Mini fall retreat for you

This weekend is my friend Jon Bernie's fall retreat. Oh, those lovely, lucky participants! But for the rest of us, here's another great video:



Oh, hooray - they got a better picture this time! If you're enjoying these little snippets, you might be interested to know that you can listen to entire satsangs here.

And in keeping with the theme of "Whatever Works," which may or may not work for you, I'd love to mention the Poetry Chaikhana website that one of my dear loved ones turned me onto recently. Ivan Granger, creator of Poetry Chaikhana, has this to say about where the name came from:

"A chaikhana is a teahouse along the legendary Silk Road pilgrimage and trading route linking China to the Middle East and Europe. It is a place of rest along the journey, a place to shake off the dust of the road, to sip tea, and to gather together to sing songs of the Divine..."

And this to say about the focus of Poetry Chaikhana:

"The Poetry Chaikhana joyfully shares the sacred poetry of cultures, religions, and spiritual traditions from around the world.

"There is, however, a definite Middle Eastern theme to the Poetry Chaikhana. This is partly to honor of the centuries of vibrant, ecstatic, devotional, irreverant, and truly profound sacred poetry the region has given to the world. But another important reason for the Middle Eastern flavor of the site is in order to counter the miserably limited portrayal of Middle Eastern cultures and religion we are given in the West."

And this to say about what poetry means to him:

"Poetry has an immediate effect on the mind. The simple act of reading poetry alters thought patterns and the shuttle of the breath. Poetry induces trance. Its words are chant. Its rhythms are drum beats. Its images become the icons of the inner eye. Poetry is more than a description of the sacred experience; it carries the experience itself."

Pretty great stuff! You can subscribe to the email and he'll send you a beautiful poem with thoughtful commentary a couple of times a week, or you can visit or subscribe to the blog. Lots there to enjoy!