Come, have a cup of hot tea, relax and listen to five authors talk about their books, life, and answer any questions you may have! See you in April! [caption id="attachment_41916" align="aligncenter" width="375"] SPRING TEAse[/caption] ...
Read MoreWant to save a magnificent writing time for yourself? Attend Mindful Writers 9th Spring Retreat! Don't miss this incomparable opportunity! You will be transported to a magical place, your heart will open to spaciousness of nature, your writing will flow freely, and you will have loving and understanding companionship of some very talented and productive novice and professional writers. Come join us from March 26-30! [caption id="attachment_41913" align="aligncenter" width="465"] Mindful Writers Spring Retreat[/caption] ...
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You're invited to the Mindful Writers Winter Wonderland Retreat! Join us: Thursday February 8, 2018 (12:30 welcome lunch) through Sunday February 11, 2018 (11:30 goodbye lunch) $450 for private room in toasty warm lodge, private bathroom, all meals included and: Sitting Meditation: Body, Awakening the Senses, Sensitizing Sensations (3 Sessions) Mindful Walking (3 Sessions) Mindful Writing Sessions (Approximately 33 Hours) Peace, productivity, joy, laughter, rest, friendship (Approximately 72 Hours) Ligonier Camp and Conference Center 188 Macartney Lane, Ligonier, PA 15658 (just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, easy trip on the turnpike from either direction) Contact Kathleen at Kathleenshoop@gmail.com or Larry Schardt at Larryschardt@gmail.com with any questions. Also, join us on our mindful writers retreat facebook page to stay up-to-date on mindful events and inspiration. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulWritersRetreat/...
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Tibetan Goddess Yeshe Walmo By William Rock You may recall the essay, Understanding A Tibetan Goddess: Ferocious and Enlightening, that I wrote about William Rock's powerful and energetic sculptural image of Yeshe Walmo. Recently the work was purchased by New York dealer. Bon Tibetans are enamored by the image and pleased with the essay. Below is a PDF copy or you may want to download for reading later: UNDESTANDING A TIBETAN GODDESS by Dr. Madhu Bazaz Wangu with cover art https://issuu.com/artandinspiration/docs/understanding_a_tibetan_goddess_by_...
Read MoreCombined with meditation, yoga liberates vast resources of energy and keeps our physical, physiological, psychical and spiritual systems in radiant health. Yoga folds moments of stillness and moments of movement into one another. In this practice, you explore your body’s terrain to experience intense body sensations. Your body gets lubricated, your joints and muscles function smoothly, your blood circulation increases and your entire skeletal system gets toned. Practicing yoga teaches you how to relax your muscles so that your mind also relaxes. When mind is anxious body gets tensed. When mind is calm body also calms down. The simple reason is that body and mind are connected. Try practicing Shavasana (the Corpse Pose) when you feel agitated. Lay down on the floor with your legs slightly apart and your arms away...
Read MoreLET 2018 BE THE YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS AND THEIR COMPLETION! Happy and Healthy New Year to all from Manoj, me and our daughters, Srimal Wangu Choi and Zoon Wangu! Thaal Bharun (filling a plate) and Thaal Vuchuun (Looking at the filled plate) are two beloved rituals of Kashmiris on Navreh (New Year’s Day). The night of New Year’s Eve, after everyone is asleep, the mother fills a plate with uncooked rice, and snugly places bowls of milk and yogurt; sugar and salt over the rice. A piece of fresh fruit and dry fruit, a book, notebook, pen, gold jewelry, coins, and a mirror are decorated around the bowls. Other items such as red chili, pod of tamarind may also be artfully placed beside them. The following morning, the New Year’s Day,...
Read MoreWe must be willing to let go of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell ...
Read MoreBy now, some of you may be wondering if it would be worthwhile to practice weekly Writing Meditation Method (WMM). Questions such as, what would I accomplish by doing this? Are 15 minutes of meditation and 15 minutes of journaling going to change my life? Would this practice improve my writing or my profession? Help me complete the project I am currently working on? The answer to those questions is, Yes, yes and yes! The reason I am sharing WMM with you is because it has positively affected all aspects of my life. Looking back, I am amazed how naïve I was about the tremendous power of these practices. I was introduced to each one—meditation, journaling, writing—intellectually. After a long period of trial and error the practices balanced beautifully and integrated...
Read MoreHi All, Hope you are enjoying holidays with your family and friends. Here are the things you need to do at our first Online Mindful Writers Meeting next Tuesday: Check in a few minutes before 10:00 am Below is the link to CD, Meditations for Mindful Writers, Body, Heart, Mind: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pr1w5asvstfsl5d/AABE5ajUjmdgiMWBSnEeTSrIa?dl=0&preview=Body+Meditation.mp3 The CD has four meditations. We will begin with guided Body Meditation. (About sixteen minutes). Most of you are familiar with this meditation. If you are new to the Mindful Writers Group, listen to it at least once before you begin. After Body Meditation, at about 10:20 we will write in our journal for fifteen minutes. I'll provide you a prompt for day's journaling. Following the journaling, we'll write--a story, an essay, first draft of a novel or, if you are already working on a draft,...
Read MoreWalking clears your mind. Just walk! But not to burn calories or count miles but to commune with the natural world, and behold the benefits of walking in nature. Let the thought of walking excite you— walk anywhere and anytime—at dawn, at dusk, in full moon. Walk mindfully—with attention on your breath and on your steps. Your mind relaxed and your heart gladdened. A solution to your problem is bound to emerge. At the Mindful Writers Retreats we begin our day with a walk. “People say that walking on water is a miracle but to me, walking peacefully on the earth is the real miracle. Earth is a miracle. Each step is a miracle,” writes the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh in his little book, The Long Road Turns to Joy. Kinhin, Zen...
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