Lee Rothman’s Blog
Wedding celebration in Gilbertsville, PA
yoga class at Down Under Yoga in Newton, MA, downunderyoga.com .and visited my old neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Meditation in the grass
On Saturday, I attended an amazing teaching with Jack Kornfield through InightLA.
I am relatively new to mindfulness meditation and a friend suggested going to get a better
sense of the scope of the teachings and this man who has been teaching mindfulness
meditation for over 40 years.www.jackkornfield.org. He sees teaching meditation “as a support
Fear of What’s Inside…Run or Release?
Lee living in joy
This past week I listened to how people tell their stories, including myself, At the beginning of the week
Cat
I’ve been working pretty hard over the last month and in previous blogs have
Yoga with Lee
This week for my Alchemy of fear class we are meditating on the fear to love, a weighty topic for a beautiful week in early May…and yet so important….If we follow the pavement our way is predictable, methodical, controlled. If we follow the river our path is more fluid, open and unknown, much like a spiritual journey. In his talk www.dharma.org Rodney Smith is inviting us to step off the predictable path in our search for true connection and love. He presents this as the path to greater connection in all relationships – friendships, parent/child and romantic ones. So, for those of us who are single, that doesn’t translate into joining more on-line dating services or attending more singles events…It actually means going within…cultivating a practice of mindfulness of quiet, of stillness..of self acceptance. It calls for having great compassion for ourselves, in all our imperfections for only then can we be open and totally present to making connection with another. Otherwise it is easy, with the mind to try to control another, to project our prejudices, to make demands. He talks about the power of dominance, which initially startled me. However, upon reflection, I understand through my own experience – if I approach relationships from a place of distrust my mind will express love by attempting to control. Challenging – yes, impossible to change, no. Yogi Bhajan www.3HO.org in his lectures and teachings would counsel women to find a partner by first forming a relationship with themselves and a Divine Spirit through the practice of Kundalini yoga…another way on the spiritual path. So in this season of blooming and new beginnings I will commit to a deeper spiritual practice of Kundalini yoga and vipassana meditation and follow the river….
Seder-in-the- Desert - liberation and renewal…..
Passover is a celebration of liberation and renewal. How liberated do you feel??
Every year around Passover I remind myself that this is a celebration of freedom -a retelling of the tale of an oppressed group of people who with divine intervention threw off the shackles of slavery to travel to a “promised land.” Then I start planning and cooking and attending seders with family and friends..wonderful, a lot of work and somehow my personal sense of liberation gets lost. I feel like I am enslaved by the rituals. This year, I joined my temple at a Seder-in-the Desert at Yucaipa Regional Park.
Lee Rothman's Blog
This annual tradition was begun 31 years ago by Rabbi Jim Kaufman. The idea was to literally honor the admonition in the Haggadah: “All Jews must regard themselves as if they personally went out of Egypt” Personally I have a hard time getting out of town. I always have things I want to accomplish. I guess I am a bit of a slave to my own expectations and demands. I can delude myself that my yoga practice gives me all the renewal and relaxation I need. It was a bit of a struggle for me to pack all the things I needed for this trip and point my car E, destination- Yucaipa Regional Park..Yet, as I got closer the view of the snow capped San Bernardino Mountains gave an unexpected lift to my spirts and a sense of freedom. Seder-in-the Desert is a joyous, raucous, imperfect and wonderful way to re-create and re-tell the Exodus story. Sat. evening, surrounded by some 300+ members of my temple we sat at tables arranged in a gigantic horseshoe with a panoramic view of the San Bernardino Mountains. The meal was casual, communal and everyone had brought something to contribute. It was the climax of a weekend of prayer, play and friendship. I think my Rabbi was on to something essential when he began this tradition 31 years ago – The importance of getting away from our daily routines and conveniences. - The impact of celebrating a holiday communally in nature. – The importance of time for reflection, thoughtfulness and fun. I fit some private time in for yoga, meditation and a long hike.. Maybe next year I’ll get some of the group to do yoga with me. Rituals that are personally meaningful are important at all stages of life. I think I have found one that works well for me…and that’s the most important thing of all.
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When you get sad, upsetting news how do you maintain the balance in your life?? This weekend as I was getting ready for the Passover holiday I got some sad news that hit me hard. The husband of a friend had spent a week in the hospital getting radiation treatment for his cancer, “to buy him more time.” Suddenly my working for a hospice took on new meaning. Up until
this point I have come to know the patients and families we serve only professionally. Now, on a gorgeous Sunday my eyes began to tear, my breathing was shallow and I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. My long list of items to buy for Passover cooking seemed like a burden. I wanted to go home, curl up and have a good cry. This wonderful man, who had come into my friend’s life a few years ago is terminal. They are younger than me. I sat in my car and did some deep breathing. I said a prayer for them and the difficult period they are entering I went home and emailed my friend about my working for hospice. I will talk to them in the next week or so, to provide support and education. Meanwhile, I had a lot of cooking to do and guests coming over in the early evening. During the afternoon as I struggled to stay focused I searched for some anchor to help me feel for my friends, yet also continue with my plans and rountine. I remembered the words of Robert J Lifton, a psychiatrist who has studied and worked with survivors of Hiroshima and other catastrophic events. He talks about us all leading double lives – holding the awareness that we could be killed or die at any moment while at the same time going through our daily routine, living our lives, doing so as best we can. It is a challenge. Today I am still sad. I am taking the time to breath, to look at the flowers..to think of my friends. I also have a lot of to do. Leading a double life.
On Friday of last week I had the privilege of attending a talk by Dr. Ira Byock, the director of palliative care at Dartmouth Medical Center in New Hampshire. He is a pioneer in caring for people at the end of life. He has written two important books in this area, Dying Well and The Four Things that Matter Most. He was addressing fourth year medical students at USC, so I wasn’t sure how clinical his approach would be. He did not disappoint me, in fact I was quite pleased with his emphasis on the need for spiritual and emotional support for people at the end of life so they may “die from the reluctant arms of community”. In the past the medical community and indeed mainstream society have viewed death as a form of defeat – something to be avoided, denied, all feelings about it suppressed until it is impossible to do so. In contrast Dr. Byock talked from personal and professional experience of spending time with his dying patients and listening to their stories. He related tales full of deep meaning, questions, philosophical musings and often great humor in the face of severe pain and loss. He presented a model to create a greater sense of community in caring for people at the end of life which could revolutionize health care- a covenant with those who are dying based upon trust vs the current system which creates a contract to protect based upon an underlying sense of distrust. He spoke of Response-ability to bear witness and provide an opportunity for life review. As I listened to him speak I saw a man whose life has become so rich from doing this work. I think the message for all of us is that there is much to learn from the dying, which can enrich and inform how we live our lives. And then he shared the four things that matter most from the stories he has collected: Tell the people in your life: Forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you…..good simple guidelines for any day of the week.
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As a practitoner and teacher of Kundalini yoga I find that I use all my skills and training as part of my daily work at Skirball Hospice. The true test of the strength and depth of one’s practice can be seen in how one applies yogic philosophy and fundamentals off the mat. When I accepted the position to direct the volunteer program in 2008, I knew I would be of service (seva) which is a big part of practicing Kundalini yoga. I did not realize how much I would incorporate breathing and meditation practices into my daily life in the workplace. I think anyone who works in healthcare – either more traditional allopathic practices or alternative ones- is under pressure to serve, heal, produce. That is the nature of our society. My Kundalini practice permits me to take a breath, and detach for a moment, before I answer the phone, present at a meeting, interview a terminally ill patient and their family, supervise a volunteer. Many times I have to consciously remind myself to take a breath, before I respond..even to emergencies. I have a greater appreciation for how much health care professionals, trained primarily in Western medicine, need a personal practice of meditation, yoga and stress reduction techniques to help them in their daily work. And so, my work is leading me to create workshops and classes especially for health care professionals in hospice. I hope to write more about this next week. Thank you.
Lee Rothman
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Tags: alternative health, alternative medicine, anxiety, chronic illness, chronic pain, complementary medicine, counseling, counselor, depression, dysfunctional behaviors, healing, health, kundalini yoga, meditation, natural remedies, yoga
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
This is awesome. A change is coming. We are part of it!
GuruMeher Khalsa
Life Coaching – Yogic Training
April 5th, 2010 at 5:22 am
I read your March 22nd post on grief and loss. That was wonderful for me to read. You are a terrific writer!
April 7th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
I ditto Guru Meher’s response……it is a really exciting time to be alive.
Community/ Connection and Self Mastery, shining a light in the darkness!
Satnam …….Andre Zitcer L.Ac
April 29th, 2010 at 8:20 am
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April 29th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
I really like the tone of your Sunday? blog. (The date isn’t published.) I can tell the difference in your tone of voice that you are a bit more relaxed and thoughtful about your day, which was interesting to see as it reflected the subject you were writing about. I too sometimes get WAY to caught up in managing my life (some call it hanging in there or surviving). It is important to find a way to be “living a more authentic life now” as now is all that we really have. May we be so blessed as to live authentically and share the best, and sometimes the worst, of ourselves with those we love. And may be be met with security, compassion and comradeship.
May 7th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I love it! This has been in the forefront of my own musings. I am truly reflecting upon the part of So Purkh that talks about making God appear before you, talking to God one-on-one, and knowing yourself as God. So knowing ourselves and our divinty (if they can even be seperated) is first and foremost to cultivating a lasting amazing relationship. It is funny because i have not joined one dating website. I have not been led to do so. I chant So Purkh every day instead. I make “dates” with myself to practice. this where i place my focus.
May 8th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
OK good to see- useful comments are always helpful! Peace.
June 15th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Regarding Gratitude: One of the truly amazing things that I have learned is that everything I encounter is potential useful and helpful for my well-being. Chronic illness, disability, divorce, and other rejections have also presented some wonderful opportunities. It is sometimes difficult or impossible to appreciate these challenges when the arise … for sure. My favorite reminder that has sometimes helped me along when I feel stuck is Rumi’s “The Guest House.”
June 27th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
there are some great points in this article now to do more research
July 8th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I really like and appreciate your blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
August 18th, 2010 at 3:33 am
Great Blog. Will come back.