This moment is a precious gift, held gently in our awareness
This body, the earth
As we begin to cultivate awareness of the body, great wisdom emerges. The body is an incredible storehouse for all of our experiences, retains memories of things we may have even forgot. The more mind body awareness is integrated we can access the intuitive capacity of the body. After all the majority of communication is transmitted through subtle variations in body posture, movement, and energy pulses. Have you ever had a feeling, about a place or person? An uncanny knowing maybe to avoid an area or perhaps a need to be in an area? As we attune to the language of the body our capacity to be present to the great unfolding mystery of life is enhanced. Nuances that may have been overlooked in the past become more pronounced. The simple wonders and joys of living acquire more meaning, the glistening rain drop on the tip of a pine needle becomes a reverent expression of beauty, peace, and love. Awareness of life in our own body enables us to empathize with the body of the Earth. We are able to see ourselves reflected in the Earth. That which was once separate becomes our own. The suffering of the Earth becomes our suffering. The wonder, power, and beauty of the Earth become our own. All life is interconnected. All life is borne of and returns to the source. When we begin to honor our life and body we can appreciate, value, and respect all life.
This wind, the breath
Cultivating awareness of the breath supports us to be fully present to the moment. Breathing is always in the now, always with us. When the turbulence of doing begins to overwhelm we can return to the breath. The steady rhythm of the breath settles any agitation, giving the energy body space to re-calibrate. The breath is the life force flowing through us, always reminding us of the great mystery of life. Breathing like the wind clears the space to begin anew. Each moment, each breath is an invitation to begin again. We always have a choice how to respond to the unfolding of life, the breath reminds of that choice.
Loving Awareness
All you need is love. This great affirmation is often sought elsewhere, outside of ourselves, from others and things. Yet, love resides within us. Love is always present, silently residing in the expansive space of the heart center. Love is the essence of our spirit, the essence of creation. We need only, with intention, turn to the heart and sense the great love that resides within. The more frequently we turn to love, opening awareness to the golden spark of infinity that resides inside, we create an enduring path. Choosing love, recognizing love, acknowledging love all foster a greater embodiment of love. We become what we focus on. We become love. We affirm we are love. I am love.
Rooted in the earth
Roots sinking deep into the soil, the gravel, the clay, the bedrock
Roots anchoring into the Earth, great tree of life
Roots intertwined, interconnected, interwoven
Forest, a diverse community of trees, all creating one
Dendritic web, mycorrhiza highway of communication
Forest, family, friends, neighbors, all supporting each other during the storm
These Emotions, A River Flowing
A river of emotions, flowing to the sea
A multitude of currents, swirling, churning, merging, separating
Turbulent waters born of winters snowmelt
Fear, anger, anxiety, sorrow, grief
Emerging from the dormancy of awareness
Caught in a strong current, cascading, tumbling, frothing
Gradient easing, stream morphology defining new characteristics
Trepidation, shame, guilt, second-guessing, questioning
Emotional intelligence, acquiring new depth, discerning
Riffles, runs, pools, glides
A river of emotions, flowing to the sea
Slowing, meandering, sandbars, backwaters
Ease, serenity, contentment, peace, grace, joy
Great freedom arising from the depths of awareness
Wisdom in the rivers song, flowing with life
Loving-Kindness
Loving-kindness is the intentional practice of turning to the immense capacity of the heart to bear witness to the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sufferings of this human experience. Regularly engaging the heart empowers us to more fully embrace life, knowing the heart can hold all. Often we shrink from the heart thinking it can be broken, thinking it is too tender, too fragile but these thought forms are simply the trappings of the ego mind, or small self. The heart has the courage to transcend any limitations posited by the ego and the human experience. Loving-kindness is infinite. Loving-kindness is a practice of living life from the heart center. We cultivate the capacity to extend loving-kindness to ourselves, to those dear to us, to strangers, to those who challenge us, and to all beings.
Radical Compassion for the Earth
Radical compassion for the Earth is the practice of recognizing the suffering of the Earth, intentionally breathing in this suffering, and intentionally extending compassion as well as peace back to the Earth. Radical compassion is a heart practice that challenges us empathize with the suffering of another. Through this practice we experience and embody the profound transformative capacity of the heart. The more centered in the heart we become the more fully we can engage the challenges facing humanity and the Earth. Engaging the heart empowers us to meet the ecological crisis with a can do mentality.