Deep bow to Joanna Macy's profound contribution to the planet... and to you, Maia, for this Joanna-inspired list of four ways to transform despair. Such necessary wisdom for our times. I need to paste this list all over my house and/or tattoo it on my thigh!
I've only recently found your substack and look forward to reading more. Thank you for introducing Joanna so I can delve into her teachings as well. My parents are aging, too and I feel it won't be too much longer in time for my mother. It is extremely difficult and I do my best to release the outcome and just try to be supportive. Bless you!
Oh Maia, thank you so much for this honoring of Joanna’s work, your work, and now, more and more of growing our collective. Necessity breeds… so good to hear your voice here. And Joanna’s. Our resonating selves always reconnecting and grounding. Sending love and thanks.
This is truly a beautiful, evergreen post, Maia. I was just mentioning Joanna Macy to a friend yesterday, in the context of the reality-grounded, grief-and-gratitude-embracing hope she has offered and modeled to the world. I only just discovered her and The Work that Reconnects a year ago, but it has been a game-changer for me. When I heard Joanna speaking about "the loneliness of the witness," I felt like I'd arrived at an oasis. But that is just one of the gems in the treasure trove she has brought. Mahasattva, indeed. 🙏✨ Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Maia, this is the perfect message for our time, intertwined with a beautiful tribute to Joanna Macy. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into her teachings.
Thanks so much, Maia! Much-needed perspective for these horrendous times! And thanks for the update on Joanna Macy. Sad to hear. I have loved her writings a long time!
This is a lovely tribute. And the practices are essential, thank you for sharing it all.
With Joanna being in hospice now, and Roshi Joan’s recent health issues, it’s a good reminder of the impermanence in life and that we must honor and respect the teachings of these precious Sage/Elders, not just while they are still alive and among us, but also when they die. And even then, may we keep them among us. Stories like the ones you share, Maia, do just that. 🙏🏼
We are truly blessed to be living in a time when there are so many carriers of wisdom among us -- and even when they drop their bodies, their teachings live on in each of us.
Maia thank you for sending this article. In a death cafe last night, we discussed our fears of the end of life and our ever changing relationship with our parents as they age and loose capacity and without naming it we spoke of despair and our options for ways to be in relationship with our despair. Joanna’s wisdom is so helpful. Thank you
Her wisdom has been so profoundly helpful in so many aspects of my own life as well. Looking back on it, I sense how it has permeated how I move through the world in ways I can't even articulate. Always in the background, this approach to embracing heartbreak and moving through it to the other side. In some ways, very connected to the work of Martin Prechtel, if you're familiar with him. Grief and praise, always intertwined...
Thank you Maia, this is a beautiful tribute.
thank you for reading and commenting, Louise <3
Deep bow to Joanna Macy's profound contribution to the planet... and to you, Maia, for this Joanna-inspired list of four ways to transform despair. Such necessary wisdom for our times. I need to paste this list all over my house and/or tattoo it on my thigh!
I've only recently found your substack and look forward to reading more. Thank you for introducing Joanna so I can delve into her teachings as well. My parents are aging, too and I feel it won't be too much longer in time for my mother. It is extremely difficult and I do my best to release the outcome and just try to be supportive. Bless you!
Oh Maia, thank you so much for this honoring of Joanna’s work, your work, and now, more and more of growing our collective. Necessity breeds… so good to hear your voice here. And Joanna’s. Our resonating selves always reconnecting and grounding. Sending love and thanks.
Faced despair with grace.
Macy worked for waking world.
Now she’s facing death.
...
Her TA took torch,
Maia’s words have much to teach.
We are not alone.
This is a beautiful tribute, Maia. Thank you for republishing it.
This is truly a beautiful, evergreen post, Maia. I was just mentioning Joanna Macy to a friend yesterday, in the context of the reality-grounded, grief-and-gratitude-embracing hope she has offered and modeled to the world. I only just discovered her and The Work that Reconnects a year ago, but it has been a game-changer for me. When I heard Joanna speaking about "the loneliness of the witness," I felt like I'd arrived at an oasis. But that is just one of the gems in the treasure trove she has brought. Mahasattva, indeed. 🙏✨ Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Thanks to Joanna, I have more hope than despair
Maia, this is the perfect message for our time, intertwined with a beautiful tribute to Joanna Macy. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into her teachings.
We are so blessed to have lived on the planet at the same time as this dear one.
Thanks for introducing me to this messenger of hope and quiet inner action. 🙏
You're so welcome! Joanna is very much a messenger of inner and outer action as being one and the same...
💙🍃This is a beautiful tribute and reminder. Thank you, Maia.
thank you, Sarah
Thank you for this, Maia.
Thanks so much, Maia! Much-needed perspective for these horrendous times! And thanks for the update on Joanna Macy. Sad to hear. I have loved her writings a long time!
You're welcome, John -- good to see you here.
thank you, thank you, bowing deeply.
three bows back
This is a lovely tribute. And the practices are essential, thank you for sharing it all.
With Joanna being in hospice now, and Roshi Joan’s recent health issues, it’s a good reminder of the impermanence in life and that we must honor and respect the teachings of these precious Sage/Elders, not just while they are still alive and among us, but also when they die. And even then, may we keep them among us. Stories like the ones you share, Maia, do just that. 🙏🏼
We are truly blessed to be living in a time when there are so many carriers of wisdom among us -- and even when they drop their bodies, their teachings live on in each of us.
Maia thank you for sending this article. In a death cafe last night, we discussed our fears of the end of life and our ever changing relationship with our parents as they age and loose capacity and without naming it we spoke of despair and our options for ways to be in relationship with our despair. Joanna’s wisdom is so helpful. Thank you
Love
Mike
Her wisdom has been so profoundly helpful in so many aspects of my own life as well. Looking back on it, I sense how it has permeated how I move through the world in ways I can't even articulate. Always in the background, this approach to embracing heartbreak and moving through it to the other side. In some ways, very connected to the work of Martin Prechtel, if you're familiar with him. Grief and praise, always intertwined...
I’m not familiar with his work. I’ll check it out