Anna Douglas

It is all around us. It is present with every breath, but we barely notice. More important things are on our mind: "Who won the game? What’s for dinner? Should we buy a house or keep renting?" What is it that we barely notice? In the Pali language it is called anicca or impermanence — the fact that every moment of our existence is disappearing even as it arises. We live in a sea of ceaseless change.

I sometimes teach classes and retreats for those 55 and over only. Some ask me why not include all ages? The answer is that there is a palpable sense of community when those over 55 gather. This is the "medicine" that many older people need — a community of love and respect and deep listening where people feel safe to speak honestly about their experience without fear of being judged for their oldness.

As part of our 25th year retrospective, we've been reviewing our many years of teachings and wisdom from interviews and reflecting on their significance today. The following interview was conducted in 2009 on the subject of the Sacred Feminine, its cultivation and influence at Spirit Rock and the challenges we continue to face as a culture in recognizing how to honor the beauty and power of the Feminine.