Day Sixty-Four: Universal Poetry Within’-The Ancient Poetry of Rumi

Have you ever felt such an intense connection to something or

someone that you can’t help but feeling a sense of familiarity

when standing in front of that thing or person?

When I first read the Sufi poetry of Rumi I fell in love with

his words and was astounded when I realized these words

came to him organically in 1244. His poems are so

universal and can pass for intense modern poetry because

of their innate and pure simplicity and wisdom.

(Back story time people) My husband and I were in a band

about thirteen years ago; we disbanded after our first child was

born. We had been writing our own songs and the creativity

was kinetic in that group.

In the past six months my husband ran into two of the members

of our band and I heard from the third through Facebook.

Our guitar player has been coming to play ‘our’ music and some

renditions of covers as well-every weekend.

In the weeks leading up to the weekend-mostly in the car-when

I am alone and the radio is not on-songs are coming to me

organically. I have to keep  my smartphone handy so I can

record the songs as they come. When Terry-my hubby-drives

I scrawl the words that are coming out into several notebooks.

In the past few months I have written over 25 complete songs.

They all tell stories-some tragic; some non-sensical-some

intense-some chill. I have been through other difficult times

in my life, but never have I had so much creativity come

flowing out.

In later research I learned that Rumi met his mentor, a dervish,

Shams-E-Tabrizi on Nov.15th, 1244 and became a changed man.

Rumi was so inspired by Shams that when he went missing after

answering the door-Rumi’s bereavement sent him into a state of

such intense grief that he began reciting his lyrical poems

Divan-e-Shams-e-Tabrizi.

This is when he came upon this belief:

Why should I seek? I am the same as he.

His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself.

(wikipedia)

In retrospect I feel that so many of the most creative people

have come from a place of darkness and that place has

allowed them to see the light more intensely-therefore

allowing them to create such emotionally poignant pieces

of art.

Morning Meditation:

Journal Entry: read some of Rumi’s poetry and respond in your journal.

Why are you connected to that specific poem? What did you learn about

yourself through the poetry?

A Selection of Poetry by Rumi

http://peacefulrivers.homestead.com/rumipoetry1.html

Rumi-The Full Documentary

Playlist of Poetry by Rumi-with Visual Inspiration/Music

If You Feel Compelled to Whirl like a Dirvish here is a video:

Evening Meditation:

Peace, Love & Namaste Em

Day Nineteen: Practicing What You Preach-Living with Positive Intention

“You are Beautiful Just the Perfect Way You Are”-Lori Ann Hunt

When I was seventeen and in my first year of University;

out of curiosity, I took a World’s Religions class. There were so

many incredible religions to explore-it was though my spiritual

world exploded into so many directions. I connected with so many

ideas and wanted to learn so much more. Though I appreciated

the morality of Christianity, it never felt like home. I still had this

undeniable urge to believe in something outside myself. I didn’t want

the world to be a one dimensional wasteland of duty and

responsibility. Faith and belief in something more ignited a

sparkling flame that made life more magical; more meaningful

and worth living.

Living with positive intention means you are living the life

you intend for yourself, that you are mindful that you are

creating the life you live and that your choices determine

the quality of each passing day.

I began exploring Buddhism and I really connected to the whole

idea of empathy and the value of all living beings on earth. I finally

found a religion that understood me to the core. The little girl

who would have physical pain if someone stepped on an ant,

or ripped the branch off of a tree. The idea of working on yourself

and being humble, quiet and giving; distancing oneself from the

ego.

I started reading books about positive living and thinking. I read

from ancient poets like; RUMI and Lao Tzo. I was also taking a

philosophy course and the professor just blew my mind with

the whole idea of how what we perceive defines our reality.

Meeting other University students who were just as excited

and high on learning was so phenomenal. We would sit in

a dimly lit cafe called The Library, with mismatched chairs and

bookshelves filled with classic novels. Sipping tea out of mismatched,

fancy tea cups; vibrating about how we could save the world with our

brilliant new outlook on things.

Though I have been reading ‘self help’, ‘religious’, ‘poetry’, ‘new age’

titles for over 25 years, I still find it hard to ‘live what I’ve learned’ 100%

of the time. I beat myself up when the stress and responsibilities of

life take me so far away from living a life of positive intention that I

am no longer able to “Practice What I Preach”.

I go through this pattern when life gets to be too overwhelming.

The cycle of self deprivation and abuse begins and I get covered

in a cloak of darkness. I know that the solution is to connect to

myself and care for myself again, to not be so self destructive.

During these times, I am so vulnerable that the vultures out there

in the world sense it and come in for the kill. My guard is down

so I get even more buried in the quicksand of despair.

We all fall down, and disconnect from ourselves and what is

good. We need to realize that we deserve goodness and positivity.

The times we are most disconnected from our positive intention

are the times we need it most. The challenge is in holding on to

the rope when we are falling-to not let it slip away, and if it does,

to not let it slip completely away.

Even the authors of these ‘spiritual and self help guides’ fall.

Life is about embracing the darkness and the light.

We are all incredibly strong and frail, but we are human and

can learn even more from the darkness than the light.

It all depends on how you look at it.

Today’s focus will be on living a mindful life focused on

positive intention and gratitude.

Morning Meditation: A Meditation on Intention from The Chopra Centre

Journal Entry: Create Your Own Declaration of Intention and 

make it beautiful. Frame it and hang it somewhere you will see it.

Intended Listening and Viewing:The Power of Intention-Wayne Dyer

Mindfulness & Intention Panel Discussion-Mindfulness Experts & Deepak Chopra

Living With Intention: Lynne MacTaggert: 

Physical Activity: Go for a walk in nature and silently reflect

on the intentions you have for your life-present and future.

Evening Meditation: