Indra's Web

(Image courtesy of Sarah Murphy-Kangas, also known as The Leftoverist. Check out her beautiful photography, recipes, and musings at In Praise of Leftovers.)

This has been an amazing week, a full beyond measure week. It's Sunday night and I'm tired, thankful, alive, and in awe. We had the most amazing worship at Liberation today. We prayed and sang so much that Darrell didn't preach a sermon. Have I mentioned how thankful I am for that place and the people who worship there? I'm planning to write a longer posting later about this past week as a whole, but right now Randy and Indra's Web are on my mind.

Randy was supposed to be my co-retreat leader for the 5-day Academy. I received an e-mail Monday afternoon with the rest of the 5-day leadership team that Randy had gone to the doctor and was being scheduled the next morning for emergency open heart surgery, at least a double if not triple bypass. Praise God and those doctors and nurses and health insurance and his amazing rejuvenating, resilient body, and praying people, Randy came through surgery and is making an amazing recovery already. He is in for a long, necessary rest and recovery season. However, he will not be able to make it to the Academy. I know he is very disappointed and was really looking forward to it. Randy and I went through Academy #24 together (the two year Academy at Mercy Center that started in September 2005) and we've been meeting once a month for coffee since the fall.

Monday night is one of my weekly yoga classes at Seattle Yoga Arts. I put my mat in the front row next to my teacher and studio owner Denise Benitez. You know the saying we're all ministers? I really believe that and Denise is definitely one of the ministers in my life, in many, many peoples lives. Seattle Yoga Arts is one of the sanctuaries in my life complete with altar and chanting and singing. I'm not trying to be cute when I call it Body Church. I mean it. I'll save just how much I mean that for another time.

I sat down next to Denise and told her about Randy and asked her if we could dedicate our practice to him. I've never done that before, but I've witnessed and participated with others requests. She said absolutely and so at the beginning of class she told the class that we were going to dedicate our practice to my friend Randy and she let me tell the class of about 50 of us about him. Then we sat and she led us in a beautiful, beautiful meditation (I'd also call it prayer) about Randy and the wisdom of his doctors, the skilled surgeons hands, and went on to talk about sending our intentions to someone we don't know and our interconnectedness, referring to Indra's Web and the beautiful jewel that is each of us reflecting every other jewel in the universe. I tucked that away to check out later and we chanted OM three times followed by the Anusara yoga invocation closing with another OM and then asanas for 1 1/2 hours. A lot of sweaty energy heading Randy and his wife, Ann's way.

The energy in that room was so focused and still and loving, followed by movement. Fully present. A truly sacred place.

Next to the altar on the wall are Denise's brain beads. They are a collection of beads given to her by students that Denise strung together when she was recovering from brain surgery. She is a strong, wise, funny, encouraging, powerful walking miracle. I believe it when she says our breath can take us through anything. I believe it when she says our intentions travel along that interconnected jeweled web of the universe. It's clear to me she's speaking from experience and I know it to be true in my own life.

Thank you Denise, thank you fellow yogis.

Good night, Randy and Ann. I pray you will be gentle with yourselves and take all the time you need to be well and fully recovered.

Praying for all those undergoing tests and receiving results this week.

Good night, everyone.

I honor you, Namaste.

---------------------------

Here's a link to the page on Indra's Web on wikipedia. I don't feel the need to try to re-explain a concept I just heard about and am intrigued by with my own words. Google away. And thanks for letting me use that beautiful picture, Sarah.