Words

04.04.20: Labyrinth

Slow it down.

There’s no rush.

Sometimes life brings everything

To a screeching halt.

A forced pause,

To make us look down at our feet,

And feel the ground.

To notice the sound of the chipping sparrow,

Or the echo of the great horned owl.

If you listen long enough,

You may hear the rest of the symphony.

One mindful step at a time.

No need to say a word.

Follow the path.

Embrace the beauty in each moment,

And enjoy the silence within.

Occasionally the path gets too narrow

And it is difficult to balance.

Maybe you even fall over?

But, the path reminds you

To get back up and keep moving.

Occasionally openings appear

Making it easier to move quickly,

To rush along.

But then the path narrows,

A reminder to focus,

With steadiness and ease.

The end of the path seems so far away,

And the work seems endless.

But you return your eyes down to your feet,

To your steady breath.

One mindful step at a time.

No need to say a word.

Follow the path.

Embrace the beauty in each moment,

And enjoy the silence within.

But it’s when you take your last step,

Arriving at the center of the labyrinth,

That you realize the journey itself was the goal.

That beauty was present in the moments

Of losing balance, of struggle

And in the peaceful moments of ease.

Bringing all of that awareness with you

Into the world,

You leave the center and make the journey

Home to where you began.

10.19.19: The Wild River

The Autumn arrives in a fury.

The warmth of the summer sun,

More distant now.

The pace begins,

As the demands grow.

We work in busyness.

We sleep with restlessness.

There is too much to do,

In this race that we didn’t want to run.

Even though the days are long,

There isn’t any time.

Pushing against the winds,

We keep it together and soldier on,

Hoping for a break in the clouds.

But eventually we must stop.

Eventually we find stillness,

In between all the rapid movement.

And that is when it becomes quite clear,

That a moment can ease the struggle.

A breath can create a field of space.

A thought can slow down this wild river.

Here is where we return to who we are.

We decide to meet the pace

of our lives with steadiness.

It’s in the space of a single moment,

that we remember to live with ease.

Maybe then our expectations can soften.

Maybe then our compassion for ourselves can grow.

Maybe in a single moment, amidst a whirling life.

10.19.19: The Wild River

The Autumn arrives in a fury.

The warmth of the summer sun,

More distant now.

The pace begins,

As the demands grow.

We work in busyness.

We sleep with restlessness.

There is too much to do,

In this race that we didn’t want to run.

Even though the days are long,

There isn’t any time.

Pushing against the winds,

We keep it together and soldier on,

Hoping for a break in the clouds.

But eventually we must stop.

Eventually we find stillness,

in between all the rapid movement.

And that is when it becomes quite clear,

That a moment can ease the struggle.

A breath can create a field of space.

A thought can slow down this wild river.

Here is where we return to who we are.

We decide to meet the pace of our lives

with steadiness.

It’s in the space of a single moment,

that we remember to live with ease.

Maybe then our expectations can soften.

Maybe then our compassion for ourselves

can grow.

Maybe in a single moment,

amidst a whirling life.

8.11.19: Duet

There is a duet that occurs between fear and love.

Between how you want to embrace yourself

and the voice that says you’re not good enough.

Oh fear, like the undertow, you pull me back,

drag me below the surface,

and hope that I stay still.

And I might be quiet for a moment or two.

I might be frozen to act and move,

but in stillness comes clarity.

Clarity is a return to the heart.

And just like that I am reminded that love has more power.

Love heals and strengthens wherever it lives.

Love is the ocean. Love is the music within.

And just like a miracle there is a shift from fear to love

as the duet plays its last note.

What’s left is one voice…one love.

2.10.19: Go Within

Our society has always taught us to look outside of ourselves for beauty, richness, love, wholeness and health.

When we want to feel beautiful, we buy products to enhance our physical attributes. To make us look perfect and flawless on the outside.

When we want to feel like we are enough, we buy unnecessary clothes, gadgets and beyond.

When we want to feel complete, we look towards a companion to become “our better half“.

When we want to feel healthy, we follow any nutritional trend or diet regiment. If it was created by an expert, it has to be the right thing for us.

And then we listen to the opinions and advice of others to shape our own decision-making, even though we may not truly agree with their assessment.

What if we were to take time to go within? To become still. To ignore the loud ego voice and deeply listen to that quieter voice underneath all of the opinions, societal expectations, and norms. What if we were to listen to our deepest selves? Is it possible to be guided by your intuition?

The wisdom traditions tell us that we have everything we need already within us. That we already know all of the answers.

So why not create enough space to listen? Why not listen so deeply that we move beyond thought into a space where we can trust and know who we are.

Maybe then we can tune into our own wisdom, and move and act from a nourtured space of wholeness and real clarity.

10.16.18: The Craft of Songwriting

My husband is a singer/songwriter so I have witnessed for many years the craft of songwriting. Occasionally I have assisted with the placement of a lyric or two. There is an expression in the industry that songwriters despise: “don’t bore us, get to the chorus”. This phrase suggests that the average listener just wants the main idea, the catchy part of the song. But just like in life, the real artistry and wisdom comes from the verses leading up to the hook (or the main event). The perfect word choice that creates room for interpretation within the buildup can be in itself where the magic of the song is realized and felt the most.

The chorus might be powerful and memorable just like the major moments in your life…graduation, marriage, having children, vacations etc. But what about the rest of it? We have two events that will certainly happen to all of us, birth and death, and the rest? It’s all transition. Let’s not wait for the chorus to sing. Sing now. Let’s not wait for the wedding to dance? Dance right here. Let’s not wait for the yoga class to breath. Inhale and exhale longer.

10.05.18: Lessons from a Tree

As the seasons shift from Summer to Fall,

I struggle with the change.

I long for more days of the sun on my skin

and the warm gentle breezes.

As I take a walk in the woods, I feel the brisk air,

a reminder of the inevitable cold on the way.

And then I see you, tree.

You grow in all directions.

Your roots run deep.

You’re grounded and of the earth.

You know where you are from,

but you’re not afraid to rise

to lengthen towards the sun,

creating new growth as your buds form

and nurture that growth from your base.

Once your leaves have fully expressed themselves,

you are not afraid to let go, without resistance.

Your leaves help to nurture the ground.

You let go, to make space for new growth, new possibilities.

I see you.

And I realize your transition is the very definition of grace.

Finding the beauty in letting go without struggle.

Finding peace in the act of change.

6.07.17: You Are The Sun

You are the sun.

You are powerful beyond measure.

You are life-giving.

You nurture those around you.

You bring warmth and love to the world.

You lift everyone’s mood.

You are pure energy.

You radiate and shine.

But then the clouds come.

And they feel more powerful than you.

They dim your spirit and hold you back.

They cause you to question your authentic self.

They bring you into darkness.

And make the ground feel heavier.

The weight is sometimes too much to bear.

But you are the sun.

You are life-giving.

And you are forever.

And when you harness that power,

the clouds have nothing to say

and away they float to bring their struggle to another star.

They are temporary and you are forever.

You are the sun.