With An Outstretched Hand
I have tried to write over the last few days and yet I was unable to find a common thread. I would receive a message through a meditation or a dream and would begin to write. After a few paragraphs, it felt disjointed and out of sync with the message, so I would stop. The next day I would receive a similar message or feeling and I thought I found my direction. Ah, sigh of relief. Off I went, typing up a storm only to be pulled away once again as I lost my thread. It only took me a few tries this time before I realized what was going on. So many images, thoughts, and messages have been swirling around like tiny little fireflies around me. I couldn’t gain my bearings. I needed to stop. I needed to breathe. I needed to unplug. And like many of us, I needed a break.
So many times we start and stop. So many times we can get confused and discouraged. With everything that is going on in our lives and in the world, it is easy to lose sight of the little things that go on all around us. We feel disconnected. We feel alone. We can feel like we are a spoke on the big wheel that turns even if we don’t have the strength to continue or even say no. We can feel like we get swept up in the currents of the political tides – whether they are societal, familial, or within our circles of friends. All of this can leave us feeling raw, exposed, vulnerable, and exhausted. This is not the way we are meant to live. This is not the reason why we are on this plant at this time. I promise you, there is more to life than the tension, anxiety, and fear that lurks in even the most familiar places. I have found a bit of peace in all of this commotion. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Begin to feel your heartbeat. When you are ready, open your eyes and come with me…
Have you ever stopped and listened to the sound of your breath? There is a melody that is unique to you. Can you hear it? Can you hear the tension in your breathing ease with each breath you take? Notice that each breath is deeper into your body. Notice that each breath is longer. Can you feel the pause between each inhale and exhale? Does your heart beat in time with the beautiful sound of your sacred breath? Can you feel the two entwine as they dance together? Inhale… boom boom… exhale… boom boom… This is you. This is your life force coursing through you. This is your sacred symphony that moves you through your day. Connect to it. Feel it. It is perfectly you.
Being blessed to live in New England, we have the gift of howling winter winds. Take some time to shut off the T.V., computer, phone, and any other device that is left on as a distraction. I say distraction because these items distract us from ourselves. With the constant noise, we no longer hear the symphony of our heart and breath. We also cannot hear the winter winds howling outside. They call to us as well. They remind us that we too, are meant to howl. We are made to blow away what does not serve us. If you can, venture outside as The Lady of Winter still blows her frosty breath. Throw your arms up to the sky. Feel all of your tension, anxiety, and anger blow away. You do not need to carry that any longer. It is not who you are. Watch the beautiful winter trees sway and dance in the wind. They are firmly rooted within the Earth and stretch up beyond the heavens. Can you feel your roots beneath your feet? What keeps you stable upon the ground you walk? What sets your dreams into action as you reach up into the starry sky? Can you feel this gentle and loving flow from the Earth to you and back to the Earth? Can you feel the love of the heavens embrace you as you reach up to them and them to you? You are connected. You are whole. You are an important piece of this big and beautiful world in which we live. I understand that it can feel distant and scary. I know that we can feel vulnerable and even alone. I am here to let you know that I understand. I feel that too.
It is also important to take a breath and reconnect with the beauty and the magic that we are. We tend to forget that as humans. Sometimes it is what we are taught. Other times it is simply our disconnection from our center, our core, our heart. But now, you and I are here, in this space, in this time, together. We are here to recognize the beauty and the grace of life. We are here to pause and to make sure that we are okay. We are here to reach out across the starry skies and let each other know that we are not alone. We are here to dream. We are here to love. We are here to remember our magic. We are here to offer love, healing, comfort, and forgiveness to all of those who feel lost along their way. We are here for each other to bring each other home piece by piece, part by part, and sometimes even tear by tear. By taking the time to love and to listen, we show ourselves and others that the world is a beautiful place. My hand is extended. My heart is open. My dreams paint the night with the colors of possibility. I am honored to walk with you in such beauty. Are you willing to take my hand and walk with me as we listen to the whispers upon the wind?
