Walking in the sun in silence

before an overnight snow storm

An oak tree with old rustling leaves,

right beside a tree filled with white blossoms.

I know frost and snow will come overnight

The oak tree leaves will finally come off,

while most of the blossoms will freeze and die.

Life’s ups and downs

unforeseen twists and turns

and sufferings.

Being present

fully

right “here and now”

Touching the blossoms gently,

breathing in the sweet aroma

and hearing the insects feed –

knowing fully well

that rough weather is ahead.

Taking in…

Holding still…

In the “here and now”.

This present moment: “The only moment.”

Listen within

Everything you need is inside of you.

You have wisdom that will guide you –

just listen within.

You have love and compassion for yourself and others –

just pause and access them.

You have strength and resolve –

just breathe deeply,

and access them in your heart space.

You have values and hopes –

just spend time, close your eyes,

sense your heartbeat and rest in the space

where your deepest joy lives.

Not outside will you find what you need,

but inside…

Listen, pause, breathe, sense, rest

and be made whole again and find yourself…

So much triggers our “painbody” these days:

watching the News,

being reminded of the loss of loved ones,

feeling helpless in the face of senseless violence,

pain experiences of our ancestors being touched,

fears for deployed and fighting soldiers,

empathy and pain on behalf of Ukraine and Russian families.

When we create space in our heart,

when we light a candle,

when we say a prayer or send light,

when we sigh deeply

and breathe deeply in the midst of our triggering,

we share in the load and heaviness that

our “Mother Earth” is experiencing once again, having innocent blood shed on her skin.

The pain of humanity,

our own pain,

the pain of “Mother Earth” –

all are crying out these days.

Let us pause and feel

our “interbeing”.

Let us believe that our painbodies

interconnect with the larger painbody.

Let us call for peace, for an end to all violence, and for compassion to have the last word.

Sometimes the macrocosm mirrors

the microcosm of our life, and vice versa:

There is the reality of a war

and here are struggles and uncertainties

in our life.

There are colliding interests and powers

and here we need to hold onto our deepest values.

As you take the time to heal yourself

while attending to your microcosm (your life) –

you bring healing to the world at large.

As you are becoming fully present and aware,

growing in compassion for yourself and for others,

you are becoming the microcosm that the

macrocosm needs to have hope and a future.

A million microcosms who develop

a new awakened consciousness

can shift the future of the macrocosm.

You – working on self-awareness,

healing, trauma recovery,

self-acceptance and self-compassion-

you are awakening

and are bringing that healing energy

to the larger world.

You are one in a million!

What makes you decide?

What helps you stop?

What in you leads you to health or

to a more authentic and freer you?

There is an invisible stream,

an energy,

a guiding light,

a quiet voice,

an intuition,

a force you could name “courage”

that flow around you,

that fuel you,

that shine on just the next step you need to take,

that whisper

and that nudge you

and that help you decide.

Trust that you are interconnected

with a reality

that is much bigger than you.

Those sound waves, when you ring the bell

remind you that we are

surrounded by life giving

and guiding energies…

Trust that you are not alone

when you want to change

want to be free

want to be well…

The universe is surrounding

and supporting you.

As you return home after a long day

find a peaceful spot –

The sofa, the bed, or your favorite chair

and “collect” yourself:

“Take yourself back”…

from all the things you did,

from all the thoughts you had…

and return to yourself:

breathe in deeply

and relax your shoulders

on the outbreath.

While continue breathing

relax all the different parts of your body,

and thank them for carrying you through your day.

Then drink plenty of water, eat nutritious food,

and listen to relaxing music or to your own heart beat.

Remind yourself compassionately:

“I am home now”-

home in your body.

Let go of all tension,

calm your mind…

at the end of a long day –

be your own home

once again.

There are years when life feels like a dream…

we move through it

and nothing remarkable happens…

we don’t see of feel more than the “usual”…

And then something happens –

loss, major changes or trauma reach us,

nothing is as it was before.

We feel disturbed, scared, shaken –

nothing feels “as usual”…

When we consider those times

not as a “curse”,

not as an ending of life,

but as an opportunity to “awaken”…

then we will walk through

the trauma, the loss, the pain…

and come out

more fully alive,

more aware,

more compassionate

and in tune with who we are,

and who we are meant to be…

The Universe has a strange way

of making us come alive…

Awakening can feel overwhelming and painful

And yet, with openness and support

it always leads

to a more conscious,

more connected and

fuller life in the end.

When I am patient with myself,

and forgive my limitations and

my not so helpful coping mechanisms –

I practice self-love.

When I accept who I am,

with all my corky ways

and my imperfect look

and my idiosyncrasies –

I practice self-love.

When I smile at myself,

and feel compassion in my heart

when I mess up

or don’t get it right –

I practice self-love.

When I am proud of myself

and celebrate my competence

and giftedness

and allow myself to shine –

I practice self-love.

When I walk away

from toxic environments

or from abusive people

and protect myself

from any harm –

I practice self-love.

“Love yourself,

and then love others

just as you love yourself!”

This space inside,

where I can ground myself

is often covered with debris:

thoughts and feelings,

memories and anxieties

plans and hopes

all are crowding this space.

My grounding space

is located right between

my lungs and my heart.

It is that sacred space

grounded deep in my tissues,

expanding and contracting like waves,

while beating faithfully

as a symphony of breath and pulsation.

When I remove all the debris,

and clear away the crowded clutter

this space of grounding

expands itself into the cosmos

embracing all –

discovering its name to be “Love”…

This space between my heart and lungs:

limitless, interconnected, eternal grounding…

When anxiety sneaks in,

breathe deeply and don’t fight it.

Breathe slowly in for four…

and slowly out for six…

Repeat the slow breathing

until your body relaxes,

your nervous system calms down,

and your brain stops being triggered.

Then whisper to yourself:

“I am safe”

“I am loved”

“I am enough”

And when the anxiety returns,

breathe deeply and whisper:

“Welcome my friend, I know you by now.

Let’s breathe slowly together again,

until you as well

feel safe, loved and enough…”