Author: valeriecameronmerritt

Cycles and change are a cohesive thread in our reality.  People are often caught in admiration for the beginnings and blooms in cycles.  It’s true, these parts of a cycle are exciting and rewarding.  However, let’s take focus for a moment on the equally important close of a cycle, the care we take in observing the time period after a bloom, the appreciation we feel for honoring all stages and finally, the spreading of seeds for rebirth or knowledge of what was learned in the experience.  Each stage is alive with beauty for it’s offering.

A blessing for stillness:

May your body be still

like the quiet water

of an undisturbed lake

and expand below you

for what feels to be an indefinite stretch,

a depth that grounds itself with possibility

in the persistent nature by which water

pervades it’s space;

as you lay peaceful in rest,

may your body be still

like the quiet water

of an undisturbed lake.

-photograph by Angela Squires, Bloomington, MN

Typically, someone who is ranting doesn’t bring a positive association to mind.  However, going on a rant with words that are chosen to feel good and to practice ease within yourself, can brighten the atmosphere you inhabit and lift your feelings.  If you find yourself in a slump or you are faced with a situation that pulls you down,  the direction of feeling can change.  Allow a positive speech pattern to permeate your environment and see so many benefits.

Example:

Where I am is exactly where I’m meant to be.  There’s so much that is right about this moment.  I am thankful for everything it takes to make this moment what it is.  I am thankful for the breath in my body, the fingers on my hand, my eyesight, all the working parts of my body that bring me the experience of being alive.  I am so thankful for this and for my emotions that make me human.  I welcome all of the emotions I experience and I allow myself to feel everything that passes.  I’d like to forgive easily, myself included, and to be an uplifting presence for all who know me.  If I’m not always uplifting, that’s okay, too.  I am happy to be helpful to others and I want to focus more attention and time on how to be in service to others.  I am so glad to have this day before me and for the place I find myself now.  I am thankful for my many blessings and incredibly grateful for those to come.

Choosing an intention for your day can be helpful in finding and maintaining balance.  Try taking a few moments before your day begins to set an intention such as clarity, heart centeredness, trust, kindness, or any other theme that you feel would be useful in creating the kind of day you would like to experience.  You can declare your intention before meditation, with morning stretch, while you drink your cup of tea or coffee, or simply say your intention to yourself as you get out of bed.  However you work this into your morning, it can be beneficial in forming a focus and in maintaining a goal for the day.  If you feel distracted or that your day is not unfolding as you would like, reminding yourself of your intention helps to refocus and get back on track.

Example with Clarity:

I set clarity as my intention.  Today I welcome clear seeing, hearing, and knowing.  I offer presence to life, and I breathe clarity into the space around me.

Post by Nora, age 8

’tis the goat funny

’tis the goat silly

’tis the goat crazy

’tis the goat hilarious

that ate itself and ’twas satisfied

 

(giggling – I’ve just learned about ’tis and ’twas and wanted to use these funny words in a poem! I hope you write a silly poem soon too!)

At any point in the day, in repeating cycles, in this ever pressing and turning reality we know as life, you may find yourself carrying weight in various forms.

If we can pinpoint the areas where we feel stuck or held back by habits or by forces outside of our control, we can begin the process of letting them go.

When you know thoughts, actions, or beliefs are holding you back or keeping you tied to a certain way of being that you may have outgrown, you also know it’s time for change.  To change, we have to let go of what was.  This can be difficult. Depending on the requirements of your situation, it may only be a matter of time and patience,or you may have to go through steps associated with grieving before letting go.

Hold presence with yourself this week to recognize the ways in which you can help yourself to let go.

 

“We do not really see through our eyes or hear through our ears, but through our beliefs.”  – Lisa Delpit

Our culture defines us. It may dictate how we communicate, the customs we include in our life, and the way we view the world.  To make an effort to see ourselves apart from our culture and to look at others apart from theirs may be a challenge.  It is well worth the effort to see another human for their core essence and not for what has coerced their current circumstance.  Integration of various cultures can be a beautiful part of our lives or it can be a limiting barrier, depending on your interpretation of “different”.

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” -Linda Grayson 

Hope you can make time for both this weekend!

– Jessica &Valerie

 

The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.     -Robin S. Sharma

Meditation on quieting the mind:

I breathe in, and notice thoughts passing.

I breathe out, and let the thoughts go along without me.

Slowly inhale and exhale for counts of 5 while mentally repeating these words.

Everything seems to be attached in some regard or another.  We want to welcome commonality and unity, but these may lead to feelings of attachment if sought for more than their offering in the present moment. When caught in analyzing our minds can go deeper into layers of control and perhaps obsession.  Expecting fulfillment through people, places, or things can be a hindrance.  We may understand the concept of non-attachment and even find ourselves committing to the idea, but an active practice takes diligence and patience in realization.

When it is time to detach, these flowers will know it, the branches will know it, and they will surrender to their cycle.