Inspiration for Hectic Hearts

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic,
Time takes on the strain until it breaks;
Then all the unattended stress falls in
On the mind like an endless, increasing weight,

The light in the mind becomes dim.
Things you could take in your stride before
Now become laborsome events of will.

Weariness invades your spirit.
Gravity begins falling inside you,
Dragging down every bone.

The tide you never valued has gone out.
And you are marooned on unsure ground.
Something within you has closed down;
And you cannot push yourself back to life.

You have been forced to enter empty time.
The desire that drove you has relinquished.
There is nothing else to do now but rest
And patiently learn to receive the self
You have forsaken for the race of days.

At first your thinking will darken
And sadness take over like listless weather.
The flow of unwept tears will frighten you.

You have traveled too fast over false ground;
Now your soul has come to take you back.

Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.

Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free.

Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of color
That fostered the brightness of day.

Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.

Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.

Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.

~ John O’Donohue, from “Blessings”

There are some beautiful images and poignant phrases here to guide us to our Middle Ground.

May today be a day for slowing down and noticing the small miracles we rushed through.

Let nature and our senses restore mind, body and spirit.

Namaste

Haiku – power down

Photo by Serkan Göktay on Pexels.com

Power down. Switch off.

Slow down to the speed of Life.

Find your Middle Ground.

Find your Middle Ground is about stepping away from the busyness of our lives and our screens. More than ever we need to take time to pause and come to our senses.

When we are mindful of the present moment and simply allow it to be, we open a door to our natural state of being – accepting, loving, peaceful, kind and content. Most of us are so distracted and moving so fast that we get caught up in the world of “doing” or worrying about what we should be doing next.
Too much doing and thinking disconnects us from our sense of “being”and who we really are.

Noticing Mondays

This is a re-blog from 2015, when I began to notice the tension when trying to get caught up with posts on Word Press. We don’t need to be actively interacting, to know that we are a part of this community. Gratitude and love to you ❤️

oooOOooo

Noticing Monday morning and its regular gift of a slight contraction in my body and mind.
My ego alert with thoughts about getting a head start and how much to get through.
No, not work…

The blogs I follow expand with content on Monday mornings.
An avalanche of goodness awaits.
Leading to some feelings of overwhelm and not enough time.

So I take time to notice and pause…
Slowing down and breathing in order to be present for each one.
Letting go of thoughts to hurry through and get it behind me.
This is not a task, its about connection, listening and community.

These feelings are like an echo of how I lived most of my life.
Hurrying up to get things done and get ahead of the present.

Skipping forward towards some goal.

If only I knew then what I know now …
Thank you bloggers for this lesson on mindful presence today

Namaste

Greet Each Day

Photo by Lum3n.com on Pexels.com

As this new day dawns, greet it with curiosity.

Being curious slows us down and wakes us up from numbing habits.

An attitude of wonder brings lightness and a tingle of anticipation.

Be open to the unexpected and find the spark in each moment as it unfolds.

Haiku – Wearing Thin

Photo by kinkate on Pexels.com

~

Save your sneaker soles

When life begins to wear thin

Find your Soul Ground

Instead of running. Slow down.

Instead of jumping ahead. Step aside.

Instead of doing. Find a seat.

Change your pace in life.

Take time to pause.

Breathe fully and slowly from the center of your being.

Open up to your Soul ground.

Without Space

Photo by Martin Damboldt @ http://www.pexels.com

To appreciate space, sometimes we must recognize what life is like without it. Instead of rushing headlong through your day to meet constant demands, or telling yourself you have to just get it over with, take a moment to consider how bringing more space to your day can transform it.

Space is not just for weekends, but for every moment in every day. Make room for it and find your middle ground.

Space

Without space this is no music, only discordant noise.
Without space there is no language, only meaningless sound.
Space weave patterns of meaning
breathes order into chaos
holds structures together, with the harmony of form.

And without space life is meaningless too-
a roar of constant activity
so crowded with demands that you lose perspective
so cluttered with responsibilities that you lose direction
and finally lose yourself.

But when space pervades your life
shapes begin to form, patterns start to emerge,
and your vision becomes clearer, against and empty background,
and you can sense your purpose again, and return to your path.

And when space pervades your being
the discord inside you begins to heal, the chaos begins to clear,
as if a river of ease is flowing through you.
You feel yourself emptying and expanding
until you’re vast and whole but limitless
and the vastness of your being is full
of harmony and meaning.

~ Steve Taylor, The Calm Center

Inner Peace is Possible

Source: © creativecommons stock photos ID 94887590 | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Life is a series of highs and Lows.

Be grateful for the highs and be graceful in the lows,

Knowing that inner peace is possible.

We all experience stress as we go through life, and our experience of stress varies. Take a moment to consider these examples and how you react to each of them:

– Bungie jumping
– Giving a presentation
– Losing your smart phone
– Rappelling down a mountain
– Looking after a newborn baby
– Driving a formula one Ferrari
– Teaching a yoga class
– Being without internet for a week

Something that feels highly stressful to one person, may be an adventure to an other. Our thinking varies about each experience. (Okay – maybe not losing your smartphone)

All experience of stress is a result of thought.

The good news is that we have the ability to change our thinking. Our thoughts are not the truth. We can shift our perspective, and prevent potential stress by re-framing our thinking.

However, we can’t do that as long as we keep moving so fast, getting distracted and triggered by external events and people. We must learn to slow down.

When we know in our hearts that its possible to feel peace, despite what we are experiencing, we have hope.

We slow down and find our middle ground … again and again.

New Bloggers, Blogging and Life

I have noticed an interesting phenomenon recently with new bloggers. Perhaps, if you are reading this, then you may have noticed as well. There are flurries of Likes one after an other and then a Follow.

I doubt this new generation has superhuman ability to read so quickly… and it makes me wonder if they are actually reading what is posted, or are simply wanting reciprocation, with multiple likes and a follow. Is the goal to accumulate lots of Likes and Followers, regardless of connection with other bloggers?

It makes me think of my adolescence where there was much self doubt and a craving for validation. If I do this for you, you’ll do this for me. If I like you, you must like me. This, of course, is encouraged in all Social Media.

Perhaps this keeps many people in a state of wondering what others think, and being seen in a particular way – happy, popular, interesting etc etc, rather than expressing themselves and finding their authentic being.

When we are so attached to being seen in a certain way, or being overly attached to results, we lose out on the process that takes us there, and who we are. It’s the experience of getting there, and the highs and lows that make life worth embracing and living fully.

In yoga there is a saying for the newcomer “Yoga isn’t about touching your toes, it’s about what happens on the way down”… and I would add, “appreciating everything that comes up along the way.”

Like life. Is your blogging a reflection of how you are living your life?

It’s your choice to tally scores, make as many connections as you can, and receive acknowledgement from others. Or, perhaps it’s time to slow down and read, absorb, listen and appreciate the goodness that others have to offer, and explore being in community with other people.

We all want validation and to be heard. We also all need to belong and care for others. Take a moment to pause, and notice if it is your ego-mind that is running the show here in WordPress or an expression of your authentic self.

And now consider your life…

Flight from the Shadow

Photo from Silas Manhood Photography Ltd http://www.silasmanhood.photoshelter.com

“There was a man who was so disturbed by the sight of his own shadow and so displeased with his own footsteps that he determined to get rid of both. The method he hit upon was to run away from them.

So he got up and ran. But every time he put his foot down there was another step, while his shadow kept up with him without the slightest difficulty.

He attributed his failure to the fact that he was not running fast enough. So he ran faster and faster, without stopping, until he finally dropped dead.

He failed to realize that if he merely stepped into the shade, his shadow would vanish, and if he sat down and stayed still, there would be no more footsteps.”

~ Thomas Merton*

The assumption to go faster and push harder to overcome something is ingrained in so many of us. But does it really work? What would happen if you tried different approach?…

Of course, you won’t know unless you experience it for yourself.

Today, take time to slow down and consider other possibilities, beyond your habitual thinking. Find your middle ground.

Namaste

*Merton, Thomas. The Way of Chuang Tzu (Second Edition) (p. 155). New Directions. Kindle Edition.

* Life is a Series of Highs and Lows

“Life is a series of highs and lows. Be grateful for the highs. Be graceful in the lows. Enjoy life fully and find contentment in your Middle Ground”

~ Val Boyko

Life, with all its ups and downs can take us away from finding wholeness, well being and contentment every day.

We get caught up in the distractions and commotion around us, and lose connection to our inner being and the wholeness of spirit that resides there.

Finding our Middle Ground is about pausing and connecting with this harmonious inner spirit. For many of us, this is sitting in meditation or practicing yoga or tai chi . For others, it might be walking in nature, patiently waiting to capture the perfect moment of light and beauty with a camera, or taking time on your train commute to close our eyes and bring our attention inwards.

When we slow down and pause in a quite place, we learn how to simply be, beyond our thoughts and time itself.

This is so good for the mind, body and overall wellbeing of our small self. We recognize this to be a real stress reducer!

As we find more time for pausing and simply being in the moment, we begin to connect to our higher Self and the Spirit or Source within all of us. It becomes a life re-generator where we free ourselves from striving, anxiety, and trying to fix things and control the world around us.

The more we let go, the more we draw in love, kindness, joy and peace.

Doing it now and again is good for your wellbeing.

Having a regular practice will transform your life.

Namaste

* Inspiration – For One Who is Exhausted