Learning to Live a Life of Nonviolence

"People say walkin on water is a miracle, but to me walking peaceful on Earth is the real miracle" ~Thich Nhat Hanh

I am studying Miki Kashtan's Book Spinning Threads of Radical Aliveness. In the book she offers the Core Commitments.  I have been mediating on these for sometime in an effort to deepen my study I have been writing about what comes up for me with each of these commitments.  It is my longing to live in a more peaceful world and so I am working to change myself first. 

Core Commitment # 7 Loving No Matter What: even when my needs are seriously unmet, I want to keep my heart open. If I find myself becoming judgmental, angry, or otherwise triggered, I want to seek support in transforming my judgments and meeting others with love.

This is definitely a hard one.   I mean who can love everyone all the time.  It is so embedded in our cultural consciousness to judge each especially when someone is doing something that is in opposition to how we want to live. 

I so deeply desire to live in peace with other people and yet it is so often than people act in ways that trigger sadness in me.  Seeing people litter or not recycle, seeing people throwing food in the trash can that will go to a dump instead of composting so that it can become dirt or food that could be feeding people who don't have enough to eat. I feel so sad and have a deep deep longing for wise use of resources. 

Some days I think i have taken on more than taken on more than i am possibly accomplish. But then I remind myself of the other commitments and it is better to have to commitment and “Fail. Fail again. Fail better.” ~ Samuel Beckett than to give up before I start. 

Truthfully I have given up many many times but my heart calls me back or this world calls me to work at it again.  

And I am still finding the line between Loving No Matter What and not allowing people to use and abuse me. I thought when I was young if I would just give and give then the world would have to come through at some point and offer back what I was offering. Now that I am older and in my humble opinion wiser I have learned to step back and give what is comfortable to give and that I can love from a distance.  I do not have to live in the drama to be loving.  

Also while I like the above idea that love is anyway or in spite of. I have a feeling as I grow it will be because.....because this other personal is full human and I can see it. Because we are all perfectly imperfect. Because I see this other persons pain and sorrow. Because I see with my whole heart as I have learned to see myself with my whole heart and not through the eyes of others whose hearts were not open. 

So Namaste,  I bow to you and see the divine energy of existence in you as I learn to  bow to myself and see the divine energy of existence in myself. 



  ☾ Oceana SisterMoon is currently living her dream of a sustainable life, raising chickens, and growing food with her 4 children. She seeks to help women unearth their power through sisterhood and healing through self-connection , interdependence, power in vulnerability, and authenticity. 

Gratitude 365

 "We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude"  ~Cynthia Ozick

Keeping a journal of Gratitude helps me to be rooted in what is working in my life. The act of writing can help me be more present in the now rather than lost in the past of what was or lost in a possible future where I might one day be happy or where the worst can happen.

So often when I write my gratitides I wrie about the most simple things I can be grateful about for example I will start many lists with having a house, a roof over my head. it's so easy to get lost in how my house doesn't live up to this standard or that standard. It's not big enough I don't like this or that, I don't like the color etc. But taking the time to have appreciation for having a home 4 walls and a roof, protection from the elements grounds me in what is really important about my life.

My children like everyone's children can be loud and not clean up after themselves.  It would be easy to lose myself in the difficulties of parenting especially as a single mom and there are days that I do. But doing this mindful practice of writing down.

So starting with the simplest of things to be grateful for.....

I am grateful for a home to live in that gives me shelter from the elements.

I am grateful for my beautiful children

I am grateful for my wonderful friends.

I am grateful for a place to plant my flowers and vegetables

I am grateful for sunsets and sunrises

I am grateful for clean water to drink

I am grateful for healthy food to eat and feed my family

I am grateful for birds that sing

I am grateful for rain

I am grateful for sunshine


Oceana SisterMoon is currently living her dream of a sustainable life, raising chickens, and growing food with her 4 children. She seeks to help women unearth their power through sisterhood and healing through self-connection , interdependence, power in vulnerability, and authenticity.