April Newsletter: A Second Free On-Line Meditation + A Poem

Published: Sat, 04/18/15

Dear Friend,

I hope you’ve been enjoying the beginning of spring - in the UK, we’ve had a spell of unusually mild and dry weather, which has been wonderful. Last weekend we went to Wales and my son Hugh and I (and Hugh’s friend Sam) climbed to the top of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales. It was awe-inspiring. After four miles and a 1000 meter climb, we came up on to the ridge near the peak of the mountain, and suddenly the whole of the other side of Wales opened up before us, stretching for miles down to the coast. And then a cloud came down and shrouded us in mist, so that we couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of us. Hugh’s friend Sam is only 8, but bounced through the whole 8 miles as if he was just walking around the corner to the shops…Next stop Mount Everest. Or maybe more realistically, Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Scotland).

I have a few events coming up, in preparation for the publication of the Calm Center. The book is officially published in mid-May in the US (slightly later in the UK) but it should be possible to buy from Amazon (or elsewhere) by the time you receive this newsletter. As you may know, Eckhart Tolle has written the introduction to the book (and selected the pieces) - you can now read his introduction in the preview to the book on amazon - in the US here, and the UK here.

From the Calm Center: Free On-Line Meditation/Reading on Sunday 26th April

I’m leading a series of free on-line meditations/readings - called From the Calm Center - on the last Sunday of each month. In these sessions, I’ll be reading two or three of the pieces from The Calm Center, discussing them and leading meditations based on them. They will last for around 30 minutes, and take place via a Google Hangout.

The second session will take place on Sunday 26th April, at 8.30 pm GMT, or 3.30 pm EST or 12.30 pm PDT. You will be able to watch the broadcasts live on Google+, although you'll need to have a Google account to watch (they're free). Click here to view and share this event; if you select 'Yes' underneath 'Are you going to watch?' the event will be saved in your list of events, or, if you don't have a Google account, you'll be given instructions on how to create one.

I’ll send a reminder about the meditation/reading a few days before it. In this session I’ll be reading ‘Become the Sky’, ‘The Core’ and others.

Talk on Transpersonal Psychology in Manchester on April 23rd

If you're in the North of the UK, on Thurs 23rd April (6.30 pm) I’m giving a talk about transpersonal psychology at Waterstone’s bookshop in Deansgate, Manchester, as a part of a series of events organised by the British Psychological Society. I'll be talking about awakening experiences and 'transformation through suffering.' It’s free and open to all members of the public.

I’m also holding a launch event for the Calm Center in Manchester on Thursday June 11th, at the Unitarian Chapel. I’ll give you more details about this closer to the time.

Master's Degree in Transpersonal Psychology

On the subject of transpersonal psychology, I wanted to let you know (if you don’t already) about the on-line MSc degree I teach on, entitled ‘Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology.’ If you’re interested in pursuing spirituality in an academic form, it’s well worth considering, as it features many of the world’s most prominent transpersonal psychologists. I’m developing a module called ‘Interpreting Spiritual Awakening’ for the course, and already teach on two other modules. It’s also very cheap, compared to other academic courses, and if you don’t want to do the whole course, you can just do specific modules, as an associate student. It’s enrolling now for this coming September. Full details here:

http://www.ita-professional.org/registration/

The Trees

As I write this, I’m travelling on the train between Leeds and Manchester. A few minutes ago, the train stopped at Dewsbury Station. About two years ago, I had a powerful experience at this station, when I felt the trees that hang over the station wall communicated with me. I felt the aliveness of the trees, and experienced them as wise presences, who were sharing their wisdom with me. I attempted to describe their communication into words, in this piece from The Calm Center, ‘The Trees’:

I swear the trees were speaking to me —

two great oaks hanging over the station wall

while the train was waiting

their leaves sparkling with deep rich green

their branches swaying softly.

They seemed like gurus, still and serene,

intersecting from an older world.

And they were saying, “Slow down —

don’t strive for what’s beyond your reach.

Don’t chase the light so hard

that you lose your footing and uproot yourself.

Wait for the sun to come round to you.”

They paused for a moment, then whispered

“Don’t let the future agitate your mind.

The present holds enough happiness for anyone.

Don’t look forward, look around –

accept and be content.”

The train whisked me away

soon we were hurtling down the track again

but my mind was completely motionless

standing still there with the trees.

That’s all for this month,

All best wishes, Steve