On Tuesday, I came to the afternoon sit after a very busy busy day at work, right up to the last minute getting things approved and passed in. My mind felt jittery. I knew that quiet time right that instant was essential, I could not afford to indulge in thoughts. I had to be very firm to stop my thoughts. Because I had such a strong desire and intention to do so, the monkey mind did stop. I have to have a very firm desire for stillness because “I” like my thoughts and thinking them. This was a wonderful sit because I was so much in need of stillness and then that stillness arrived completely and stayed with me the whole sit and stayed on my way to A’s with the other interns for dinner and stayed for the Rose/thorn sharing of good/hard experiences. 

Then I got very tired and the stillness went away and was replaced by chatter when we started getting into the chores and grocery contributions and all of that. The tiredness and fear of loosing this abundance chased the stillness away. I’m grateful for the stark contrast between the two states of being that evening. And then on Wednesday evening, T and I went to a gentle yoga class. The theme was perfect, “letting abundance flow.” To do that requires not hording the abundance, but giving and letting it flow through you. Giving the surplus away because there is always more than enough. And I realized the link between an abundant state of mind and permaculture and the speakers we have listened to this week who have been talking about sustainable agriculture. This is the sort of mindset our culture needs to cultivate to change the world’s food predicament. That note about abundance coupled with a reminder about the bigger picture of the world’s food problems helped combat my worry about finances and about looking for a job and about the next step. So I think that “letting abundance flow” message is the one I really need to act on and pay attention to going into the next week.