The clouds are not the sky. Thoughts are not awareness. Emotions are not awareness either. Beyond the changing weather of our lives is a spacious presence that remains untouched.

As we grow older, we discover that wisdom is not found by escaping life's storms, but by recognizing the vast sky that holds them all.

The older I get, the more I am drawn to the distinction between the weather and the sky. Our days are filled with changing conditions—joy and sorrow, health and illness, certainty and confusion. Yet beneath all these passing experiences is something steady and spacious: awareness itself. This summer, inspired by Mark Nepo's book The Fifth Season, we'll explore what it means to rest in that larger awareness and to discover the wisdom that emerges when we stop identifying with every passing cloud and begin trusting the sky that holds them all.

In The Fifth Season, Nepo reflects on the unique gifts and challenges that arise as we grow older. Rather than seeing aging as a time of decline, he invites us to view it as a season of ripening—a time when life's experiences, both joyful and difficult, can deepen our compassion, wisdom, and sense of belonging. His reflections speak to anyone who has wondered how to meet change with grace and how to remain fully alive to the mystery of being here.

Throughout the six week summer session, I'll be weaving these themes into our yoga classes through centering practices, guided relaxation, and Shavasana reflections. In the fall our weekly meditation group, we'll take a deeper dive into selected passages from the book, exploring together how awareness can hold all of life's changing weather. My hope is that these practices will help us discover, again and again, the quiet presence that remains steady beneath every season of our lives.

Namaste
Chris