Tag: joy

Using Play As Our Practice

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh writes;

“From time to time, to remind ourselves to relax, to be peaceful, we must wish to set aside some time for a retreat, a day of mindfulness, when we can walk slowly, smile, drink tea with a friend, enjoy being together as if we are the happiest people on Earth. This is not a retreat, it is a treat.”

I thought of his words this morning as I looked out from my bedroom window. Across the way, a young girl was chasing soap bubbles with a friend, a fearless pup blissfully nipping at the air. Their joy was palpable, as much a part of this day as the sun itself. And between each shriek and heart filling giggle, a pause – just long enough to effect their mutual gratitude.

Play encourages the heart’s liberation, alleviating the burden and impossibility of long-standing barriers. Through play, our consciousness is lifted, allowing us to explore new ways of thinking. We begin to see the simplicity within the complex, recognizing our place in their interpretation: everything, just as it is and nothing more.

In this way, life itself becomes our practice, and we…we finally become the enrichment we seek.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣

This Path to Our Awakening.

Sometimes our awakening happens slowly, like the softened hues overtaking a twilight sky. Though often, there is a catalyst – a triggering of events so powerful that it momentarily knocks us to the ground.   In both cases, however, the path is shared – each effecting a shifting of heart, hope and light. Our lives are in perpetual motion, with balance achieved through the choices made.

“Every spiritual tradition has stories of those who have awakened from their usual dreamlike state to a sacred way of being,” Jack Kornfield writes. “Through initiation, purification, or prayer, or by a great spacious surrender to the dance of life, they come to know that which is ever-present and holy.” They come to know the energy of living.

And just as we know the sun will always rise, so too do we recognize the presence of its potential – the potential which may ultimately serve to transform, to change, to forever alter. Even though we may feel, at times, that we are standing still – stuck in a rut of our own design – trust that we are in constant motion, limited only by our willingness to receive.

My friends, today I wish you the blessing of openness  and peace. May it share its light within each bright and beautiful step…

In peace…

Namaste ❣

Remaining Open to Joy.

There’s a duality evidenced within our spiritual awakening. At first, a fateful glimpse – a moment in which all bias is suspended. We feel ourselves coming alive. And, thinking bliss our only destination – we pause, wishing it never to be lost again.

But, that clinging offers a shadowed betrayal. We feel trapped by the very object of our will – our breath quickening as we struggle for release. How can a joy share anything but peace?

Author, Andrew Holecek writes,  our spiritual experience can likewise be “the sweetest honey covering the sharpest hooks.” And we must remain mindful as we distinguish the two;

Don’t get me wrong, finding joy is a wonderful thing.  Though, we must be willing to recognize  complacency, as the true spiritual path is never-ending. It is expansive and always unfolding. When we become complacent, we lose our ability to remain open to newer joy.

A little something to consider, my sweet friends…

In peace…

Namaste ❣

Sustaining Joy.

Each of us can reflect on a moment of inspiration; something magnificent that stirred our heart, effecting an outpouring of gratitude. It may have been a fiery sunset, offering it’s comfort in the wake of a passing storm. Or, the way in which a caterpillar sits – waiting patiently for his imminent ascension. And as our gratitude deepens, it gives rise to joy.

Though, how do we sustain that which is fleeting? As new challenges arise, as they inevitably will, how do we remain open to an experience which can hasten our joy?

As children, we learn the ‘art of balance’ through heroic leaps – scurrying fearlessly to the highest point where the branches break to open sky. And, transfixed by a single patch of pale blue we believe – with one more stretch we can reach the clouds. Though we may feel fear, it does nothing to impede our quest for adventure. A child never worries over the matter of impermanence knowing the next pocket of joy is never too far from home.

Though as time progresses, so do our wounds. In time, our fear becoming greater than any ‘need’ might compel. If only we could appreciate our circumstances as they are truly intended – a catalyst to an endless stream; an awakening to our heart’s greatest joy.

“Gratitude,” Jack Kornfield writes, “is a gracious acknowledgment of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, both great and small. Gratitude is confidence in life itself. In it we feel how the same force that pushes grass through cracks in the sidewalk invigorates our own life. … Gratitude receives in wonder the myriad offers of rain and sunlight, the care that supports every single life.”

Between the leaves, the light playfully dances – encouraged by the promise of a flourishing rain. When we can finally see from the vantage of ‘sacred’, everything flows. Nothing is ever truly lost, rather – it becomes.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣

An Ode to Joy.

No matter what we have faced in our lives, my loves… joy is always there, waiting for our arrival.

From where we can, we must return – and this is our return to home,  effected through the sense of wonderment and courage.

Whether the sound of rustling leaves, or the scent of fresh biscuits rising for dinner – we are continuously reminded of this invitation to be made whole.

“Live in joy,” the Buddha teaches. And with this, we must learn to step away from our fear – however briefly – to honor the prospect of our own renewal.

Yes, we need to navigate with grace and dignity; to the self within, and the self that is world. This temple surrounds no matter our worry.

In the end, only our mantra – ‘we are, we are’.

In peace, my sweet friends – Happy Christmas and blessings to all.

Namaste ❣️

A Dog’s Ode to Joy.

When a dog wags his tail, the whole world knows his intention: to engage and to share all expressions of joy, to find a space of communion between.

They are our link to paradise, reminding us of our ability to connect. And, knowing not these roots of injustice – finding depth within the breath, and warmth against the light.

In these moments, they offer their unbridled exuberance; a joie de vivre in a selfless journey.

They are indeed the angels who walk amongst us. They are our points of light, our guideposts and stars.

And, oh my goodness, how lucky we are…

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

This Love Within.

Someone once shared to me that we can only truly live within our deepest heart; that space where our fear and suffering reside unmasked.

“Here is where the real work begins,” he said.

Each of us carries the burden of our tears, though through the years we learn to deny. Still, like an infant child crying for its mother – they wait for the warmth of our loving arms, and the reassurance to guide them through.

It is only when we are able to see through the lens of unconditional love, that our healing may ultimately begin.

Were it not for these moments of opening – the joy in a child’s achievements, the mystery of newfound love – how might we ever go on?

People often tell me that it’s far too difficult to let go of their pain. Though, as Carl Jung once wrote it’s far more terrifying to accept oneself completely. And this pain is simply a warning sign, that we are not living our life completely.

We have the ability to love, certainly. Then why can’t we offer the same love to self?

After all, the greatest of love begins within.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

On Beginning Anew.

When I was a little girl, I remember stealing a piece of penny candy from a local grocery shop. I was too young to understand that what I had done was ‘wrong’ – not until years later, that is, when I overheard a group of older boys talking about a similar scenario.

“That’s shoplifting,” I remember one shouting. “You could go to jail for that!”

From that moment on, my innocence was tainted. I felt guilty and shamed, so much so, that I eventually returned to the ‘scene of my crime’ to offer the shopkeeper my apology. Of course, I was in my twenties at the time and the shop had already changed hands several times.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” the manager said. “Why not just forget about it and let it go?”

Beginning anew is a fundament practice in our Buddhist teachings. It helps to engage and ultimately set free the burdens we carry. But, more so – it grants us permission.

As Thich Nhat Hanh once described;

“Beginning Anew is not to ask for forgiveness. Beginning Anew is to change your mind and heart, to transform the ignorance that brought about wrong actions of body, speech, and mind, and to help you cultivate your mind of love.”

In this mind of love, we begin to disentangle the countless aspects of our suffering. And all hinderances dissolve in the wake of forgiveness.

I, alone, helped to construct the condition. And, only I could help to clear it away.

A little something to remember, my friends.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

When Fireflies Dance.

When I was a little girl, I used to catch fireflies in my hand. I’d hold them there with all my might, fearful their magic might soon slip away.

But then one day, I let my hand extend. And, to my surprise, the firefly remained.

So, proud to share her evening ‘glow’ – this particle of moonbeam consigned to earthly wonder.

She dance a bit, the Peruvian Waltz – then flitted away before taking a gentleman’s hand.

We’re mistaken to think that we must ‘capture’ our peace; for the marvels of this earth exist for those willing to believe.

With love…

Namaste ❤️

The Beginning of New.

Jiddu Krishnamurti once wrote that in order to understand the immeasurable the mind must be extraordinarily still. That it must reach beyond this sanctity of knowing, opening to a space where security ends.

In this way, we may begin to understand the failure of these attempts, to know the entirety of world through diminished lens.

“It is only when the mind is free from the old,” he shared. “that it meets everything anew, and in that there is joy.”

Though this discursiveness of mind, it never ends; it bends, it weaves through borrowed chance. Chasing endlessly that which humbly receives – a willingness of heart and a oneness of dream.

We are seekers of a truth that liberates belief.

On this day, my loves – I’m wishing you…the ending of sorrow, and the beginning of new.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️