Staying Connected in a Storm
Our collective situation with the coronavirus is unlike anything I have known. The closest I can think of was hurricane Carla in 1961. I grew up in Houston. That September the category 4 storm swept over the city. The rain came in horizontally. A tree in the backyard came down driving the swing set several feet into the ground. We were without power for 5 days and unable to travel because of all the debris in the streets.
Yet I remember the time fondly -- the fire in the fireplace, all the candles and kerosene lanterns in the evening, and how peaceful the house was without my cherished TV. I remember reading a lot and playing board games with my family.
Of course the big difference between then and now is that the damage from the hurricane was quick. In less than 24 hours we were in the aftermath and recovery. In today's pandemic, it may be weeks or months before we know the worst of it. And the storm was highly visible while the virus is virtually invisible.
Nevertheless, at the moment I feel welcoming of some enforced retreat time. But I do want to stay in contact with all of you in the sangha as much as possible. Keeping those bonds alive is important to me.
The Board and I have been exploring ways to set up virtual online sangha gatherings on Tuesday nights, probably through a technology called Zoom. Hopefully we'll have this together by next Tuesday. We'll be in touch (see note below).
We'll also evaluate our May 2 day-long retreat and late June residential retreat as events unfold.
Meanwhile I hope you'll be in contact with me and with each other if we can help or support you in any way or if you have ideas about how we can suport one another. And I hope you'll be mindfully observing your own heart and mind as our routines are disrupted. This time invites us to look with fresh eyes at each evolving moment. And it's a lovely time to be sending out kindness and compassion to those far and near.
Please let me know if I can do anything to support you.
Much metta,
Our collective situation with the coronavirus is unlike anything I have known. The closest I can think of was hurricane Carla in 1961. I grew up in Houston. That September the category 4 storm swept over the city. The rain came in horizontally. A tree in the backyard came down driving the swing set several feet into the ground. We were without power for 5 days and unable to travel because of all the debris in the streets.
Yet I remember the time fondly -- the fire in the fireplace, all the candles and kerosene lanterns in the evening, and how peaceful the house was without my cherished TV. I remember reading a lot and playing board games with my family.
Of course the big difference between then and now is that the damage from the hurricane was quick. In less than 24 hours we were in the aftermath and recovery. In today's pandemic, it may be weeks or months before we know the worst of it. And the storm was highly visible while the virus is virtually invisible.
Nevertheless, at the moment I feel welcoming of some enforced retreat time. But I do want to stay in contact with all of you in the sangha as much as possible. Keeping those bonds alive is important to me.
The Board and I have been exploring ways to set up virtual online sangha gatherings on Tuesday nights, probably through a technology called Zoom. Hopefully we'll have this together by next Tuesday. We'll be in touch (see note below).
We'll also evaluate our May 2 day-long retreat and late June residential retreat as events unfold.
Meanwhile I hope you'll be in contact with me and with each other if we can help or support you in any way or if you have ideas about how we can suport one another. And I hope you'll be mindfully observing your own heart and mind as our routines are disrupted. This time invites us to look with fresh eyes at each evolving moment. And it's a lovely time to be sending out kindness and compassion to those far and near.
Please let me know if I can do anything to support you.
Much metta,
Online Sangha, Tuesdays at 6:30pm
We hope to begin weekly, online, virtual Easing Awake gatherings at our regular sangha time of Tuesdays at 6:30pm. You'll get an email invitation shortly. It will have the link you can click to join us. If you don't get the invitation soon, please be in touch and we'll get that to you. The link will also be posted on the Easing Awake website.
We've had the perfect storm of technical issues getting this launched. Our newsletter/email software failed and we realize many of you weren't receiving our messages. Glitches in my computer made video sluggish. And the internet itself as been strained by higher-than-normal usage.
Danielle, Bill, Abhay, Prashant and others have collectively put many hours into diagnosing and devising work-arounds. I'm so grateful to them.
We are wiser and more resilient when we can lean on each other.
With gratitude,
Doug
We hope to begin weekly, online, virtual Easing Awake gatherings at our regular sangha time of Tuesdays at 6:30pm. You'll get an email invitation shortly. It will have the link you can click to join us. If you don't get the invitation soon, please be in touch and we'll get that to you. The link will also be posted on the Easing Awake website.
We've had the perfect storm of technical issues getting this launched. Our newsletter/email software failed and we realize many of you weren't receiving our messages. Glitches in my computer made video sluggish. And the internet itself as been strained by higher-than-normal usage.
Danielle, Bill, Abhay, Prashant and others have collectively put many hours into diagnosing and devising work-arounds. I'm so grateful to them.
We are wiser and more resilient when we can lean on each other.
With gratitude,
Doug
Other Tools
Please take advantage of the technological resources available today. You may access Doug's talks via the Buzzsprout podcasts or the Insight Timer app.
Please take advantage of the technological resources available today. You may access Doug's talks via the Buzzsprout podcasts or the Insight Timer app.