Welcome to the Myra House Holistic Living Center -Counting blessings…
Among the countless things that I am grateful for this past year of 2012, the Living Water farm is on top of that list. The micro-size farm was created in the northeast corner lot of Myra House. Its core insight was inspired by an image that can be traced back to 2005. In that year, I travelled to Europe to visit monastic communities for my doctoral study. During my stay at Taize, an ecumenical community in France near the city of Cluny, I took a day off for a road trip seventy miles away to a city called Dijon. This is where the Abbey of Clairvaux, a Cistercian monastery founded by St. Bernard in the early twelfth century is located. read more…
The Living Water Farm
| “It’s best to be like water, nurturing the ten thousand things…”
This text is from an old sage who lived in Asia during the 6th century. We often read this during our Sunday night Zen prayers at the Myra House. As we hear the sound of the waterfall in the garden, my meditation draws me to see into the real essence of water: to nourish all to the end with an unyielding drive. |
Podcasts
Just recently, Sung Sohn was interviewed by Jubilee Economics where he discussed his vision with Myra House and how he worked to achieve the dream of building the holistic community that it is today.
To read more, read the article, or download the podcast.
Be Present
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Easter, unlike years before, falls on the last Sunday of April. Due to this belated arrival, the seasonal change is more evident in the garden. The cold winter is gone and we keenly appreciate the splendor spring brings to the Myra House — numerous unblushing blooms, intense sweet fragrances, new stems, fresh garden leaves and ripened citrus fruits, The nature in our garden vividly teaches us: |
Dreaming a New Year…
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The end of 2010 marks the beginning of the 11th year for Myra House. I feel unfathomable gratitude as I gaze upon the willow tree in our garden. The Weeping willow originated from Asia as her botanical name implies, Salix babylonica. The tree was just a bare root when she was planted ten years ago. Observing the willow tree, she seems to exemplify the Eastern proverb:
“無爲以’無不爲, while not doing anything, nothing is unaccomplished”. |
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.” -Greek Proverb
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This field trip of the spring semester revolved around the Santa Monica area with 2 major stops. First stop was the Santa Monica farmers market which was a sensory stimulating experience. With the freshest and most colorful of fruits and vegetables accomponied by an abundance of free samples, it was a perfect start to the day. |
With the ocean providing the all-loving backdrop, the scene is one of these which synchronizes perfectly with the imagination of what one visualizes the california lifestyle to be. Beautiful people, organic food and lots of words combining to create an ever evolving sculpture, the Santa Monica farmers market.
The second stop was a nonprofit community garden called Ocean View farms. A beutiful plot of land located on a hill in Santa Monica, the community garden is thriving with over 300 indiviudal plots and about 450 people on the waiting list. Shown around by an amazing gentlemen named Ed, we were granted access to a relatively private enviroment which we were thankful for. The attention to detail and beauty of it all was truly inspiring as tending to a small plot of land is an activity that offers little reward in the typical sense of the word when relating to the current societal context. The main driver of work is solely monetary these days and it gave great hope as to the positive shift in mindset which is occuring between the earth and the human species, which has temporarily taken itself out of the laws of nature and believed to exist outside of that which is naturally so. With the impacts becoming more evident, a recoil movement to harmonizing with the natual laws is in full effect and orginazations like Ocean View farms and the Myra House are creating amazing enviroments for learning and self expression.
Community Gardening – Two Additions
Sun-Days – Who am I?
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“Realize that every mode of perception is subjective, that what is seen or heard, touched or smelt, felt or thought, expected or imagined, is in the mind and not in reality, and you will experience peace and freedom from fear.” -Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj’s |
This past Sunday marked the largest community dinner we have had the entire semester as the host, Jason, prepared cuisine from India, a culture that he holds dear in his heart. The dinner was more than a nice gathering to consume organic food as it felt more like a crash course into various aspects of the culture, teachings and practices. read more…
Sun-Days – love
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“We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chobsky The spirit of Valentine ’s Day ushered in experiences and conversations of subjects not typically discussed in everyday rhetoric. It was also the Asian New Year and a very special day in the Myra House because some members are of Korean descent. |
These two unique energies merged and the dinner and communal sharing were very meaningful and transparent. The theme of the dinner was the color red in honor of Valentine ’s Day. From red quinoa to red cabbage to goji berries, basically all edible things that we carry at Ecoterra encoded with the red frequency were prepared. read more…
Community Gardening: Stinging Nettle
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Saturdays gardening reminded us that with all things beautiful comes the complimentary relationship that we have given a negative connotation with our dualistic tendencies. The early morning consisted of removing Stinging Nettle which is a fast spreading plant native to most continents and seems to enjoy the sunny California weather like most people. Gloves are a necessity as when the plant is connected to the life giving soil via its roots, any contact will become a dull sting. |
Seeing connections in practices and instances that seem to be not related is a meaningful practice and one that seems to be prevalent here amongst the community. In all that we do the idea that this community is a microcosm of the whole seems to pop back into the collective. read more…
