I was on a Sensory Awareness Zoom call this morning.  One person on the call lives in Santa Monica and the other in Pasadena.  It’s unfathomable what they are experiencing, and though their bags are packed if they need to evacuate, so far they are still in their homes, but among those they know, they are among a few so blessed.  Family members and friends have lost their homes, and it continues, and the air is burning their lungs.

One thing not being mentioned is how those who work in the restaurants and businesses are affected.  Their jobs are gone.  These are people who may not have the finances to carry them through this.  The other clear statement is that this level of tragedy is a result of climate change.  Robert Hubbell wrote of living in his house for 46 years and never before hearing the thundering sound of hurricane force winds.  

Somehow this country elected a man, a liar and felon, who denies climate change.  It’s sobering and yet the work of Sensory Awareness helps ground those of us who work with the practice of it.

Today the question was asked and answered.  Why do we do this work?  Intimacy!  Intimacy with ourselves, others, and the world.  It’s about connection and discovery.  We may say we know something like the palm of our hand, but do we actually know the palms of our hands?  Have we really looked at them, touched them, felt how different they are from each other as they open, close, and extend?

Today we were asked to bring a pebble or small stone to the call.  I brought a stone I picked up yesterday at Stinson Beach. I chose it because it was protected by another larger rock from being washed out to sea with the next big wave. Today, as I examined my stone without looking, only touching, I felt its intricacy and complexity.  When I brought it to my face, I was struck by the softness of the stone, the receptivity and connection of face and stone.

We are all affected by these fires.  The trauma and pain affect us all.  We’re connected in experiencing what binds us all: earth, water, fire, and air, the elements by which we’re formed and shared.