Both close shaves and lengthy manes have been used by a wide range of spiritual practitioners for thousands of years. Native Americans, Sikhs, and Rastafarians cultivate long hair as a spiritual practice that shows strength and devotion. And remember Samson, the Old-Testament hero whose strength was derived from his seven locks? Alternatively, the Buddha instructed his devotees to shave their heads to demonstrate a commitment to living a good and holy life. Even the U.S. Army gives buzz cuts to new recruits as a rite of passage that signifies transcendence of individualistic identity.

Here at Center for Mindful Learning, we practice both Awakening (inner development and transcending the world) and Responsibility (transformative action to make the world a better place). Parallels can be drawn between Awakening and Responsibility and spiritual hair practices. On one side, shaving our hair, we shed ego-based vanity and attachment, thus expressing the principle of Awakening. On the other hand, the care required for maintaining long hair (washing, conditioning, brushing) embodies the compassionate nature of Responsibility.

So. Each of these two approaches to hair represents one of the two sides of spirituality. Awesome. But how could I choose just one? Awakening without Responsibility is reclusivity. And Responsibility without Awakening leads to myopic self-righteousness. Thus, I decided to do both by coupling long, manicured locks on the top with a short, simple buzz on the sides.

However, the style itself is only part of the practice; I decided to utilize the act itself of cutting the hair as a spiritual exercise. Each month the Center for Mindful Learning’s Modern Monastic Team dedicates one week to a silent mindfulness intensive. The night before the meditation retreat begins, my Modern Monk Michael Fogleman and I gather to cut our hair. Michael has decided that the only hair he will keep is his beard (beards also have cross-cultural spiritual significance). As we cut each others’ hair, Michael and I reaffirm our dedication to realizing deep insight in the upcoming retreat. With each pass of the hair clippers, we affirm our unwavering commitment to shed our egos and recognize the true nature of reality, so that we might better serve all life on Earth. Also, it’s kind of fun. In this way, both the style of the hair and the act of cutting it become spiritual practice.

What is your relationship to your hair? What other seemingly mundane facets of daily life (like brushing your teeth or cooking dinner) could be creatively transformed into spiritual rituals? Would you like me to give you a haircut?

Thanksgiving 2015 Guided Meditation

Soryu Forall leads a guided meditation on gratitude, trustworthiness, and community for the 2015 Center for Mindful Learning Thanksgiving Potluck.

11/25/15

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A Mindful Transition

This meditation practice by Soryu Forall will help you transition from busyness and stress to a space of clarity and calm.

Recorded 10/4/2015

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“You can do it.” 

[su_dropcap style=”flat” size=”4″]T[/su_dropcap]hat’s the mantra that Center for Mindful Learning Founder and Director Soryu Forall gave us residents before embarking for one-and-a-half months of retreat at the Sogen-ji temple in Japan. The phrase applies to many aspects of the CML Community, from sitting meditation practice to the daily operations needed to keep the organization functioning. But as one of the two new additions to the Modern Monastic team, “You can do it” related most closely to CML’s biggest and most exciting ultimatum: finding our new business model (help us with this process by signing up for a Customer Development Interview).

One of the things that drew me to join CML’s residential program was the chance to participate in the dynamic process of creating a financially sustainable contemplative community in the 21st century. Unlike many organizations that are only concerned with making as much money as possible, CML faces the challenge of crafting a business model that balances profitability with an authentic service to the world. Ideally, it would directly serve our vow to create a culture of mindfulness in the modern world.

Like the Jungian hero’s journey, our business model development is a challenge that we must rise to. In some ways, our business model we choose will define not only what services or goods we provide, but who we are and the good that we are able to do for the world.

The questions we face are daunting. How can we survive and grow within a hyper-competitive economy? How can we not only maintain our current reach, but also expand? And how can we do it all while staying true to our values and fulfilling our vow to create a culture of mindfulness?

I feel privileged that my education and work have brought me so much on-the-ground organizational experience and formal training, and I’m proud to apply this to the project of determining our future livelihood. I’m grateful to be here, living and growing with a warm-hearted group and a way of life that is somehow both intensely challenging and deeply relaxing. It’s an honor to be part of this community and pioneering movement for a compassionate world.

We issue forth into uncharted territory. I envision myself as a warrior, a heroic champion of what’s right, but if I’ve learned anything as a grassroots organizer, it’s that no one person can achieve victory alone. We really are all in this together. So we’ll be calling on you to be part of this community: to help build our business model, to support us financially, to share in overcoming hurdles and celebrating victories. This is how we grow. This is why we’re here. Remember, “You can do it.”