I am rediscovering the peace and freedom in movement. Movement through different attitudes, altitudes, terrain and exploration of all the dimensions of my Being. It sure feels good to be in the quiet of nature and excuse myself from the overload of social media. And well intentioned humans!
This past year has been tough. Now, over a year has past and life is really fast tracking to open. If you’re like me, you may not be ready or quite remember how to do it! It’s like putting your toes in the frigid Lake Tahoe water, as I did this week. Do I remember how to take a deep breath and just dive in? 1-2-3 Dive!
We are not required to follow any particular pace with our “re-entry”. A friend of mine recently went to an outdoor wedding with hay bales, live music and dancing. Some of the guests couldn’t wait to get out there and bust a move! My friend felt a slight tug to participate cuz after all, it was a celebration. But she also recognized an even greater tug to just sit on the hay bale. And that’s exactly what she did. It’s ok to “sit this one out”.
When we feel grounded with our heart and body open, we will know when it’s time. We can sit on a hay bale for awhile, dip our toes into our own experience, and Trust that all is well. Our peace and freedom is our choice. Let’s Give ourselves permission to move as we do. We will become available when we are ready.
I’ve been considering the power of expression this week. Not only in speaking our Truth (which is vital) but more importantly what that expression wakes up in us and moves within us toward a greater dimension of connected awareness. Connectedness to ourself, each other, the natural world and how we move in it. What an amazing exploration.
It’s as if our own truthful expression of what’s meaningful is a bridge to meet others where they are. Sharing, communicating, connecting. An opportunity to be curious about life and explore the many ways we are the same, narrowing the human divide we witness in the world today.
By utilizing our meditation practice, leading with the heart, we can explore a new kind of activism together. We can start with ourselves and bring a conscious, honesty about how things really are for us. Then we can add deep truthfulness to our conversations.
When we come from our grounded inner source, we can unlock the power of this expression with unbounded potential. This it seems, is where we can transform our inner light into greater purpose and action. The beauty is we don’t yet know what we will find.
Today marks Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. This is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year for Hindus around the world. This celebration lasts 5 day. The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps that Indian families light outside their homes. This holiday symbolized by these lamps reflects the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. I thought if you want to join in this festival, we could each burn our own candles, as a symbol of our own inner light burning brightly.
A meditation for Unity
In the aftermath of the election, subsequent opposition to the results has risen and our elation turns toward concern. We may ask ourselves how we move forward in such a heavily divided nation. What will the future look like? And how will we heal the division and unify? This is not a new question and it points to an even deeper investigation. An investigation into ourself and our own division. Where are the cracks and inequity within ourself that create barriers, shame and blame? And what is the fascination with holding the tension of difference and our seeming addiction to drama? Does this stance create an even bigger crevice between ourselves and others?
It seems that now, and it is always now 🙂 is a great opportunity to directly face those places that we haven’t deeply felt, things we haven’t shared, events we haven’t truly encountered as a path and expression of compassion and healing.
Is there space, is there room to allow all challenges to simply be here. Building on our theme from last week’s Loving Kindness meditation, this practice can become even more potent when facing these seemingly strong oppositional forces.
Today’s meditation is about Unity. Unifying and transcending any differences we may feel in ourself and in each other. How we interact in life is so very important, so very precious!It may sound cliche, but we are really all one human family. We all the share the right to be happy, to be free and to be at peace.
We have the endless capacity to more and more clearly reflect what is most valuable, what is most important. Adyashanti describes this as discovering Truth in the very heart of life. Where there is always love, joy and wisdom to be found. Where there is always clarity, Truth and compassion to be found. Living as and for Peace.
We right here and now, have the ability to increase our own Nation’s coherence. We can apply ourselves collectively with a shared intention. A strong intention to connect to those divided places within ourself, and to include all those that share opposing views. To transcend our own personal agendas to meet others where they are.
We can begin with ourselves. We are wise enough and brilliant enough to embody the love and peace we so want for the world. It will look differently for each one of us. But by living this adventure of life, we can help usher in a unification of all things. It’s really a way of falling in love with the world.
To grow our attunement with what’s really important. And when we can grow that in ourselves, it will quite naturally spill over into our relating and transmission of love and unity in the world. Orienting ourselves in the highest regard for what is meaningful and precious is the key.
“We do so much, we run so quickly, the situation is so difficult and we say, “Don’t just sit there, do something”. But doing more things makes the situation worse. So you should say, “Don’t just do something, sit there”. Sit there, stop, be yourself first, and then begin from there.Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh turns 94 this Sunday, October 11th!
To celebrate his continuation day, Thay’s Sangha has invited us all to join in for a Peace walking meditation on Sunday. You can choose a time and place in your local area to practice Walking in Freedom.
Throughout times of great challenge and suffering Thay has taken refuge in walking meditation as a Spiritual practice. He has found that walking meditation can renew energy and helps cultivate compassion.
“This year, for Thay’s 94th continuation day, we are encouraged to carry on this legacy, taking the time to practice truly walking in freedom. We are encouraged to recognize all the conditions of happiness we have at our disposal, such as the seasons changing, the trees nourishing us, and the earth supporting our feet.” Thich Nhat Hanh Sangha
Sherry and I couldn’t wait to walk in peace! We made our way to Maple Falls in Nisene Marks Forest. “Peace in every step” was our mantra.
With the presence of Covid, social unrest, wildfires and upcoming elections, it’s no wonder we are feeling SO much! All points of view are valid and are qualities of the nature of being human.
I encourage you to feel it all and then move in a way that creates positive change in our communities. We can be that voice that remains loving and yet be willing to get into some “good trouble” (so beautifully said by John Lewis).
If you are feeling beyond overwhelmed I understand. As simple as it might sound, and if you can, take just 5 minutes each day to sit and just breath. Let all your feelings and emotions come in, pass through, and leave your body. The breath is a powerful tool and can leave you more grounded and enlivened to do the important work. The important work?
