Right there, in between the meandering branches of my life,
the shifting sands of time,
the ebbing and flowing waters of my mind,
and the soft current that carries my heart,
there is a bright and constant light
that moves and shines through my existence,
the steady point that reminds and renews me over and over again,
guiding me back like a porch light,
to the warm, quiet, stillness of my eternal home within.
Photo credit: Brian Danahy (from the port of Mykanos, Greece)
Here I am, walking along, awareness softly tuned to my surroundings.
Without any warning, the easy state of awareness suddenly funnels with precision into the soul of my foot.
A slew of messages instantly travels light lightening through my body alerting me to intense sensation.
There is a pebble in my shoe.
With each step now, I have a choice.
Do I immediately freeze, paralyzed by this unanticipated happening, shutting down, urgently driven to remove the discomfort?
Do I pause, taking notice, receiving the sensations with curiosity and kindness, quietly ascertaining my next step?
Or do I continue walking, noticing, and finding unique learning in every step, even through the unsettledness and unease?
Can I cultivate gratitude for the ability to feel, to move, and motivate, to decide with every step?
Whatever I do, it should be with care, not reacting but receiving, even when unexpected and uncomfortable, a constant reminder of my free will.
Sometimes things may look old, rundown, plain or dreary as you dash quickly by. Whatever the condition of the outside, the edges of the frame you see, you can always find a space of light, of color, of beauty, alive in the heart.
To be the master of my domain does not mean to have ultimate power and be in control of everything. Rather, it is to live in complete balance with all that exists in and around me and be in harmony with everything.
Rise up.
Rise up with shining, loving spirit and compassion.
Rise up to support one another, guide one another, believe in the goodness of each other, and thrive together.
Rise up and celebrate our goodness, our power to heal, with the knowledge that we have it all, it already innately exists within each of us. There is nothing more we need to do than to let that be our reality.
Rise up in the power of love.
Rise up.
The word “haseya” comes from the Navajo people, the language Dine, and means to rise up, to come together across cultures and divisions, to heal the pain that separates us from one another and the Earth. To call upon the wisdom of our ancestors and the knowledge we hold within us to awaken a healing space for ourselves and our world.
No matter that anger laps at your feet,
No matter that fear and distrust appear to form walls around you,
No matter that hope feels smothered,
Spiral upwards, out of the ashes of perceived despair,
Fill the air with compassion.
As long as the flames of compassion dance,
We can know only peace and joy.
We say we want our children to be more mindful, but aren’t they already in their minds enough? Why don’t we encourage them instead to be more wisdomful?
Peace Flower by Ella Kaszubski
Monday Mindfulness 