HealingDialogue - Mindful Change

19/05/2024

At Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival and the Prom

21/12/2023

“Today I am taking sides.

I am taking the side of Peace.

Peace, which I will not abandon
even when its voice is drowned out
by hurt and hatred,
bitterness of loss,
cries of right and wrong.

I am taking the side of Peace
whose name has barely been spoken
in this winnerless war.

I will hold Peace in my arms,
and share my body’s breath,
lest Peace be added
to the body count.

I will call for de-escalation
even when I want nothing more
than to get even.
I will do it
in the service of Peace.

I will make a clearing
in the overgrown
thicket of cause and effect
so Peace can breathe
for a minute
and reach for the sky.

I will do what I must
to save the life of Peace.
I will breathe through tears.
I will swallow pride.
I will bite my tongue.
I will offer love
without testing for deservingness.

So don’t ask me to wave a flag today
unless it is the flag of Peace.
Don’t ask me to sing an anthem
unless it is a song of Peace.
Don’t ask me to take sides
unless it is the side of Peace.“

— Rabbi Irwin Keller

Read my full article “Taking a Stand” about the ongoing conflicts of the world: https://jackkornfield.com/taking-a-stand-a-response-to-the-ongoing-conflicts-in-the-world/

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20/11/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgRFdX10juE

18/11/2023

Rachel Carlyle meets Dr Gladys McGarey, the great-grandmother of 12 who pioneered holistic medicine

11/11/2023

A profound teaching by the much beloved and revered teacher, Jack Kornfield , please watch if you feel to. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om. With gratitude.

"There's a liberation amidst birth and death, joy and sorrow, war and peace, that is beyond it all. This is the sacred openness of love and awareness

06/08/2023

On the 21st of July this year an important teacher of mine passed - https://memories.net/timeline/ken-mellor-16211
Some words to him:

To Ken
There are love dogs
no one knows the names of.

Give your life
to be one of them
-Rumi
Ken was an important person in my life as I grappled with waves of suffering. For me he was a finger pointing to the moon – a teacher leading from darkness to light.
He knew, he had experienced, he had presence born of this and his intent was, I think, always to help. He was a fellow traveller ahead on the path
Ken was of a generation of Western dharma teachers who contributed to a fusing of traditions that were thousand of years old with modern psychological practices.
I can remember in one of our training groups a presentation by Rupert Sheldrake who amongst other things, introduced the concept of the morphic field. The morphic field represents an energy that was saturated with creative possibility. (Ideas from the morphic field could present to individuals separated by thousands of kilometres.) Ken grounded the energies of the wave that was also expressed by other contemporary teachers each in their own unique form. He, with Elizabeth, contributed grounding, centring, unifying meditations and numerous other practicals guidances to living in the world and connecting with essence.
I met Ken in the mid seventies at a workshop he was running. I had a recognition of the importance of his clarity and practicality in his teaching. I became a client of his and then later a member of the training and supervision groups he led with Elizabeth. They offered all sorts of personal and professional teachings which were of great importance to me. Of course, the other profound level they offered was meditative guidance. ( This filtered through the nature of love dogs, and the desire for someone else to do the impossible! – the teacher’s burden)
Our paths digressed but I was always pleased to resume contact. I maintained some contact during Ken’s illness. I visited once during Covid and also rang him a number of times.
During one conversation Ken told me he was leaving the care facility that night – he was being picked up. I didn’t quite know how to react and muttered something noncommittal.
Ken immediately commented, “Your ‘ah ha’ was about as convincing as my saying I was being picked up tonight”
and then we both laughed.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing. and right doing there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass. the world is too full to talk about.
Rumi

Vale Ken. Thank you.

05/03/2023

The broadcaster and writer on revisiting childhood for his nostalgic memoir, the genius of George Orwell, and his love of dancing

02/03/2023

Billion dollar industry. Many studies have indicated little more than a placebo effect. Well done NHS...as long as alternatives are suggested and funded

Millions of patients will be offered help to come off antidepressants and painkillers under an NHS drive to tackle addiction to prescription pills

12/11/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159745111965369&id=693680368

Learn from the Dalai Lama, the late great Archbishop Desmond Tutu (new footage), and 30+ renowned joy scientists, spiritual teachers, changemakers, and artists at the Global Joy Summit, November 13th-16th.

27/10/2022

https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/mindfulness-based-approaches-guide-psychologists

Excellent evidence based guide to clinical applications of mindfulness

This document is for all psychologists, clinical and academic, who like almost everyone, have heard about mindfulness and want to know more.