Letting Go continues Our Next Event – On Wednesday 24th June there will be a Letting Go Symposium in Stirling – live and on zoom.

Image credit: ‘The Jump’ by Louise Humphrey

The Poet’s Way Saturday 9th May from 5:15 to 9pm

Doors open at 5:15pm for a prompt start at 5:30 – ending around 9pm and with one short comfort break and a longer 30 to 40 minute break for refreshment and writing time. Please bring vegan food to share.
Venue: Glasgow Buddhist Centre: 72 Berkeley St (G3 7DS), sharing space with the Glasgow Unitarian Church. Bring a poem to share, your own or a favourite published poem. Please bring 4 copies of one poem you want appreciated.
The Poet’s Way awakens to the power of poems to compliment & enhance our spiritual practice. Inspired by Manjusvara’s book The Poet’s Way (Jane Hirshfield says “this book offers warm-hearted, step-by-step awakening into the possibilities and powers of poems”).

Tell it Slant – Friday 26th June 2026 7 p.m. to 9.30 ish

Open mic with Carla Woodburn and Christie Williamson. Share your poems, new or old. It’s a relaxed night, with a byob policy and tea and coffee available to buy from Locavore. Cake too! All welcome.

Active Hope for Humanity

12 June, 2026 – 19 June, 2026 – one place left!

Led by: Smritiratna, Sukhema, Candradhi, Amayaraja

Seeing the dangers confronting humankind these days, we can feel depressed, demoralised and helpless to avert disaster – or even to talk about such feelings. This retreat provides a space to talk about and to explore an extraordinary sequence of reflections and communal practices that can rekindle an ‘active hope’ and vision for humanity. 

The retreat takes its title from a book called Active Hope co-authored by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnston. Having studied Buddhism, Joanna went on to develop this sequence of exercises and reflections to help us move from despair to hope. Such hope is far more than something vague and passive, it’s creating a vision for humanity, a future which we can contribute to and actively help bring about.

The retreat will be focused around Joanna Macy’s workshop exercises ‘the spiral of the work that reconnects’. Each day will include meditation and movement to help us assimilate and process what is stirred by the workshops. There will also be periods of silence overnight. No prior experience will be assumed and all necessary tuition will be provided. 

Linda France Writing Hours Monday 15th June 4 to 5pm

I find the New Moon Writing Hour with Linda on zoom a boost to my commitment to free-write everyday. I also recommend Linda’s Startlings, which are rich with ideas, books, and reflections on her life as a writer. She reaches out to other writers and readers inviting comments and seeking mutual inspiration. Her May Startling was about walking in the rain while on retreat.

Poem of the Month

Each month at the end of my newsletter, I would like to publish a poem or flash fiction related in some way to writing for well-being. Please send me your writing on a theme of Summer: here’s a song written by Ratnadevi and Linda France which was written and sung on a Summer Solstice retreat when we walked the bounds of the land of Dhanakosa following the sun: East South West North:

From Light to Dark

Let your heart open to the East 

Let your heart open like water 

For the replenishing of the world’s oceans

For the quenching of all thirst 

            From light to dark

            Go strong and clear

            Your vision bright

            Transforming fear

Let your heart open to the South 

Let your heart open like Earth 

For the flourishing of the world’s forests

For the maturing of tender seeds 

            From light to dark

            Go strong and clear

            Your vision bright

            Transforming fear

Let your heart open to the West 

Let your heart open like Fire 

For the nurturing of the world’s people

For the feeding of their souls 

            From light to dark

            Go strong and clear

            Your vision bright

            Transforming fear

Let your heart open to the North 

Let your heart open like Air 

For the purifying of the world’s skies

For the pleasure of every breath 

            From light to dark

            Go strong and clear

            Your vision bright

            Transforming fear

Let your heart open to the Centre 

Let your heart open like Space 

For the sharing of the world’s wealth

For the cherishing of our dreams 

From light to dark

            Go strong and clear

            Your vision bright

            Transforming fear

 Lyrics by Linda France & Ratnadevi

 

 

 

 

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