We are embodied...Our spiritual exploration of this life begins with our bodies. We start right where we are. We end our wars with our bodies, and we begin the practice of love.
~ Rolf Gates (from Meditations from the Mat)
My Dear Ones,
Yesterday evening I had the most blissful experience.
Most mornings since we began our shelter-in-place lives I have taken a walk/run or bike ride to a beautiful nearby cemetery. The path takes me along a forest's edge, up and down hills. I've felt so very grateful to have had the good fortune to live in a place with space to do this safely, the proximity of my home to the forest, and the physical capability and wellbeing to allow this to be possible.
It has been a Godsend, saving me daily, keeping me healthy, sane, and in much better spirits than I might have been otherwise.
Yesterday, though, I missed my morning ride. So late in the evening as the sun was setting, I decided to partake.
It was that time of utter quiet as day give way to night...
As I reached the forest’s edge, an incredible coolness enveloped me. Like diving into a cool pond. It felt like the forest reaching out her hand and taking me in. Then as I topped the hill that opened up to the cemetery the trees began to speak, loud and strong, a great murmuring. I lifted my face to welcome the wind and looked to the sky to see what was afoot. A storm blowing in...
The feeling of the wind on my face was something I really can't describe. Delicious. Invigorating. Exciting.
Just as was that feeling of coolness as I approached the forest.
Then this morning I came across the quote above and thought how lucky we all are to live in these bodies. What an amazing experience it is to FEEL all that we feel. A gentle breeze on our skin. A friend's kind embrace. A lover's passionate touch. The delightful squeeze of a baby's hand holding our fingers. The vigor and satisfaction we feel after exercising. Even the ache we feel in our hearts that we know as compassion. Or the gut feeling that tells us something is wrong.
Such wisdom our bodies contain. Such beauty. Such delight.
And yet, for so many of us, we live separate from our bodies. Or in conflict with them. We never stop to just enjoy how something feels. Or stop to listen to whatever it is our bodies might be telling us - through both pleasant and unpleasant sensations.
Stop for a moment right now. Feel your feet on the floor, connecting you to the Earth, allowing you to know you are held. Become aware of your eyes looking out, their ability to see color, movement, beauty, to read these words. Your ears hearing - birdsong and music and words of love and appreciation. Or the call of someone in distress, sparking compassion and calling you to action on their behalf.
Stand in wonder as you next walk across the floor. Or digest your food. Or heal from injury or illness.
Close your eyes and send your body some words of love. Thank you, Hands, for allowing me to reach out to others. Thank you, Mind, for helping me to identify and solve problems. Thank you, Bones and Muscles, for holding me up and allowing me to move. Thank you, Heart, for your pulsing and caring. Thank you, Lungs, for allowing me breath. For keeping me alive! I love you all so!!!
We are embodied beings. Through our bodies we learn and grow. Through our bodies we become aware. Through our bodies we have the opportunity to end our wars, to heal, to awaken. And to love.
May you awaken to the delight of your body this - and every day.
Start right where you are. No need to change a thing.
Forgive all past transgressions.
Just begin.
And delight in being alive in this physical form.
In this body.
Amen.