Maureen Jeffries
Joy — the old fashioned way
April 4th, 2007
OM IN THE CITY: After spending the last year immersed in reading the works of the greatest spiritual leaders, I needed a break so, it was no accident that I found myself stealing a few moments last week to get lost in a novel. I loved it, it was decadent. It was like eating chocolate cake after spending the last month on a wheat-free diet. Read the rest of this entry »
Hotel Humility
January 24th, 2007OM IN THE CITY: It’s funny how as you work on things, the universe really makes you work on things. Read the rest of this entry »
Releasing Resolutions
January 3rd, 2007OM IN THE CITY: 
While the year is still young I too have made some resolutions, one of them is to let go old feelings of anger. While I’ve been working on this for what seems like my entire life, I’m still not there yet, but this holiday season I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas in the City
December 14th, 2006
OM IN THE CITY I love Christmas in the city. I love walking past the tree and seeing the store windows and I love the smell of the chestnuts on the street. I’ve been spending the holiday season continuing to work on my forgiveness issues when I realized that I really need to forgive tourists. For years I told myself, be nice to those in white sneakers with fanny packs, prove to them that the city is full of wonderful, caring, helpful people, but the truth is I find it incredible trying to get behind them on the sidewalk as they stroll hand in hand, five across, not realizing that I have places to be! As part of my forgiveness training I can send love and I do, I send love and I forgive them for teaching me a lesson on patience and I love them for bringing money into the city, but this week I’ve taken it a step further as I realized that my being impatient with them not knowing how we do things ’round here is really just another lesson in humilty and yes, as always, forgiveness. Here’s a short meditation for the tourists. Write and tell me how you do!
This meditation should be practiced on the street, in the moment.
While walking behind a group of tourists, relax your mind and your body, without changing the pace of your walking begin to notice your breath in and out, with each stride notice the inhalation and exhalation of your breath, after about 10 breaths, you should be stopped behind the tourists on a corner. With your minds eye imagine yourself sending them the warmth and love as you say to yourself, thank you for being here to teach me patience, I am grateful and honored that you’ve chosen to spend your day here to teach me this lesson. Then bring your attention back to your breath. Keep your inhalations and exhalations in time with your strides, by the time you get to the next block, you’ll feel a whole new energy inside.
FORGIVENESS IN A NEW YORK MINUTE
November 30th, 2006
OM IN THE CITY; Forgiveness has been a big topic in my inner circle for the past few weeks, but not forgiveness in the traditional sense of allowing yourself to let something go. The forgivenss we’ve been working on is taking full responsibility for what happens in your life and then forgiving others for your needing them to play a role in your drama. Hmm you ask, “Reverend Mo, are you saying there is drama in my life and I’m responsible? What half-aware person doesn’t know that?” Read the rest of this entry »
Everyday Mindfulness
November 7th, 2006
OM IN THE CITY: I get it — the path is the journey – but the truth, at least for me, is that even though I know academically that I am on the journey, sometimes it’s hard to remember that when I’m going about my life. Like when I’m waiting on line and a kid is bugging me or when I’m running late and spill coffee on my shirt or really, anytime my mother calls. What has helped keep my focus is meditating every day. I know, I know, it’s hard to just sit and think about nothing. That’s for really spiritual people, advanced spiritual people, people with a lot of time on their hands. Read the rest of this entry »
Back to Basics
November 2nd, 2006
OM IN THE CITY: The past few weeks have been hectic at my place. Fall always reminds me of being a little kid and starting school and I’ve found that I’ve had to go back to spiritual school recently. After spending all summer relaxed, meditating daily and really focusing on my spiritual growth, autumn hit like a ton of bricks and threw me off kilter. Read the rest of this entry »
Anchoring Peace
October 18th, 2006Last Sunday I attended a meditation workshop at Deepak Chopra’s Center at the Dream Hotel on 54th and Broadway. It was an interesting experience, one of four Sunday workshops geared towards peace. They’ll be doing two more Sundays. It’s free and takes place from 4:00pm to 6:30. You don’t need to preregister. Check out www.chopracenterny.com for more info.
I urge all of you to keep doing the meditation from last week and to let us know how and if it’s been working for you. Peace is really needed at this time on our planet. We can write letters to our congressmen, and join rallys and marches but truly, peace has to start with us and how we are presenting ourselves to the world. In the words of Saint Frances, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace…”Here’s another short meditation you can do to make your body an instrument or channel for peace. Feel free to do this one wherever you can sit quietly and close your eyes.
Anchoring Peace
October 7th, 2006OM IN THE CITY: Last Sunday I attended a meditation workshop at Deepak Chopra’s Center at the Dream Hotel on 54th and Broadway. It was an interesting experience, one of four Sunday workshops geared towards peace. They’ll be doing two more Sundays. It’s free and takes place from 4:00pm to 6:30. You don’t need to preregister. Check out www.chopracenterny.com for more info. Read the rest of this entry »