Saturday, January 19, 2008

Cooking Your Life

Good Morning Everyone,
 
This morning is again a cold one.  The temps are in the low twenties and I am scheduled to go sit in front of the environmental center.  Sitting Zazen in the cold is no fun.  I've noticed that my nose runs, eyes water, and internal things begin to shake. This can't be good. 
 
I am cancelling my morning outdoor sits until the morning temps are above 35.
 
I missed the Wednesday Peace Vigil due to Rev. Kokyo's surgery.  It was supposed to be in the early morning, but it was moved to the afternoon.  So it goes.  Life is full of little twists and turns and the more quickly we get to a point where we relax into them the better. Just like on a motorcycle, you don't resist leaning into the curve.
 
Learning to let go is really important.  Last night we attended Chef Jacob's opening night at Meson de Mesilla.  It was an unexpectedly large crowd, every table full, the lounge crowded, and a very green kitchen staff.  I stepped back to the kitchen a few times.  The wait staff were really stressed. The cooks were very stressed. I invited them to breath free and easy.  We smiled together.  And while this didn't speed things up, it may have helped them settle their internal engines just a little. 
 
As with anything intense, it is very important to learn to relax within the intensity.  While running, for example, a runner can place their attention on their calf muscles and relax them with each step.  The same for our arms, chests, and shoulders.  The key is learning to notice the muscle groups and understand that we have real control over them when we decide we can take it.
 
An easy breath with a smile and pleasant thought in the middle of yuk is always a welcome, if brief, relief.
 
The evening at Meson was extraordinarily delicious.  The music was wonderful.  The atmosphere elegant.  If any of you ever get to Las Cruces, please visit.
 
Be well.
 
 
 


 
Rev. Dr. So Daiho Hilbert-roshi 


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