Tag: calm

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Parkmerced: unique San Francisco living

I always lived on the ocean side of San Francisco, in the Richmond, the Sunset, and Parkmerced. All had their beautiful aspects, but Parkmerced was my favorite location by far.

I felt like it was a close as one could get to living in a major city without feeling like you lived in the city.

By J. Ash Bowie

It was wonderful for walking and felt more like a community than the more typical city neighborhoods.

By J. Ash Bowie

I’m convinced that living in Parkmerced helped me maintain my equilibrium as a freelance musician coping with irregular hours while driving to gigs throughout the greater Bay Area.

I hear they’re making big changes there now. Oh well. I’m just grateful it was the calm and serene environment I needed all those years ago.

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The weight of the world

This was one of those days where I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Not for any particular reason, really. Just a heavy energy.

I definitely resonated with the first photo above, but I really love the one below! It represents what I want to learn — how to be calm and serene and smiling even when I feel like I’m holding up the world!

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How can it be fall already?

I ran into a dear friend today and we commiserated (from behind our masks) about how things are feeling harder lately, rather than easier.

I think it’s partly due to the subtle but very real stress of trying to maintain normalcy in these extremely abnormal times. Staying centered and calm, cheerful and even-minded takes a heck of a lot of energy these days.

And then there’s the fact that it’s already fall, but I feel like I wasn’t able to be entirely present for spring or summer. I want to say something more about it, but — really — all I can do is shake my head.

In disbelief.

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Cool clouds & mist hands

Feeling deeply impacted by fires everywhere and the heat and smoke and predictions of more lightning storms…and hearing deep within myself: BASTA! Enough!

Unfortunately, I don’t get to be the one to decide when it’s “enough.” Darn!

But it does seem like we need to take some concerted action to help bring it all back from the brink somehow. I found myself thinking that a major prayer vigil is perhaps in order. People of all faith traditions praying intensely for peace and calm and healing… Ahhhh, I just felt myself take a deep breath as I typed those words!

Of course, I don’t know how to get a bunch of different groups united in doing a prayer vigil; that’s not my area of connection and strength. But then I heard these words in my mind:

Cool clouds that gather to bless us. Mist hands that soothe away pain.

And I thought maybe we can flood the world with Peace, as sung by Swamiji, and help cool down, calm, and sooth our planet and everyone/everything on it.

This is something I can do my best to make happen!

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Secret weapon

Lots of thoughts and ideas chasing themselves through my mind, but I’m finding it difficult to grab hold of any particular one long enough to figure out what i want to say about it!

Of course, the more I try the more my mind veers away in yet another direction, until all I’m feeling is increasing restlessness. What to do?!?

Time to utilize my “secret weapon”: music. Swamiji singing Peace never fails to calm my heart and still my mind. Just what the doctor ordered!

Peace by Swami Kriyananda (aka J. Donald Walters)