Friday, July 4, 2008

Blog July 4, 2008

Dear friends,

The last month has found me in an up and down situation. Each day brings wonderful things to appreciate and equal challenges.

In enjoying the highs and avoiding the troughs I am living in the moment, resting, and taking advantage of the restoration that comes from rest. I am giving up the idea that I can do everything that I have done, or all the things that present themselves and are important.

My girls have been here and James has been taking loving care of me; taking up the enormous challenge to tempt my appetite to combat the nausea I have been experiencing. Friends have continued to send delicious food and bouquets, to my great delight!

I had to give up being at Feathered Pipe Ranch as it became more and more obvious that travel to Montana was not possible for this year. My thoughts travel easily however, and I will be there in spirit this coming week.

Today I am headed to Westchester to be with Elizabeth and her family for the holiday. I am looking forward to reading stories and making them up, homemade music and fireworks.

With love,
Mary

27 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Mary,
Of course we will all miss you at FPR, and my thoughts will be of my love for you and my prayers for your healing.
I also hope to find myself able to savor the moment and all the possibility it offers, and I thank you for reminding me of that.
Have a wonderful celebration.
Love,
Bill M.

Dmitri Shapira said...

Dear Mary,
I hope that you have a nice holiday in Westchester. I have a feeling that you will find everything there that there is to enjoy. Thinking of you today and all days.
Love,
Dmitri

Dana Densmore said...

Dearest Mary,
I send you all healing thoughts, as I have been sending them every day. In your absence from FPR next week you will be intensely present, present in all our thoughts and hearts and awareness. All that we do will be dedicated to you in love. Of course I would have preferred to have you in person, as full of life and radiant as you were in Mexico. But you are serving us in a different way right now: as inspiration for acceptance, and patience, and appreciating the moment. May I receive all that fully for my own life.

much love,
Dana

sandra said...

Dear Mary-I was so happy to see your posting.
You are in my thoughts and prayers on a daily basis
You continue to teach us through your indomitable spirit.
With love, Sandra/Saundra

Unknown said...

Dear Mary,
I taught some friends, who are new
to yoga, this past weekend. In
the early morning on a dock in lake
george, as I was trying to communicate the joy I feel from
sharing my knowledge with them, your voice resonated in my teaching. I want to thank you again
for all your inspirations and constant affirmations to continue
on, when I couldn t find my voice.
Lots of hugs and love,
Michele (greenwich)

Dalienne said...

Best wishes to you Mary. James and Gina are taking good care of us in your classes. We miss you and feel you in every asana. Looking forward to seeing you someday soon at the school.
Have a good holiday,
Dalienne Majors

barbara sloat said...

Dear Mary,
Know that I am sending Medicine Buddha mantras your way, as I meditate at home along the Huron River.
This has been a most beautiful June and early July here in Ann Arbor. All is well here, and awaiting your next visit.
Eric will be here for a week, before returning to move into a Columbia apartment later in July. He also sends love and Namaste,
Barbara Sloat

Jen said...

Mary:

Sending you my love. I think of you often and send thoughts of recovery, health and strength up the avenues to your heart.

Jen

naghmeh said...

dear Mary,
I too wish you a restful rejuvenating holiday with your loved ones; I think of you often with thoughts of love, healing and joy:
a big wide hug to you.
yours in yoga,
Naghmeh

Marc Z said...

Dear Mary,
It's always a special treat to find another of your blog morsels I can then add to the special case where I keep my +important things+.

I can remember from a time in my life I felt less equipped to balance challenges with wonderful things, and so reading of your doing so now in a greatly balanced way is further thrill, and the most wonderful teaching you can offer--(it is) by example.

I'm so glad for the wonderful things you see/hear each day. And I hope you'll laugh at a tiny edit I've made to one of your lines: you *can* do all the things that are present, themselves, and are important. You've shown us all.

Last Thursday James told us of his latest effort to gently tempt you to eat. I was comforted to know he'd do so lovingly.

I bet the stories you read or made up were dazzling to their listeners. Also hope the homemade music was great and the works of multi-colored fire, from wherever shot, danced well for all!

with yogic love,
Marc

mary pace said...

Dear Mary,
I wish you love and wellness and look forward to seeing you soon, if not in Ct, in NYC. It is fitting that so many are there for you in body and spirit, as you are for all your students, whose lives you have enhanced through your teaching. Long sentence.

Take good care,

Mary P

Norma Colón said...

THIS ONE IS FROM PAUL MAYER
Dearest Mary,
I shared your disappointment about missing your Feathered Pipe experience but as always you taught us the difficult , but beautiful, path of transcendence.
I did my backbending sequence as a prayer in your honor today. I am carrying you with me in mindfulness and prayer these days. I wish that I could be of more help and
am always available.
I will miss Thursday's class because a bunch of us
will be " freezing " in place for five minutes in Grand Central Station. to awaken greater opposition to an attack on Iran.
A warm embrace.
Paul

Norma Colón said...

DEAREST MAYR,
I miss you, and like Paul, wish there were more I could do for you, more than send love and think of you with great appreciation.

Lots of Love,
norma

Roberta G said...

Hi Mary,

Just wanted to write and say hello to you and James. I'm going to a yoga retreat in Ashland OR with Julie Lawrence this coming week and will be thinking of you and my many yoga retreats with you - Montana, Bali, Peru & Mexico - and how wonderful they were and how much you have enriched my life. With all my love and blessings,
Roberta G

henriet said...

711/08
Dear Mary,
You are in my thoughts often. Your transmission of the delights, wisdom, and practical helpfulness of yoga continues to flow through my veins and all those you taught and are teaching now.
Wishing you a steady recovery.
Love,
Henriet

Sandi said...

Dear Mary:

As always we love hearing from you, and hope you had a wonderful holiday. Your words heal our hearts. Reading what others write reminds me again of how much you are loved by all.

Love always,

Sandi

Jeff L. said...

Mary,
What a happy surprise to see you teaching class this past Tuesday! Backbends may be exhilarating, but they are no match to your presence.
Jeff L.

YogaSusan said...

Greeting from New Mexico, Mary:
I honored you today in a three hour class at my studio, giving your history with Mr. Iyengar, and my memories of you: your Pranayama chest, big smile, lying off the edge of a table in the church in Berkeley in the 70's to open the chest, and the way you respect and honor each student to encourage them to be better in yoga. You have definitely made your mark on me.
Love to you,
Susan Voorhees
Santa Fe, NM

Karen said...

Dear Mary,

I am leaving for Pune in about a week, and looking forward to it so much. I am traveling and sharing a flat with Nina Pileggi, so we will study and practice together, with many memories of teacher training at FPR and all you have taught us.

I am thinking of you and sending love and healing energy!

Love,
Karen A.

Deborah Di Carlo said...

Dear Mary,
I want you to know that the pearls you have passed on in your teachings are part of the patchword of my practice. Sometimes it seems as if there are many teachers joining me in my yoga room each morning!
I wish you well in your recovery and hold you in my prayers.
Love,
Deborah Di Carlo

Unknown said...

Hi Mary,
Thinking of you often and keeping you close in my prayers. I hope you are feeling better as each day passes.
Love, Maureen

domenica said...

hi mary,
intentions of healing are in my thoughts for you...thank you for the privilege of photographing such a beautiful and strong woman,
domenica

Linus said...

Dear Mary, It is only very recently that I learned of your illess, and yesterday of the Blog. You are an extraordinary inspiration to me having taught the asanas, and now, with your steadfast demonstration of mindfulness and humanity dealing with illness.
Much love, Linus

Anonymous said...

Dear Mary,

I hope you are feeling better, I think of you often with love and wishes for a good recovery.

Today I took your advice and got myself MBT shoes and am now doing Tadasana all the time (tiring!) as you said. You were right, aesthetically they suck, but I am going for the health benefits.

Lots of Love from your Student George Petrides

John Dreger said...

Dear Mary-
I haven't checked in with you for a while. But I think of you every day--especially when I practice--and wonder how you are doing. I still derive tremendous satisfaction from my practice, the practice which you more than anyone have given to me. But at the same time it's just not quite as fun without you around. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to seeing you again soon. Take care.
Love,
John

sandy kazan said...

Dear Mary,

Brought a friend to Gentle Class today and hoped to see you there. However, during class with Dimitri I remembered what you once said,"find the repose in the pose. So beautifully expressed!

Hoping you're resting and gaining strength.

Love,
Sandy Kazan

Jen Wagman said...

Dear Mary,
I returned to the institute today after a long absense (6 years!). I have you and James to thank for essentially saving my life 9 years ago when i entered your class hardly able to walk with 2 herniated discs. i now run marathons and do triathalon. but the competing has taken its toll and i joyfully returned to class this morning and heard about this past year. You've been in my heart all along, everytime i've lifted my knee caps and stretched my toes well, but I'll be sure to keep you with me a little more powerfully. Sending you love and blessings.
Jen