When we begin

to see “Beauty”,

we start

observing and not judging,

exploring and not dissecting,

wondering and not diagnosing,

sensing and not analyzing,

inviting and not labeling.

Our relationship with the world changes,

and also with ourselves and others.

Instead of remaining detached,

we allow life to talk to us,

and flow around, even through us.

When we observe, explore, wonder,

sense and invite the world around us,

we lose our fear of being touched,

and touching life.

When we judge, dissect, diagnose,

analyze and label,

we keep life at a distance.

We feel afraid.

Nothing heals fear

as seeing Beauty does.

Inspired by the book:

The invisible Embrace

Beauty – rediscovering the true sources

of compassion, serenity and hope

By John O’Donohue

Listening to the birds sing

opens me to another way of being:

I hear their artful song,

while allowing to imagine them singing

directly for me.

I feel tenderness flow through my heart.

I listen –

I am still –

I stop thinking,

stop worrying.

The birds invite me

into another way of being:

No longer isolated,

no longer disconnected

or lost in my “thinking world”:

this trance,

this virtual reality

of my past and future obsessing.

Tenderness wells up in me.

I pause.

I listen.

I feel loved, sung to,

connected, interconnected –

with these small messengers of spring.

I smile, I whistle, I hum…

inspired and joyful I continue my day.

Nature and I –

interconnected, one…

When you leave

When you decide to leave:

relationships,

marriages,

families of origin,

or old familiar roles, patterns or places.

because those were

toxic, stifling, abusive or neglectful –

hold your fear and grief gently,

and walk anyway.

The universe will provide you

with new relationships,

with the ability to enjoy solitude,

with a family of choice,

with more satisfying roles,

with life-giving places and self-created patterns.

Hold your hope and faith gently,

And walk on.

When you leave

calmly,

strategically

peacefully,

with no intention to hurt or harm –

the universe will open up

new opportunities,

freedom

and new beginnings.

Hold yourself gently

and compassionately

when walking.

All will be well.

Healing is a journey

of thousand small steps.

It involves an opening,

a willingness to be vulnerable.

Then it needs the courage

to look, to explore,

to accept the past and the present,

even when that feels painful.

When radical acceptance

gives way to a sense of clarity,

compassion and forgiveness

become the next companions

on the way.

Step by step,

healing means practicing

to exchange old thoughts and patterns

with new ones.

Toxic and gut-wrenching images

are being let go…

Tears flow…

healing balm for the soul.

Relief and joy arrive

like early morning birds

singing

even when the heart still

feels darkness at times.

Healing is a song

of thousand notes…

We are not our roles.

We are not our functions.

We are not our core wounding

that happened years ago

stored in our “pain body”.

Who are we then?

We are the loving observer.

We are the compassionate presence

in all roles, functions and wounding.

We can become our own best friend.

We can extend loving kindness to ourselves:

Valuing our emotions.

Comforting and caring for our bodies.

Calming our anxious and overwhelmed minds.

It takes practice.

Daily practice –

to not disappear into our roles or functions –

our “doing”

and to also not identify fully with our “pain body”.

As we breathe deeply,

As we journal,

meditate,

seek and connect with loving energies,

gently stretch our bodies –

we emerge as the loving and compassionate observer

of our body, mind and spirit…

This is where our healing will come from.

This is where our wholeness,

our joy and peace

await us.

How do I want my life to look like,

now as the Pandemic is subsiding?

With all the new freedoms

comes the challenge of setting healthy boundaries:

“What is essential for me,

for my significant relationships,

for my family?”

“Where do I refuse to return to pre-pandemic times?”

“What do I want to keep that I learned

during the Pandemic?”

“How can I continue to simplify my life –

how limit or eliminate toxic relationships?”

“How do I find a few new friends or quality relationships

instead of keeping certain old ones

that have proven as superficial?”

“How do I care for my stressed-out brain and body?”

“How do I keep a slower pace?”

“How can the gift that the Pandemic brought –

as bad as it was-

help me live a more conscious life?”

“How do I boundary in what matters to me

and boundary out what is toxic

or just old habits?”

These days are “Holy Days”

for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.

Those religious holidays aligning

only happens every 33 years.

I wish we could sit all around tables

and celebrate together:

Old and young,

religious and less religious, but spiritual.

And then invite also all those

who don’t feel like they belong.

Invite them with open arms,

without trying to change or “convert” anybody

or thinking that this was the religious task and duty.

Instead, just sharing the joy of our stories of

Easter, Ramadan and Passover-

Being inclusive and hospitable,

no strings attached,

no expectations held,

just love extended to each other

and to our beaten-up world:

to our grieving neighbors,

our lonely co-workers,

our anxious children,

our seeking teenagers.

Let’s join hands and hearts

and make religious groups

open spaces for healing,

for hospitality and recovery.

We are all in this together!

Good Friday

Good Friday was called “good”

Because it was so bad.

How paradox!

Later the cross was ascribed

healing and forgiving powers.

How paradox!

Do people realize that the founder

of their religion

lived in paradoxes all his life?

Supposed to be God’s son-

while the poor son of a teenage girl?

Teaching about the Kingdom of God

that is in the “here and now”-

instead of in “eternity”.

Crying and struggling

before getting arrested –

and calm and serene facing his torturers,

How paradox!

Do religious people still realize

these life-giving paradoxes?

Or has our religion lulled us

into habitual believing?

Do we allow for paradoxes

like our founder did?

Let’s practice seeing

and holding paradoxes-

and discover life!

Sometimes when we see things in a new light,

we begin to see clearly,

or suddenly know what we need to do.

Changing or ending something

does not mean we have failed.

Sometimes it can be the most loving action

for all involved,

even though it might be judged by others

who do not understand.

Sometimes when we see things in a new light,

we come into our own.

We outgrow our ancestors

and shift the story-

from shadow to light.

Sometimes when we see things in a new light,

we feel like everything

falls apart and becomes ashes.

And then, suddenly,

we rise.

We become free.

We are healing.

We stretch our wings

like a Phoenix rising from the ashes.

New life is possible.

New beginnings are possible.

Out of the shadows and the brokenness

rises new life, new hope, new love…

If we are honest,

most of us went through hell

these past years and months.

The pandemic,

stress at work,

no social contacts,

isolation,

crumbling relationships,

unhealthy dynamics.

We are in need

of finding our way back –

back from hell to earth.

Let’s ground ourselves

in practices of self-reflection.

Let’s share how our trauma and pain

has been like.

Let’s heal the wounds

and tend to the broken places.

Let’s strengthen our spirituality

and practice better self-care.

Let’s laugh again,

and feel the ground under your feet.

Maybe whisper to yourself:

“I am still here”

“I am still standing”

“The ground is holding me,

and I will heal and grow

through all I went through.”