What would happen
if I suddenly recognized
that I am exactly where
I am supposed to be
doing exactly what
I am supposed to be doing?
What if I stopped struggling,
took a deep breath, and relaxed?
I might remember who I really am:
Pure consciousness aware of itself.
Upon this remembering,
bliss floods my being;
I am home.
I have spent so long in the dark,
struggling, afraid.
It is time to remember.
Time to come home.
I’m ready.
Ready for life now.
Like the spring,
jumping up now,
opening now,
blossoming now,
fragrant now.
Wind rustling,
petals scattering,
trees that were pink
two days ago
are now green.
Everything is changing,
and I am part of that change.
my petals will scatter,
my leaves will be green too,
stirred in the breeze
giving music to all the trees.
Now just breathe,
just breathe,
just breathe.
You are spring too.
Space.
Space to be who I am,
want more,
go deeper.
Space to realize what needs to get done
and space to allow some things left undone.
Space for silence.
Space for being.
Space for right now.
(I found the image above when I Google searched “Images of space”. If I knew to whom I should give credit for the photo I would…Hubble Telescope perhaps?)
Settling into our new space,
committing to being present, honest,
honoring ourselves and others,
embracing this new experience,
giving ourselves permission
to be and to feel…completely…
I’m reminded of what a retreat really is:
a stepping back from the everyday routine
allowing deeper wisdom to emerge,
wisdom that has been obscured
by habitual modes of existence.
It’s seeing with new eyes
and feeling with an open heart.
It’s resting and nurturing one’s spirit.
My inner critic has been loud,
asking How dare you do this?
But it’s getting a little quieter
as my true self emerges
ready to learn,
to be grateful for the learning.
Trust in the enfolding.
Your little eyes see enormous things
but they can’t see everything.
Isn’t life more beautiful
when viewed from the mystery of being?
Give life a chance to surprise you.
Follow your own star,
see where it leads you.
Everything is not what you think it is.
Drop your awareness deeper,
beyond what you think you know,
into the realms of your heart
and your gut.
This deeper listening
will open you to a world
that was always there,
but wasn’t available to you
because of the fortress of thinking
you built around you
to give you ground
in a groundless, eternal
experience of being.
Let go of any notion
of control, of a fixed reality,
of how things should be.
You might just be amazed
with things
the way that they are…
Settling into the gentleness of night,
noticing my body asking for rest,
a wave of gratitude sweeps over me
reminding me of what is right in this world.
When my mind and heart are open enough
I can see that everything is right with the world,
and even the things I don’t like
or the people with whom I don’t agree
all have their place in this world.
My heart opens even further
and a perfect breeze stirs me to my depths.
I could spend my whole life
seeking to understand the mystery of this moment.
