Monday Mindfulness

Cultivating Strength, Joy, Calm & Resilience


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Excitement

It begins with a small sliver,

Cresting the horizon.

Barely noticeable at first,

There is a stirring.

Sparks popcorn through the air.

A simultaneous stillness

Accompanied by a deep and profound desire to dance.

Masked by trees, clouds,

And preoccupied vision,

She goes unnoticed at first,

Simply climbing, filling, growing,

Not making any promises 

Not asking to be seen.

The wise ones feel her arrival.

And whether attuned or not,

prepared or not, 

receptive or not,

She makes her presence known.

Slowly shining more and more brightly,

Occupying more and more space,

Until she cannot be ignored

She ripples through your veins,

She invites wonder and awe.

She offers a compass point through the darkness,

Never imposing a path,

Simply holding the space,

Subtly encouraging your heart

To unlock in ways

Never imagined.

Photo by Jean McDonald


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At the root of it all

I can no more be in or out of love 

than I can be in or out of my body,

or my breath.

Love is not something temporary,

to be chased,

or clung to.

Love is the essence of freedom,

self expression, and connection.

Love is a state of being

that allows all else to exist.


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Balanced

Whole.

Steady.

Relaxed.

Desiring.

Creative.

Joyful.

Confident.

Protected.

Assured.

Loving.

Receiving.

Humble.

Gentle.

Clear.

Consistent.

Allowing.

Steady.

Wise.

Open.

Graceful.

Free.


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Accompaniment

I ask not that you change or conform.

You need not worry if who I am is not who you want me to be.

Let’s not need to hold hands in unity,

but hold hearts with respect.

I will not squash who I am,

or expect you to assimilate.

Even if I do not walk in your shoes, I offer you accompaniment,

so that we are both seen and heard and the rhythm and

harmony of our movement through life,

offers a flavorful contrast

for all the world to remember

the value of their own melody.


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A knight’s message

Even in my darkest moments,

My most intense forms of suffering,

I find flickering deep within an ember of hope, a knowing that this is temporary,

a moment of exploration and learning.

Pain is informative and a reminder that there is the opposite – great peace, ease, harmony, and joy – just around the corner,

riding in valiantly on the next breath,

to remind me that I am just as much that as anything else.


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Blisters

My old, worn out shoes,

so familiar,

form to fit my imperfect feet,

adapted over time to accommodate my lopsided gate,

carrying me faithfully in my uneven stride.

There comes that time that those beloved companions have served their purpose,

worn out in functionality,

poised for retirement.

In come the replacements,

stiff,

awkward,

shifting,

adjusting.

Blisters making way for bliss – forging new connections for movement and growth.


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Divided to conquer

One day this single path abruptly split in two.

The potential in both directions was intriguing and alluring,

albeit a bit daunting.

The split itself brought much spaciousness and beauty,

a chance to pause and survey the widespread landscape of the past and present,

confirming there could be no wrong steps forward, 

the divide simply an invitation to reawaken to this journey 

and joyfully take the next step.


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On Being Seen

Finding the balance between expressing and encroaching,

between stepping back and leaning in.

There are moments to blend

and times to expand.

Expressing one’s colors

requires softness and boldness,

the ability to complement and hold up another and still stand fully on your own.

Today, will it be accent or statement?

There are places to be both.


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Resonate

In her enormity,

unruliness,

and most unyielding state,

she is soft,

subtle,

clear in her direction,

ever capable of moving,

shifting,

adapting,

aligned,

attuned,

resonate,

in her power

and beauty.

We drink of her,

ride upon her crests,

sink cradled in her stillness,

follow her home,

allow her to absorb our burdens,

as we find peace by her side.

She reflects back to us always

what we need most to see.