Monday Mindfulness

Cultivating Strength, Joy, Calm & Resilience


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Disintegration

I hold a piece of clay, cool, heavy, undefined.

As I push and pull upon it, a shape begins to form. The temperature, texture, and identity of that clay grow with me.

As my best efforts produce an uneven, imbalanced figure, one to which I have nonetheless become attached, I realize more work needs to be done.

To bring the work into balance requires undoing what I have created, detaching from what is currently there before me.

The chemical reaction in my brain, the visceral response in my body, and the tugging of my thoughts and emotions make reworking the clay painful.

To restore balance, I must pull the familiar apart. I must disintegrate the work. It is not without labor and discomfort that I destroy the familiar and let go of what I knew as my best work.

I tremble with fear and doubt – I cannot imagine a greater work than before.

And there it is. After the pain of disintegration comes release from what was…freedom from past bests.

Pleasure and pride arise as the new shape takes form, coming closer into balance.

With faith and perseverance, disintegration leads to evolution.


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Quiet

I search for quiet in the hustle and bustle of my day.

When caught in the current of thinking and doing I am barraged by more thoughts and feelings. With expectations and deadlines pressing in upon me, I feel as if I need to run…run to a quiet place to regain peace.

Truly, I need go nowhere. It is not that I need to find peace.  I need to have it with me always.

When I embody peace, I do not need to go into a quiet space.

Where I am the quiet space, there is peace…and joy.


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Peel Back the Petals

Lighten her load. Peel off the petals that have begun to be slightly worn and what remains is the strong center.

Flowers just like people are meant to bring joy, to give and receive, and be, love.

It is right that I welcome every person in my life like that slightly wilted flower, peeling off the outer dry edges, realizing their true lasting beauty.


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Dive In

When you feel you need to run, to get away, you really need to dive in, go deep, and just sit with the feelings.  Let the feeling sit with you and in you.  The feelings will change … nothing stays the same … all is impermanent.

Engage moon energy — calm, cool, still — to remain steady in the current of feelings.

It is then that you will hear the soft, easy voice of inner wisdom reminding you that you are OK.

Dive deeper in… calm, cool, serene.

Most grateful for your inspiration and collaboration, Theresa Tovey.


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Thriving In My Humanity

In this skin, there is challenge.

In this skin, there is weakness.

In this skin, there is pain.

In this skin, I know the frailty of my humanity.

This skin, at times limiting and restricting, full of imperfections, is also the container that holds me, that cradles my every thought and feeling, the heart of my being.

In this skin, I know nourishment.

In this skin, I sense and feel fully.

In this skin, I explore edges and learn boundaries.

I know full contentment when I allow it, in this skin.


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Turn Into the Wind

Can you turn your face to the wind and welcome it?

Does the air upon your face invite inquiry?

Opening all of your senses to each moment can be so freeing, exhilarating, curious, pleasantly undefinable.

Relaxing into the current of wind pulsing against my face, I need no answers, I need no direction.

Turning into the wind reminds me what it is to be alive in this body at this time.

Close your eyes, relax your cheeks, open wide and invite the winds of life to press into and delight you.


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Purrrrrfect

I purr when I am happy.  I also purr when I am fearful to invite the calm I seek.

I am quick to recognize the energy around me, to smooth it out and rest in it, or walk away in order to disperse it and remain connected to my natural state of being.

I don’t question my intuition and do greatly enjoy sharing my space with you when you are relaxed into your authentic self.

I settle in when it feels good and move away from what does not serve me.

I am there with you, where you are present for me.  That is how it always should be.


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Outta my mind

 

 

pour outThere are times when I should say, “no.”  There are times when what I need is to pause, breathe, and make room.  There are times when I will give myself permission to let go of outcomes and expectations.  Times when I am choosing not to make decisions emotionally or driven by ego…when I make decisions from my heart, where my inner knowing takes the lead.

In those times, it might seem as if I don’t care about what needs to get done as I slow down and slough off responsibilities.  Rather, this decision-making is full of care.  I’m not getting caught in the story of what this will look or feel like – I am dedicated to getting out of the thoughts in my mind and into the kindness of my heart.

It’s not that I don’t care…it’s just that I don’t mind.


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Press Pause

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Pressure is mounting to be joyful, to feel settled in the chaos of gathering with family and friends, to “pause” to reflect on and receive the gifts of the holiday season…as if we couldn’t receive them without slowing down.

Life is intended to be exciting, fast-paced and zestful.  As a surfer crests the perfect wave and commits to the swell, she finds peace and joy in that chaos.  We are not meant to escape the chaos of life.  We do not need to back down and pause in order to be grounded and present.  Often that is precisely the space of greatest abundance and opportunity.

The true testament to our capacity as humans is to ride the wave and simultaneously feel joy and peace.  Let’s take pressure off ourselves to “pause” as if we can’t feel whole or satisfied right where we are. The pause does not come in stopping the flow of the doing.  The pause comes in the brief moment of breath that links us back to intuition, gives rise to a sparkle in the eyes, and taps into the small still space within that finds delight or re-envisions a path within the chaos so that we can be alright right where we be.