Vita Anima

08/30/2026

🧘 What if meditation isn't just something we practice, but something we live?

In this clip from Devotion in Motion: Meditation, Community, and the Sacred, Ryan Brandenburg reflects on nearly 60 years of practicing Zazen, or Zen meditation.

For Ryan, meditation isn't confined to a formal posture or a quiet meditation space. It's the ability to pause, return to the present moment, and simply be with what is—even while waiting for a bus or noticing anger beginning to arise. Because the real practice begins when we carry what we learn in meditation into everyday life.

🎧 Listen to Ryan Brandenburg's reflections on bringing Zen meditation into the ordinary moments of life.

See link in comments.

08/30/2026

Grandmother Loretta is an amazing person. Please consider helping her and her family.

A Fundraiser for Loretta Afraid of Bear Cook and her family

We are launching this fundraiser hoping to quickly raise $18,000 to support Loretta and Tom as their daughter Sakakohe awaits a liver transplant. Upon arriving home from Sun Dance, they found Sakakohe in severe medical distress. She is now in her 8th week in the Westchester New York Medical Center, a 12 hour roundtrip drive from Akwesasne.

Your donation to this fundraiser will allow Loretta and Tom to see their daughter regularly and provide relief in terms of travel and care. We hope to find a nearby Airbnb where they can stay while visiting Saka (approx. $7,500). And Loretta is in desperate need of a used car to have the means to travel independently of Tom and to continue caring for Saka whether at home or in the hospital ($10,000). We are including an additional $500 for GoFundMe fees. *These funds will go directly to Loretta and Tom, not their nonprofit.

https://gofund.me/8415b54dc

Please visit the page. Support this fundraiser if you can. Share it with others. We will share updates as they happen.

Wopila. Love to you all.

Lynn Van Housen

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Thank you for your support.

08/28/2026

🌱 What kind of world are we helping to create?

In this clip from Devotion in Motion: Meditation, Community, and the Sacred, Ryan Brandenburg invites us to pay attention to the emerging Fifth World and make it our guiding North Star. A world rooted in community, collaboration, cooperation, and unity doesn’t simply appear. It needs to be nurtured, protected, and given our attention—like a newborn or a seedling just beginning to grow.

What would it look like if we treated the future we hope for with that same care?

🎧 Watch this conversation with Ryan Brandenburg and reflect on what we are being called to nurture together.

See link in comments.

08/25/2026

🪨 Community has a way of polishing us.

In this clip from Devotion in Motion: Meditation, Community, and the Sacred, Ryan Brandenburg shares a beautiful Buddhist metaphor: we are like stones in a river, rubbing against one another until our sharp edges become smooth.

Community isn't always comfortable. It asks us to stay, to learn, to grow, and sometimes to be changed by the people around us. But in a world where community is no longer something we simply inherit, we have to intentionally find it—and create it. Because perhaps we aren't meant to journey alone. We are meant to collaborate, cooperate, and grow together.

🎧 Listen to Ryan Brandenburg's reflections on the art of community in Devotion in Motion.

See link in comments.

08/20/2026

🌿 What happens when two ancient spiritual traditions meet?

In this clip from Devotion in Motion: Meditation, Community, and the Sacred, Ryan Brandenburg reflects on his early encounters with Zen Buddhism and Native American spirituality and how, over time, he discovered a profound complementarity between the two.

Through the wisdom shared by Native American elders and his understanding of Buddhist emptiness, Ryan found a common starting point: unity. Sometimes, different paths can lead us toward the same deeper truth.

🎧 Listen to Ryan Brandenburg explore the intersection of traditions, unity, and the sacred in Devotion in Motion.

See link in comments.

08/18/2026

✨ What if the art you create becomes a lifelong spiritual companion?

In this clip from Episode 4 of Devotion in Motion, Margaret Lindsey shares how creating sacred art becomes more than a creative practice. It becomes a personal meditation tool. Something you can return to repeatedly, reminding you of the wisdom you already carry within.

She also reflects on the profound power of practicing in community, where each person's presence, insight, and experience enrich the journey for everyone.

If you would like to take her upcoming Conscious Creative Practice 90 min class via the MotherShip Program thru The Center for Sacred Studies - August 19th at 5pm (PT) sign up here:

https://givebutter.com/mothers-weavings-conscious-creative-practice-bdymkj

🎧 Watch this inspiring conversation with Margaret Lindsey and discover how creativity, remembrance, and community can deepen your spiritual path.

Link in comments.

08/14/2026

💡 What if a single symbol could open the door to a lifetime of wisdom?

Margaret Lindsey suggests that the symbols we're drawn to are rarely random.
In this reflection, she shares how working deeply with a symbol is like "putting your finger in the light socket" of generations of wisdom, experience, and meaning. Rather than simply representing an idea, a symbol can become a living teacher, revealing new insights each time we return to it.

Maybe the guidance you're searching for isn't something you have to invent. Perhaps it's already waiting to be discovered.

✨ Has there ever been a symbol, image, or pattern that kept appearing in your life? We'd love to hear about it.

If you would like to take her upcoming Conscious Creative Practice 90 min class via the MotherShip Program thru The Center for Sacred Studies - August 19th at 5pm (PT) sign up here:

https://givebutter.com/mothers-weavings-conscious-creative-practice-bdymkj

Watch the full conversation on Devotion in Motion. See link in comments.

08/12/2026

What if you couldn't do it wrong?

Margaret Lindsey offers a simple but freeing reminder: there isn't a perfect way to create.
Whether you're painting, writing, singing, or simply trying something new, the invitation is the same. Show up. Be present. Do the best you can in this moment.

As Margaret says, if the artwork disappeared the instant it was finished, it would still have been worth creating because of what you discovered, expressed, and experienced along the way.

Perhaps creativity isn't about getting it right. Perhaps it's about having the courage to begin.

💛 What have you been waiting to start because you were afraid of getting it wrong?

If you would like to take her upcoming Conscious Creative Practice 90 min class via the MotherShip Program thru The Center for Sacred Studies - August 19th at 5pm (PT) sign up here:

https://givebutter.com/mothers-weavings-conscious-creative-practice-bdymkj

Watch the full conversation on Devotion in Motion. See link in comments.

08/11/2026

What if your emotions weren't something to suppress, but something to create with?

In this clip from Episode 4 of Devotion in Motion, Margaret Lindsey shares how art can become a powerful tool for self-inquiry. Rather than pushing fear away, she invites us to become curious about it: its color, texture, shape, and story, for example.

By giving our emotions a creative form, we can step back, witness them with compassion, and begin a conversation that leads to deeper understanding and healing.

✨ Sometimes, the path through our emotions begins with a blank page and the courage to create.

🎧 Watch this meaningful conversation with Margaret Lindsey and discover how art can transform the way we relate to ourselves.

Link in comments.