Out of such transparency of the human heart, things of value are created and we are created. Such openness requires two ongoing devotions: the risk to be, to slow to the pace of creation, where all things join; and the courage not just to let through whatever comes up, but to sing it through. The courage to voice what we experience, the way a coyote howls, out of a visceral joy at being a living thread in this living tapestry.
Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What is Sacred
“Pay attention to endings and beginnings this week.” This was our recent assignment in a class for Search Inside Yourself (SIY) Certified Teachers that I’m participating in right now. The six-week course is designed to deepen our personal mindfulness and meditation practice, the essential starting point for skillful teaching.
The assignment (and course as a whole) came at the tail end of an intense and fulfilling teaching period for me, with back-to-back SIY programs running concurrently with my 30-Day morning meditation program. I loved every minute of the work and was also ready for a break to replenish myself.
Meditation is a microcosm of our lives. We have expansive periods (like the oxygen-infused inhale) and periods of letting go (like the release of the exhale). In between breath cycles, there is a space of complete stillness as we turn toward the next inhale. With time and practice, we come to notice this space between breaths as a place of utmost calm, clarity, and empowerment.
Spring is a master teacher of endings and beginnings, and of the the in-between places.
It’s the time of year when I lean into Mark Nepo’s advice to risk to be (not just “do”), protect time to slow to the pace of creation (the garden is my wisest advisor on the pace of creation), and to sing through whatever comes up. I’ll be singing with the help of my camera and more writing tidbits on various platforms (intention-setting is yet another form of mindfulness practice).
What beginnings and endings are you noticing these days? Can you feel spring’s tug of joy on your heartstrings? Are you allowing yourself to sing, a skill that may have atrophied over the past year?
I’d love to hear what’s alive for you! Share in the comments or just reply to this email. In the meantime, sending well wishes your way.
Another new beginning coming up…
If you’re curious about how a daily meditation habit supports a happier, more contented life, or if you’d like to enrich your ongoing practice in the company of other curious practitioners, my next 15-Day Meditation Refresh program begins on Monday, April 12, 2021. You can choose between two start times during this special session, 7 am ET or 10 am ET (you can even switch between the two if you can’t make your normal start time). To learn more and register click on 7 am ET or 10 am ET or visit damselwings.com/shop.
