Hugest gratitude to you for this post today, Julie. I fell headlong into Peter Mayer's Awake and felt instantly renewed. Thank you for reminding us that grace returns us to goodness, and that goodness always abides. <3
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. I agree - Awake is very special. It usually gets me a little weepy. Thanks for being here and for that great quote. 💚
"Projection is a blunt instrument when what we need is subtle, careful craft." Ah, Julie...a truly remarkable job, creating this series exploring the shadows. You've displayed a subtle, careful craft infusing the shadowy repositories with the light of love. And grace. The song you chose for the wrap-up is perfect. Thank you, dear one, for your considered, sustained, and skillful offerings. 💞☮
Dear Becky, I’m floored that you resonated so strongly with that phrase. It came to me in the final, final edit, as I was reviewing the (what I thought was) complete essay before hitting “send.” I like to think that the process of writing and rewriting and reading and revising put me into a state where I could finally hear that. The final brushstroke that makes the subject pop. Thank you for being here and for adding your voice. 💙
I’m in tears… I’ve been dwelling a lot on the details of my failings. I don’t see Obama as an actual do-er of great things, but I saw reading this that maybe it’s ok to do a few good things alongside a whole slew of bad in this world we live in. And the idea he had a moment of great feeling and shared heart is something I would like to experience. Like there was some intention in there that was bigger than all his mistakes. Maybe intentions pave a road to hell, but maybe without them things are much worse. And, like we can’t escape our shadows, maybe we all end up there, eventually, singing amazing grace.
Beautiful reflection. It put me in mind of this version of that old adage — The road to good intentions is paved with hell. May we all experience a spontaneous singing of Amazing Grace. Thanks for being here.
Yes! Exactly, that was what I was riffing off of… I liked how this series made the route sound braided, rather than one-directional or binary. Thank you
Julie, your writing is exquisite and stirring! Thank you!
Of course, since we met in the world of yoga, I’m remembering the Sanskrit word for grace, Anugraha — the force that holds us and refuses to let go! (Imagine Savasana, and the grace Anne Lamont describes that’s with us in the pit)
Anugraha is also the force that takes hold of us, calling us up and out into the more that we are. Both definitions feel resonant with your conversation with your father, and Obama’s singing.
In this system of thought & experience, Anugraha is part of the cycle of creation, the pañcaa-kryta (5 Acts of God): birth, life, death, concealment, and revelation. anugraha/grace is revelation. It’s awakening!
Thank you for engaging the shadows and spreading light in these heavy times, Julie. And for bringing me back to a key foundational teaching from the yoga tradition that helps me enter the truth that we are inextricably interconnected with all of creation and still we don’t see. Our eyes close and open; it’s a deeper more subtle aspect of the self that truly awakens.
Dear Vivian, thank you for this gorgeous teaching. It makes me miss you and your classes more than ever. I’ve read this several times over and still there’s more. I love the observation that our eyes close and open. And we close and open. And the 5 Acts of God — so profound. Blessings, dear friend. 🥰✨
“You can have the other words-chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I'll take grace. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'll take it. ”
― Mary Oliver
You speak of Grace and I am reminded...
Julie thank you for this whole series of essays...
I am not sure what grace is either, whether I will find it in the shadows or the light but if by some small chance when I do you and Mary Oliver are already waiting, well, that will truly be an Amazing Grace.
Gladness for goodness...
glory to generous grit!
Grassy, greasy grace.
…
Strong and stubborn grace,
despite ever-present pain.
All-permeating.
“grassy, greasy grace” 💙
Hugest gratitude to you for this post today, Julie. I fell headlong into Peter Mayer's Awake and felt instantly renewed. Thank you for reminding us that grace returns us to goodness, and that goodness always abides. <3
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. I agree - Awake is very special. It usually gets me a little weepy. Thanks for being here and for that great quote. 💚
Love that Peter Mayer song too.
Beautiful. Inspiring. Thank you, because we, as sinners, need reminding every now and then.
Always. Thanks for reading. 💙
Grace. So difficult to define. Yet we recognize its presence. Or absence.
Maybe it’s so ever-present, we are like that story of the fish who doesn’t know what water is.
Seems likely.
"Projection is a blunt instrument when what we need is subtle, careful craft." Ah, Julie...a truly remarkable job, creating this series exploring the shadows. You've displayed a subtle, careful craft infusing the shadowy repositories with the light of love. And grace. The song you chose for the wrap-up is perfect. Thank you, dear one, for your considered, sustained, and skillful offerings. 💞☮
Dear Becky, I’m floored that you resonated so strongly with that phrase. It came to me in the final, final edit, as I was reviewing the (what I thought was) complete essay before hitting “send.” I like to think that the process of writing and rewriting and reading and revising put me into a state where I could finally hear that. The final brushstroke that makes the subject pop. Thank you for being here and for adding your voice. 💙
I’m in tears… I’ve been dwelling a lot on the details of my failings. I don’t see Obama as an actual do-er of great things, but I saw reading this that maybe it’s ok to do a few good things alongside a whole slew of bad in this world we live in. And the idea he had a moment of great feeling and shared heart is something I would like to experience. Like there was some intention in there that was bigger than all his mistakes. Maybe intentions pave a road to hell, but maybe without them things are much worse. And, like we can’t escape our shadows, maybe we all end up there, eventually, singing amazing grace.
Beautiful reflection. It put me in mind of this version of that old adage — The road to good intentions is paved with hell. May we all experience a spontaneous singing of Amazing Grace. Thanks for being here.
Yes! Exactly, that was what I was riffing off of… I liked how this series made the route sound braided, rather than one-directional or binary. Thank you
Thanks for your generous read. 😊
A moment of beauty. Thank you for this series, much needed right now.
Thanks for being here, Dawn. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 💙
Julie, your writing is exquisite and stirring! Thank you!
Of course, since we met in the world of yoga, I’m remembering the Sanskrit word for grace, Anugraha — the force that holds us and refuses to let go! (Imagine Savasana, and the grace Anne Lamont describes that’s with us in the pit)
Anugraha is also the force that takes hold of us, calling us up and out into the more that we are. Both definitions feel resonant with your conversation with your father, and Obama’s singing.
In this system of thought & experience, Anugraha is part of the cycle of creation, the pañcaa-kryta (5 Acts of God): birth, life, death, concealment, and revelation. anugraha/grace is revelation. It’s awakening!
Thank you for engaging the shadows and spreading light in these heavy times, Julie. And for bringing me back to a key foundational teaching from the yoga tradition that helps me enter the truth that we are inextricably interconnected with all of creation and still we don’t see. Our eyes close and open; it’s a deeper more subtle aspect of the self that truly awakens.
Grace is vital!
Thanks for talking about it!
“You my child are Awake” Blessings!
Dear Vivian, thank you for this gorgeous teaching. It makes me miss you and your classes more than ever. I’ve read this several times over and still there’s more. I love the observation that our eyes close and open. And we close and open. And the 5 Acts of God — so profound. Blessings, dear friend. 🥰✨
“You can have the other words-chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I'll take grace. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'll take it. ”
― Mary Oliver
You speak of Grace and I am reminded...
Julie thank you for this whole series of essays...
I am not sure what grace is either, whether I will find it in the shadows or the light but if by some small chance when I do you and Mary Oliver are already waiting, well, that will truly be an Amazing Grace.
Ohhh, this gives me chills! Much appreciated in this hot weather. 🥰 Thanks for being here.
Always present, always working. Now always a ringing bell or flash of light. Thanks, Julie.
Thanks for being here, Leah. 💚