Satsang with Lisa 

Man plans God laughs...continued
A parable of sorts 

My son Jed became a bar Mitzvah last March.  And as any family who has experienced a coming of age rite of passage in any spiritual tradition knows, it is an amazing day of shining light, healing and of course celebration. But as many of us can attest, once the party is over, the battle of the "Thank You's" begins. I call it a battle not so much because it was a point of conflict for Jed and I, but more importantly because it was a tremendously daunting mission that required a warrior spirit to accomplish. Our strategy/agreement was that Jed would write the "thank yous" and I would address them. 

So it took Jed 3 months of enduring my reminding, cajoling and nagging to complete his end of the mission, finishing just before he left for camp.

It was 4^th of July weekend, to be exact, when my call to duty began. I went off to the country, Phoenicia, that weekend and thought in the quiet I might easily accomplish my end of the mission.  That was a nice fantasy. In reality no such luck! I did nothing but rest, relax, renew and of course practice.

On one of these magnificent country mornings I stopped at the General Store for some supplies. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a beautiful 'red bird' (my spirit guide).  Oh My God,  Again! I thought. He's here, and all is as it should be in this moment.

And now the story of "The Red Bird ".  It goes like this:
My Uncle Ned, Edward Stutman, was a wonderful, kind and loving man, devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a respected lawyer in DC, who legislated for the rights of the handicapped and in his last decade worked for the Justice Dept as a Nazi hunter. He was also a very witty fellow and prided himself on his comedic abilities. He actually won funniest lawyer in Washington 5 years in a row. In 2000 Ned was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and thus began a 5 year epic battle which he ultimately lost, but not without a valiant fight allowing him precious time to make every moment count and not before his youngest son made it through high school.  

It was at brunch on the deck of my brother's house, after the unveiling of Ned's grave one year after his death that Zak, Ned's eldest, called out to everyone in a stage whisper, "He's here!"

We all rushed onto the deck questioning, Who's here?

"Look" Zak said pointing into the woods, "it is my Dad. He said that if at all possible after his death he would come back as a red bird, and there he is!" I looked out into the trees and saw about 15 ft away a beautiful cardinal sitting in a tree, watching us. We stayed there together, all 20 of us and the red bird, for a long time looking at each other, suspended in the magic of the moment.

After that day my red bird spirit guide began showing up randomly and often. I'd turn a corner in my car and there he would be facing me smack in the middle of the road! While cooking dinner I would gaze out the kitchen window only to find my gaze met by a beautiful cardinal on my windowsill a foot away! When I went to weekend at an historic Vermont Inn, I walked into the room to find there over the bed a big portrait of a cardinal! It was uncanny, and miraculous. It filled me with awe and trust in the universe and was an instant healing.

 And six years down the road it continues. Strangest thing is that I also remembered as a child stopping in the presence of cardinals on numerous occasions on my walks to and from school and being captivated and spiritually transported by the experience. I later learned that in the spiritual realm there is no distinction between the past, present and future.

Sunday, November 13th 2011

Sunday, November 13th 2011

Kirtan with David Newman and Mira

4:00-6:00pm

$22 in advance/$25 at the door

Whether you have participated in Kirtan before with David and Mira, or it's your first time, you will experience the bliss that comes from chanting with these beautiful souls!  

 

Brain Core Therapy
with Dr Robyn and Dr Mike
Wednesday November 16, 7:15pm  
Complimentary introductory talk on the benefits of neurofeedback. Space is limited call to reserve your spot.

Saturday November 19th, 2011

Sadie Nardini returns to OSO

1:30-3:30  

and 3:45-5:45 pm

Whether you love inversions or not, get ready to detox, flow, laugh, learn and rock them, no matter where you are in the poses now.  This one empowering workshop with Sadie will bring you into a stronger, more stable and free experience of these elusive poses for a lifetime. Great for beginners to advanced level, Sadie's revolutionary Holistic Anatomy knowledge and Core Alignment tips will help you totally transform your handstands, headstands, forearm stands, shoulder stands and more!