Peaceful Movement

Moving the body is a joy not to be overlooked.

Flowing through yoga poses, walking through the woods, and sharing qi gong or tai chi can bring peace to your body, and so to your mind and spirit. Some people find joy in running, some in team sports; others fancy a Zumba class! Joyful movement awakens you to the miracle of the body. Muscles stretch and strengthen, knees lose their aches, tension eases out of the back. Happiness suffuses you.

Peaceful movement brings ease and joy to your life. Not only will your body rejoice every morning as it springs out of bed, but your spirit will be lighter and your mind will be clear.

Dance.

Peaceful Breath

The first time I sat in a yoga class, legs crossed on a sticky mat, and was told to breathe, I couldn’t resist opening one eye to see what the others were doing. Duh, I’ve been breathing my whole life, so what was the deal with breathing in this class?

Then more direction came from the teacher. I followed along, filling my body from seat to crown with air, then emptying out. It was both calming and energizing. As time passed, I learned that I was not only inhaling air, but also prana, or life force energy. I was not just filling my lungs, but my entire being. Each exhale was a release of whatever I had no use for at that moment; but if I changed my mind I could just breathe it back in, no questions asked!

Oh, yeah, in that first yoga class we learned some poses, too. That was fun.

Light, Life, Love

There are events happening all around us that we don't notice. Small things, and bigger, splashier things, that we somehow miss. Sometimes we are simply to busy to stop and look, and sometimes we are on autopilot. We flash past and don't see. 

This Spring, though, is a little different. The difficult, cold, icy winter we just endured has made us more aware of the signals that proclaim a change. I've noticed people are a little more excited about the first crocus this year. They are a bit more energized by the first semi-warm day; just a smidge happier than usual when the sun is out. Robins are greeted with sighs of appreciation.

We want to segue from that new habit of noticing signs of Spring into a larger awareness of events around our personal world, and around our global world. Look past the scary news broadcasts and into the smaller, brighter nooks that abound. 

Increasing numbers of people are discovering that being kind to themselves translates to being kind to those they encounter during the day; and the inevitable ripple effect that ensues is wonderful to see and experience. I believe it will be the little things that save our planet. Small, grassroots gatherings and projects will galvanize more and more people into right action. When we move from love, with love, we can move mountains. One stone turns into a shovelful, which increases to a wheelbarrow then to an overflowing dump truck. Watch.

The flame from your candle illuminates the dark. Darkness cannot extinguish its light.