Mindfulness Meditation · Letting Go
This week’s meditation session is led by Tracy Cochran and the theme is Letting Go.
Flying Naga; Nepal or Tibet; 14th century; Gilt copper alloy; repoussé; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; C2005.16.18
This beautiful repoussé displays a naga king coming out of a carefully detailed motif known as cloud foliage. Nagas are powerful snake spirits that can either harm or help humans and are associated with underwater and subterranean realms. In Nepal, looking at the clouds and seeing shapes resembling aquatic animals, like nagas and other beings, is a sign of the impending monsoon rains. Once the sky is full of these beings, it lets go of the water in the clouds, watering crops and allowing for a plentiful fall harvest.
Tracy Cochran has taught meditation and spiritual practice for many years. She is a speaker and author whose most recent book, Presence: The Art of Being At Home in Yourself, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2024. Tracy is the founder and leading teacher of the Hudson River Sangha and has taught mindfulness and mindful writing at New York Insight, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and many other venues. In addition to serving as the editorial director of the acclaimed spiritual quarterly Parabola, her writings have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, The Best Spiritual Writing series, Parabola, and many other publications and anthologies. For more about Tracy, please visit tracycochran.org and parabola.org.
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