Spiritual Friendships

Practicing Happiness. I was first introduced to this practice by an eighty-nine-year-old yogi from India, I never met a senior citizen who was so astonishingly fit. He could do every difficult yoga pose perfectly. He was supremely happy. He laughed and smiled a lot and seemed to live in a place genuine warmth.

I heard him at an international yoga conference in 1976 in Chicago. He taught a class on "Laughter Yoga". He began by quietly chuckling after he made eye contact with each person in the hall. This made some of us uncomfortable. He chuckled with amusement. Some, in the crowd began to laugh, and it became contagious. Soon everyone was laughing. By the end we were laughing so hard tears arose.
I never found a teacher like that again, but I would like to see if we can come close to that moment of lightness.

In this session we will be led by Cynthia in a guided relaxation and meditation. We'll listen to a poem for inspiration and write to a prompt.

The process of meditation can open us to our feelings, memories, dreams and intuitions. Meditating and writing in the company of others can be a way to express ourselves more openly and fully.

This is meant to be a comfortable and safe space for writing whatever wants to emerge from you. Sharing your writing is optional and guidelines for feedback will be clearly established, so that feedback is supportive and appreciative.

Cynthia is a clinical social worker who leads Meditation and Meditation and Writing groups in various settings. She is devoted to her meditation practice, to teaching others meditation, and to sharing her love of writing and poetry.