no lotus.”  He goes on to explain how confronting suffering head on is critical to this understanding, writing, “The Buddha was saying that if we can recognize suffering, and if we embrace it and look deeply into its roots, then we’ll be able to let go of the habits that feed it and, at the same time, find a way to happiness.”
 
The juxtaposition of mud and lotus is not unlike the juxtaposition of death and resurrection in the Christian tradition.  The empty tomb of Easter can only be understood through the experience of suffering and death on the cross. To fully understand the promise of new life, we must confront the death of our old ways of living and being.  Through the liturgy – baptism, proclamation of the word, and the shared meal – the assembly has gathered to meditate upon and respond to this juxtaposition for millennia.
 
Through the work and prayer at Thomas Chapel, and through the greater project of the Portiuncula Guild, we hope to offer opportunities to explore juxtapositions such as these – mud and lotus, suffering and happiness, death and resurrection –  and how they can inform our lives in community with one another.  In doing so, we invite artists and seekers, the faithful and doubting alike, to delve deep into the mud of human experience and revel in the beauty of life’s lotus flowers.  We are blessed that Lori Leist has shared her spiritual reflections and her gift of art with us to guide us in this journey.

MEB
____________________

No Mud, No Lotus:  The Art of Transforming Suffering, Thich Nhat Hahn, 2014.

Watch and Wait...for Change

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears,
for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn.
 from “The Canticle of the Turning” - a contemporary setting of the Magnificat
 
During the season of Advent, we watch and wait for a turning world – one characterized by justice, comfort, a new dawn.  This new order is also characterized by seemingly incomprehensible reversals – the lion and the lamb lie together, the first will be last and the last will be first, a little child will lead them.
 
Change is constant and inevitable.  It can be exciting and longed for, but it can also be upsetting and uncomfortable.  Through the practice of yoga – on and off the mat – we build skills to manage the ups and downs of change in our lives and the world.  Through observing change without judgement or attachment, we can cultivate gratitude, balance, and joy.
 
What change are you longing for?  What change do you fear?  How do you watch and wait for change in your life and in the world?
 
Pose
Savasana is customarily the final pose in an asana practice.  It involves lying in complete stillness in order to integrate the effects of the practice.  Total relaxation is the goal of savasana and, for that reason, it is often called the most difficult yoga pose because our minds are going in a thousand different directions and our bodies are tense and fidgeting. 
 
Some may shy away from using the English name for savasasa – corpse pose.  Thinking about one’s self as a corpse might be thought of as morose and unappealing.  However, an asana practice can be considered a metaphor for a day, a season, or a lifetime.   Finding ease in our “corpseness” in savasana, we in some sense prepare for ease in the many deaths experienced throughout our lives.  Savasana becomes the concluding and a beginning act – a death to one’s old self and a rebirth to a new creation.
 
Here are some links to more thoughts about corpse pose:
 Watch + Learn: Corpse Pose, narrated by Jason Crandell, yogajournal.com
The Subtle Struggle of Savasana, Nikki Costello, yogajournal.com

Breathe
Use your breath to change your body.  Read more about it: 
 Yogic Breathing:  The Physiology of Pranayama, Kripalu Center, huffpost.com
Breathing for Life: The Mind-Body Healing Benefits of Pranayama, Sheila Patel, M.D., chopra.com
 
Practice
Consider creating a visual focus in your practice space.  This may be as simple as finding a favorite piece of art or a special object to place in a central location.  Or it could be creating a home altar with religious icons and texts, incense, photos of ancestors, and natural objects such as stone, leaves, or plants.  Such tangible visual references can provide a focal point during practice.  They can also remind you of your intentions as you pass by them in daily life.

MEB

Watch and Wait...for Joy
Is there a difference between pleasure and happiness?  Dr. Robert Lustig argues that there is and that our inability to recognize the difference is killing us.  Lustig’s research focuses on the biological roots of pleasure and happiness.  It comes down to the balancing of two neurotransmitters – dopamine (which regulates pleasure) and serotonin (which regulates happiness).  An excess of dopamine leads to addiction and a decrease in serotonin leads to depression.  So, contrary to how we are often wired, we need to seek out strategies that tamp down dopamine production (pleasure) and increase serotonin production (happiness).
 
Lustig suggests the following strategies, which he calls “The 4 Cs”:  1) Connect – In-person, face-to-face time with other people, 2) Contribute – Do something that makes the world a better place, 3) Cope – Focus on sleep, mindfulness and exercise, and 4) Cook – Eat real, whole foods.
 
For much more detail on these ideas, see the following (the first two provide a simple overview and the last is more in depth):
 
The Difference Between Happiness and Pleasure and Why It Matters at Work, Gabriel Kauper, deliveringhappiness.com
How to Solve for Chronic Unhappiness:  The Four Cs, Gabriel Kauper, deliveringhappiness.com
Are Big Corporations Hacking the American Mind, an interview Robert Lustig on The People’s Pharmacy, peoplespharmacy.com

Breathe
Square Breathing is a practice of observing inhales and exhales along with the pauses in between.  Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes or lower your gaze.  Breathing through your nose, inhale to a steady count of 4.  Hold the inhale for a count of 4.  Exhale for a count of 4.  Hold the exhale for a count of 4.  Complete 3-5 full squares.

Practice
Using music to create pleasing sensory experience on the mat can help in sustaining your practice over time.  Just as you choose movement and breathing which lead you to be more focused, relaxed, and in the present moment, the music you choose should be an aid to your practice and not be a distraction. There’s no right or wrong music to use.  However, if you choose music with lyrics, carefully consider songs with words that contribute to your well-being.  Take some time to explore music apps to find new music.  Here are links to a couple of Youtube playlists I’ve compiled – one instrumental and one vocal:

MEB

Watch and Wait...for Balance
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.”  Advent heralds the coming of a new beginning, a new world order characterized by an upended status quo – an evening out, a leveling, a balancing.  In anticipation of this time, we watch, we wait, we hope, we prepare.
 
On the mat, we explore balance through movement and mindful breathing.  By intentionally practicing physical balance (and imbalance), we watch/wait/hope/prepare for a deeper balance in our lives and in the world. 
 
What brings you balance?  How do you manage imbalance?  What are your roadblocks to finding balance?  How do you apply lessons learned from balancing on the mat to life off the mat?
 
Pose
While practicing the balance pose Vrksasana or Tree Pose, yoga teacher J. Brown suggests “being prepared to fall out with a smile on your face.”  This cue is a reminder to be content regardless of whether or not you “stick” the pose.  The imbalanced parts of poses are just as important, if not more important, than the balanced parts.  Wobbling and falling out of balance poses are not mistakes. Rather they are a critical part of the practice.  Learning to be content (smiling, breathing, non-judging) with imbalance on the mat, can develop equanimity which is transferable off the mat.  So that you can approach times of imbalance in life with the same smiling, breathing and non-judging contentment.
 
Here are some links to balancing practices you may want to try:
Three Versions of Tree Pose, Baxter Bell, youtube.com
It’s All About Balance, Dianne Bondy, youtube.com
Finding Your Balance Off the Mat, Dianne Bondy, yogainternational.com

e·qua·nim·i·ty
/ˌekwəˈnimədē/
noun: mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
 
Breathe
Victorious Breath aka Ujjayi Pranayama is the simplest of breathing techniques to balance the breath.  It involves taking deep inhales and slow exhales on an even count.  As the breath passes in and out of the nostrils through a slightly constricted throat, it makes a soothing, ocean wave sound.  Ujjayi can be used as part of meditation, in concert with yoga poses, or any time you need to calm yourself.
 
Find more instruction on Ujjayi Pranayama here:
Learn the Ujjayi Breath, an Ancient Yogic Breathing Technique, Melissa Eisler, chopra.com
 
Practice
You can make your home practice something you look forward to by creating a unique and special environment in which to practice.  In addition to having a dedicated spot to practice, this can be achieved by paying attention to the sensory aspects of your practice area.  In particular, aroma can be helpful to get you more focused on your practice.  You may want to start with a pre-mixed aromatherapy room spray (available locally at Health Nut Nutrition in Wyndhurst).  Once you figure out what scents you like best, you can try mixing your own essential oil combinations.  Here are a couple of links with guidance for using essential oils:
 
What You Need to Know about Essential Oils, Laine Bergeson Becco, experiencelife.com
How to Use Aromatherapy in Your Yoga Practice, Julie Gondzar, doyouyoga.com
10 Homemade Air Freshener Recipes, Jill Winger, theprairiehomestead.com

MEB

The themes of watchfulness, waiting, anticipation, and expectation are central to the season of Advent and contemplative practices (prayer, meditation, fasting, mindfulness, yoga, etc.) are helpful tools to root one's self in these themes.  Rather than focusing on doing , these practices emphasize being - stilling the mind and body to allow gratitude, balance, joy, and change to come.  I am offering Watch and Wait, a four week yoga practice series at Bower Center for the Arts (Wednesdays, November 28, December 5, 12, and 19, 5:45-7:00 pm) Connecting deliberate movement and breath, this gentle restorative flow is a time to honor the change of seasons outside and in.  Each practice is a combination of movement, rest, and guided  relaxation. Each week will also include resources for your home practice – readings, pose suggestions, meditation and journal prompts.  I will be posting these materials here for easy access. 

Here's week 1:

Watch and Wait...for Gratitude
On his “10% Happier” podcast, ABC correspondent Dan Harris interviews author and speaker Shawn Achor about gratitude.  Achor, who studies positive psychology, discusses the effects of gratitude on the human body and gives ideas on how become more grateful.  He says that, much as we build strength in muscles by using them over time, gratitude builds when you practice it regularly.  One idea he shares is to take a few minutes each day and think of 3 new things you are grateful for.  Write them down.  Use them as a focus for your meditation and/or yoga practice.  In time, you will have a long list of blessings.
 
Listen to the entire interview here.

Pose
“Find a comfortable seat.”  This is a common invitation in yoga classes.  However, sitting for an extended period is often awkward and uncomfortable.  Just as each person’s body is different, each person’s ideal sitting posture is different.  The quest for a comfortable seat is a great lesson in observation.  Take some time over the next week to explore different postures.  Sit in a chair, on the mat with legs crossed, on your knees, etc.  Follow your breath and observe.  What do you find comfortable?  What is distracting?  What props do you need?  How do you feel?
 
Take a look at the following for more ideas on sitting comfortably:  
 
Finding a Comfortable Seat, YJ Editors, Yoga Journal
5 Steps to Finding Ease in Sukhasana, Charlotte Bell, Yoga U
To Fix That Pain in Your Back, You Might Have to Change the Way You Sit, Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR

Breathe
In yoga, we use the breath to focus and center our practice.  Controlling the breath sends a message to your brain that you are safe and able to relax.  The parasympathetic nervous system is activated, heart rate slows, and digestion is calmed.  One of the many tools available to aid in this practice is mantra or breath prayer which involves the repetition of a word or phrase that is connected to inhaling and exhaling.  Try one or more of these breath prayers (or use another of your own choosing) with your practice this week, saying in your mind the first part of the prayer on your inhale and the second on your exhale:
 
Thanks / be             I am / grateful             Give / thanks
 
Practice
You can create a sustainable home yoga practice by focusing on doing what you love—what makes your feel good, what helps center you.  Keep it simple and make it special by having a set place to practice and gathering the props you need for practice.  Everyone can benefit from the use of props in practice, regardless of experience.  Props offer access to greater space, freedom and stability.  Consider investing in the following props as you continue to build your practice:  mat, blocks, strap, bolster, blanket, tennis ball, eye pillow, sandbag, meditation cushion.  You Yoga Journal and Yoga International offer many creative uses of props.

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation of all abundance.” 
Eckhart Tolle
 
MEB