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"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." ― Jimi Hendrix

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5 quick things –
Photo of three members of my awesome team on a retreat

Hi, gorgeous, 

How is your heart? I hope you are taking care of it. My favorite quote ever, as many of you know, is from the 20th-century Indian writer, poet, and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti: 

It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

So please, if you are feeling worried, stressed, or anxious, realize it is for a very good reason! It is not a character flaw and it does not mean you are broken. It means you are having a very truthful response to an unhealthy world. Try not to beat yourself up. Be gentle with yourself. Take good care. (And if you are curious about the differences between worry, stress, and anxiety, you might enjoy reading this.)

    Alright, here are your five things for this week. âŹ¬

    MEET MY TEAM!
    1. they are so super rad

    I am truly blessed to have a small but mighty team of people helping me to grow EFF THIS! Meditation, and I would love to introduce them to you. Please meet:

    p.s. That is Katrina, Sumi, and Jada in the photo above–on our last team retreat in Miami. I love this pic because it made my heart so happy to see everyone connecting so deeply the first time we all met in person! <3

    A picture of  Pema Chödrön
    BUDDHIST NEWS
    2. Pema Chödrön's big move

    Recently, Pema Chödrön (finally) stepped down as a senior teacher of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage.

    She is an amazing teacher, and her books have changed many lives, including my own. But the fact that she had stayed on as an official part of Shambhala Buddhism for so long after senior leadership protected the lineage holder, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, from accusations of abuse by many, many women–this broke my heart.

    Shambhala Buddhisn was my home lineage for nearly a decade, and it's where I took my vows. I was heartbroken by what happened, but am glad to see the venerable teacher has finally had enough. Good for her. With accountability comes better things.

    By the way, I highly recommend her book When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times; it's very appropriate for these days.

    hands sharing energy
    ENERGY IS LIFE
    3. ⚡nature's power grid⚡

    Some people say that energy work, like reiki, is unscientific. But there is a big difference between something being scientifically disproven and scientifically unproven. Rest assured, if the drug companies figure out how to package and sell energy work, it will suddenly be studied widely. 

    But meanwhile, I love when articles like this come out, which show us just how much we are still learning about our own bodies' and world's energy systems:

    Wired Bacteria Form Nature's Power Grid: 'We Have an Electric Planet' from The New York Times

    My favorite sentence is this: "But now that scientists know what to look for, they’re finding this natural electricity across much of the world."

    This happens a lot: suddenly when something comes into focus, we see it everywhere. In this case, it's an electroactive bacteria called Geobacter–and it's now being found all over the place. Energy is everywhere. It's life.✨✨

    a hand holding a phone that says
    PRACTICE TIP
    4. moment of silence

    We start all of our team meetings with a moment of silence. We set the timer for sixty seconds, and all sit quietly in each other's presence.

    Our team meetings are typically through video chat, but we do this in person, too. It can also be done solo.

    It's just taking a moment to drop in, let what happened before fade into the past, and become more present with the people and tasks at hand.

    This is a practice you can do anywhere, at any time, with anyone who is willing. It's fantastic at moments of transition. Just... take a minute.

    a trippy image of a planet
    NATURE IS AMAZING
    5. way up high

    This picture of the earth and our moon taken from inside Saturn's rings is stunning.

    Why do planes stay in the air? Uhhh literally no one actually knows for sure.

    Speaking of flying, if you've ever asked: "But wait, can flamingos fly?!" I will tell you: yes...

    Mostly nocturnally, and it takes them a while to take off, and once they get going they fly suuuuper high in the sky and very fast (40 mph) and also they cover great distances–like 350 miles in a night. So while they can fly pretty freaking well, it's rare to see them fly because they keep it on the down-low. Or the up-high, I guess.

    Also: a pair of flamingos escaped from a zoo in Kansas in 2005, and one was spotted in Texas 14 years later. So: go flamingo, go!

    Thank you to my dear reader Helen for letting me know my newsletter font was too light to read. I hope it is fixed now, but if it isn't–or if there are any other things you would like to see fixed or changed about this newsletter–please let me know! I am so touched by your continued interest. Holding you each in my heart today.

    Love,

    MEANWHILE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA . . . 

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    Liza Kindred

    This newsletter was written on the unceded land of the Canarsie and Lenape people people. (Via Native Land.)

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