Day 194: Practicing the Path, Writing Begins with the Breath & Fiddlehead Ferns

Friday, March 28
11:16 p.m.

Today was a day filled with meetings.  I didn’t really get any work done, so I brought work home with me for the weekend.  I really need the two days off to not work, but, I find that I get really behind on our meeting days.  After the meetings, we had a farewell party for a co-worker on her last day.  I stuck around for a short while, which ended up longer than I intended, as I had a Tibetan Buddhism workshop at New Renaissance Book Store at 7 p.m.

I barely made it on time!  But, I walked in just before Yangsi Rinpoche, the speaker.  I was struck by his height!  He must be at least 6′6″!!  He’s a very gentle presence and moves slowly, with purpose.  He wore the traditional burgundy colored robes of a Buddhist monk.  His energy was peaceful, serene and yet intensely powerful.  I felt healthy and balanced in his presence.  I took a seat in the back and was so relaxed during his talk about compassion, I nearly fell asleep.  I heard every word and it was as if I were in a meditative state.  After his talk, he took some questions.  He has a kind smile and laugh. 

After, I went to the books store and bought Yangsi Rinpoche’s book Practicing the Path.  He was singing books, but I was too late.  Yangsi Rinpoche is the president and founder of the Maitripa Institute in Portland.  When I save enough money, I’d like to take some of the courses at Maitripa on Buddhist Philosophy and Logic, Meditation, Tibetan History, Compassionate Action, etc.  I’ll ask Rinpoche to sign my book at another time.

I also bought a book on writing called Writing Begins with the Breath: Embodying Your Authentic Voice by Laraine Herring.  Laraine spent three-weeks at the Soapstone solitary writers residency for women on the coast.  She writes about her experiences there in her introduction.  I really want to go to Soapstone when I have time and money to do so.  In any case, I’m really connecting with Writing Begins with the Breath.  And more on the author - her blog.

I also bought a beautiful journal.

After, I went to Higgins for a bite to eat.  I sat at the back bar and ordered a glass of Pinot noir, a mixed greens salad and the risotto with forest mushrooms, fiddlehead fern, leeks and chevre.  The food was delicious.  I had a nice conversation with the bartender.  While I ate, I put down the Writing Begins with the Breath book, after reading the engaging introduction, and began to write a poem about my spring-inspired risotto.  There’s nothing like eating food that’s local, seasonal and fresh.  It certainly inspires me!  I sketched the coiled fiddlehead fern and a leaf of Italian parsley next to my poem.  I decided then that I would write about my experiences “dining at the bar”, whether in the form of poem or essay.  Initially, I started this as a ‘food as poetry’  journal, but I may add essays.  We’ll see.

I finished my dinner with a nice cup of caffeinne-free Stumptown Coffee cappucino.  I love it when restaurants downtown serve Stumptown Coffee - it’s my favorite, bar none.  Since it was getting late, I had to go caffeinne-free, otherwise I’d toss and turn for hours and tonight I was hellbent on getting a good night’s sleep.  The rest of my evening plans included to stretch, go to bed and sleep in late!