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Greetings and Namaste!
The season of celebrating holy days for so many
traditions is upon us. At the same time we are
confronted with the horrors of people
driven by fear and desire into states of such blind
delusion
that they trampled a pregnant woman here in New
York, stomping to
death her protector, a valiant Walmart employee, and
stepped over them, running to buy a big screen TV! As
if this
nightmare scenario weren't an awful enough reflection
of the darkness of consumerism and materialism that
has gripped the world, at
the same time, on the opposite side of the globe,
other poor, ignorant, alienated individuals, took
the violent route of terrorism,
killing and torturing innocent people in Mumbai, India,
piercing the hearts of millions of people around
the world who haven't succumbed to the numbness
our violent cultures are producing.
The crushing darkness of greed, violence and hatred
must
not be allowed to prevail.
In these Holy Days, (and which day isn't Holy), we can
and we must choose Love moment by
moment.
We must choose to illumine each
second,
each breath, each step with the unquenchable Light of
Love, Compassion and Peace.
At a time when we might feel powerless and
hopeless,
we should know with absolute certainty that we are
fully empowered to breathe with Love, to speak with
Love,
to act with Love, to drive with Love, to wait on line with
Love, to give to others with Love, to practice generosity
with Love, to reach out to others with Love. This is
what makes our holidays Holy.
It was the capacity of those whom we revere to love in
the face of
anything and everything, to be unswerving in their
surrender and embrace of Love, the Divine Presence,
that made them Holy,
made them representatives of the Divine on earth.
This is true whether one thinks of oneself as
Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain,
etc.
Now it's your time to choose the same.
It's our time to be that Love and Compassion
and
Peace incarnate.
Right now, with this very breath.
Right now vow to yourself and all those you love to
strive to be more loving, kind and patient.
You can do this.
We all must do this if we want the world to be the
place where all our children and grandchildren and
future generations can
flourish.
What better way is there to celebrate the Holy Days
than with unbounded love! It can't be bought, it can't
be sold and the more you give, the more you have! No
credit required!
Love & Blessings To All,
Lawrence
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Fall - Winter Programs
Anam Cara, Bedford, NY
Sunday Dec. 7th One Day Mini-
Retreat Taking Refuge in
Stillness 9:00am-
3:30pm Give yourself a day to relax, let go and
enter the true spirit of the Holy Days. Stories, chants,
guided meditations, profound relaxation, and good
company will ease you into your heart with joy and
love. Bring a favorite story or food to share if you like or
simply come and enjoy. Pre-registration is required.
A vegetarian lunch is included. Fee:
$75
Saturday Dec. 20th
7:30pm
Kirtan
Night!
With Satya, Ma and
Kalidas. Join us in this ancient and
ecstatic practice
of chanting the names of the Divine.
Everyone is
welcome!
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009,
7:15pm Four Week
Science and
Art of
Meditation Course Perfect for new meditators
and
people wanting to gain the tremendous health
benefits meditation offers. Makes a great gift! Meets
once a week for 4 weeks. Details
on the Anam Cara website.
Sunday
January 25th Meditation For Health &
Wellbeing. 9am-3:30pm. Great for people
new to meditation or for those wanting to deepen their
practice and learn about the science of meditation as
well. Pre-registration is required. Details are on the
website.
February 27-March 1, 2009,
Friday
Evening-Sunday
Afternoon Mysteries of the Divine
Feminine and Kundalini Empowerment
Retreat Led by Lawrence Edwards,
Ph.D.
The extraordinary power of
Consciousness that allows us to directly know
the
Infinite is called
Kundalini in the yogic tradition. In this
retreat you will be guided through ancient
practices
that awaken and unfold the inner power of
meditation
and
yoga, Kundalini.
Through this innate
power of Consciousness we will explore the
archetypal realms of transcendence, wisdom and
grace. Through the power of mantra, chanting,
breath
work, and the profound tales of mystical
traditions,
including the Black Madonna, Inanna, Kali and
Kundalini, we will further access the inner
source of
true knowledge and ultimate freedom. That
source is
the Divine within. Through this process you
will be
empowered to deepen and sustain your meditation
practice at home. Many people take this retreat
repeatedly in order to delve more and more
deeply into
the mysteries of true meditation and further
unfold the
power of Kundalini. Sharings from others who
have
taken the retreat can be found through the
program
link
below. Pre-registration is required. Fee: $270,
includes meals but not accommodations.
Meditation
Group
Every Tuesday
Evening:
starts promptly at 7:30pm at our center at
SunRaven in Bedford, NY. All are welcome!
Directions
are on the Anam Cara website. If you wonder
whether the group is being held on a particular
Tuesday evening there will always be a
message stating if it is cancelled on
that
night on 914-234-4800.
Click here to find out more about the programs....
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Thank you all
for your notes of appreciation for our newsletter.
Everyone has
the heart to be a true friend of the soul, an Anam
Cara. By embodying that ideal ourselves we may help
another to find it in themselves.
Our highest nature is always manifest in
relationship - to all other beings, to the
environment, in relation to our own body and
mind. Becoming mindful of the quality of our
relationships
allows us to learn where the light shines and where it
needs to shine more. The ideal of Anam Cara is to
continuously endeaver to expand the depth and the
inclusiveness of the loving kindness we bring into
every relationship.
If
you have any
suggestions, comments or sharings, for our
newsletter please don't
hesitate to e-mail me and I'll do my best to
respond.
Anam Cara, Inc. is a 501
(C) 3,
non-profit
educational organization dedicated to teaching
meditative practices. Our non-denominational
programs are open to all. There are free meditation
instructions and downloadable audio files of guided
meditations on our website. We've added to
that page a
translation, transliteration and free MP3 audio file of an
ancient Sanskrit Universal Prayer. May it be an
inspiration to
all.
Thank
you for
the many ways you have shown
support for Anam Cara, Inc. Because
of
your gifts we can offer free programs and instruction to
hundreds of people.
I look forward to welcoming you
in person to our programs.
With great
appreciation and love, I thank you all.
May all beings realize complete freedom from suffering and may all our actions reflect only wisdom, compassion, patience and loving kindness.
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