04.14.2025. Insidious Whispers
Hello dear Friends,
Buddhist texts begin,
“O nobly born, O you who are the sons and daughters of the
awakened ones, do not forget who you really are."
🌿
How do we remember the truth of who we truly are? How do we undo the conditioning of the "hard mind" that so often tangles with our hearts – that relentless inner voice that whittles us down, whispering a maddening litany of derailing remarks: unworthy, not good enough, too much, be good, be sugary-sweet, shame, stupid, stay quiet, don’t shine too bright, remain numb and mute – insidious whispers that poison and veil our tender hearts.
How do we remember to 'take off our shoes', recognizing that we are perpetually standing on holy ground? This remembering – the profound realization that we are embodied holy ground, reclaiming our birthright as daughters and sons of the Awakened One, with bones imbued with beauty and light –this is the vital work of our time.
While this all sounds lovely and good, it is difficult. As we begin to cultivate prayer, sit in daily meditation practice, and reclaim our inherent elegance and Light – our authentic "yes" to the world – we inevitably encounter a pushback in the psyche. My meditation teacher wisely describes this as meeting the "opponent self," that part within us that draws a line in the sand and declares, "I go here and no further."
This part exists in all of us who live in this modern world, a world that is wired for busyness and speed, avoids pain, seeks comfort, gets distracted and fixated on consuming and endless doing – ultimately numbing us to the truth of who we are: radiant, luminous Light of love. It is good to know that we will meet this inner opposition when we circle our lives and practices around the Sacred–this is not a failure but a profound sign that our practices are taking root and a tender reminder that we are, indeed, Holy Ground.
“When we sink in, there is a deep well of love, joy and eternal peace; a vibration that we can bathe in, and then send out to the world as prayer.”
— Snatam Kaur
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Today is Metta (loving-kindness) & Calm-Abiding Meditation Practice
All Welcome. No meditation experience needed. Come as you are, open heart and all.
2 - 3pm: Drop-in Meditation Practice
3 - 4pm: Conversations About Your Meditation Practice
Where: 1765 Glenview Road, Glenview in the Patio Shops
Cost: No Fee. Donations and poems appreciated.
So grateful we are here together.
Love, Wini
🌸 This newsletter is full of inspiration and resources to linger in. enjoy! xo ♥️
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🌸 Two Poems to Share
You Just Never Know | Gloria Heffernan
My mother never practiced yoga.
She never studied comparative religions
or sought to find herself in the silence
of rustic mountain retreats.
Her mudra was a cigarette poised
between the fingers of her right hand
and a coffee cup cradled in her left.
Her mantra was simple.
With a slow exhalation,
she would bring it forth
from the silence–
“You just never know…”
I invoke her wisdom
when a driver cuts me off in traffic
and I want to feel compassion
instead of rage—
You just never know where he’s going
or why he’s racing to get there.
I seek her grace
when I feel inclined to roll my eyes
at a woman in the supermarket
holding up the line while she fumbles
with a bundle of coupons—
You just never know if her children
had enough to eat last night.
I think of her when I look at
myself in the mirror
stretching my limbs
in a sun salutation,
her voice urging me
to create space for compassion.
How to Live Like a Water Lily | Annette Langlois Grunseth
Wake up slowly, float in a dreamy world,
silky arms folded over your face until mid-morning.
then open wide, sun-warmed awake.
Breathe from more than one place, soft and supple.
Do not worry about today or tomorrow
or care what others think of you.
Your radiant center is tough, strong,
nourished by water and light.
Wind and wave may engulf you
but you can easily separate from submersion,
opening your face to the heavens.
Push back beads of wet darkness.
Move freely. Make white water circles until afternoon,
when you fold softly back into yourself,
drowsing in the dimming daylight.
🌿 What a treasure find. This poem. This book, Poetry of Presence II –a gift. 88 poems to soothe your heart, help meet losses, offer care, calm your quaking tears–especially now when the world feels torn apart.
🌸 Three Quotes |Hafez. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.. Jeanette Winterson.
“Every building you see is destructible except the enduring shelter of kindness.”— Hafez, The Spiritual Wisdom of Hafez: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love
“...One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul...Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.
“We don’t live long. We don’t have much time, as responsible adults, to make whatever difference we can, in both the private and the public spheres. But we can refuse to be thrown off course. We can stick to our path. We can help others to find their way - and have the courage to change direction where necessary….You are nothing. I am nothing. A jot. A brief moment in time. A temporary imprint in a temporary place. That knowledge brings humility and relief. No need to get a Messiah-complex. There is only so much we can do. All the more reason to do it.” — Jeanette Winterson: Mind Over Matter
🌸 Something to Inspire | Wisdom at 96: Life Advice from a Century of Experience
Be in Awe. This breathtaking video came my way via Barbara Mahany’s exquisite blog post Pull Up A Chair– immediately, I was taken in by Barbara’s words, by this 96 year old’s joy, her light, offering me remembering, harmony, and rejoicing in this life. It may just be what is needed in your day too– a dose of goodness, a dose of wonderment, a dose of hope.
🌿
🌸 Something to Be Part Of | Is Your Name On the List?
“I want a word that means
okay and not okay,
more than that: a word that means
devastated and stunned with joy.”
– ROSEMERRY WAHTOLA TROMMER
Attention all seekers, meditators, tender-hearted souls, poets, writers, revolutionaries, and light workers Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is coming to Chicago!
Save-the-date, Saturday September 27, 2025
9am-3pm at Valley Lo Club, Glenview (lunch included).
Come spend the day with poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and like-minded souls. A One-Day Retreat, The Conversation is Truth and Soul. We will talk about grief, love, opening to what’s difficult and what’s beautiful… saying yes to what is true, to what is life.
Be the first to know!
Registration will open soon and spots will fill quickly
(Rosemerry is beyond a treasure to be with!)
Put your name on the list here.
🌿
“May you grow your heart big
enough to hold all of your humanity.
May you open to the ocean of tears
that each person carries and the unbearable beauty of this life, too.
May you offer your warmth and care
out into our complicated world.”
Have a blessed day,
Love, Wini 💖
🌸 I’m grateful you’re a part of this community.
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✨ may we bloom more Light together.
💞 may we grow more Goodness for the healing of all
🌎 may we stitch more heart-tenderness into the fabric of our planet.
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….Until next week. 💖 ✨
