Hello Fellow Body-Mind-Hearts –
I squat at the river’s edge and place the palms of my hands on the surface to feel it’s movement and let it speak with me…I offer my thanks and my blessing. I pause and place my hands around the warm cup and slowly take in the fragrance and the flavor of my morning tea as a kind of prayer. I collect a perfectly smooth rock in a color only Wild Spirit could conjure and I place it on my altar as a reminder of the slow power of earth. On that same altar I light a candle with a prayer for the one and the many who are suffering today, I ring the bell, fill the water bowl, chant the verse. I have a friend who walks to the same place daily and tends a rock circle that sometimes others adorn and sometimes disrupt. These are all various rituals that, for me, bring me back into the remembering of the sacred that is all around and within.
Ritual has been a part of our lives as humans for thousands of years. The simple acts of burning a fragrant herb, pouring water to bless, placing a special stone or feather or shell as an offering are the marking of the sacred. And we need these moments of beauty and intention to remind us of our inherent connection to something greater, to the larger web of life and consciousness. We need it especially right now when we are so encumbered by the intensity of the daily infusion of weighty tasks and so much darkness. The marking of the seasons, the moon, the anniversaries of important events allow us to reflect, attend and move into the next phase of healing and being. When we do this we invite non-linear time to infuse our everyday with numinous power and presence. And we move forward a little brighter.
Ritual is powerful. Ritual can be simple or complex. More than anything, ritual reminds us to be present in the moment and see/feel deeper than the surface into the sacred nature of connection. What are the rituals you use to remember your Self in relation to the Whole? What are some of the simple ways you might cultivate an opening into the magic that lies under the surface of everyday objects and events?
May we create rituals that honor our deep connection to the whole of Life
May we pause, again and again, to infuse the mundane with the sacred light of attention
May we gather with others, in body or spirit, to bless that which needs our blessing…everything!
May we be compassionate and kind with ourselves and others during these trying times
Practice Prompts:
- Consider creating a new daily ritual that brings you into the moment with a sense of connection and wonder. Anything that brightens your senses or incorporates any of the elements (earth, water, fire, air) is a good place to start.
- Re-enliven the ritual of your self-care practices…pausing at the beginning and the end to offer thanks and dedication to the practices themselves, the teachers/lineages they come from and the skills they bring into your life.
- Look at the calendar and see what seasonal transitions you may wish to mark with ritual…the solstices or equinoxes, the new and/or the full moon, personal anniversaries, etc…these organic and cyclical moments are a great opportunities to open the portal between the ordinary and the extra-ordinary and infuse the coming cycle with awareness.
- Schedule a free 20 minute Introductory Consultation to learn more about what I offer and how I might be able to guide ad support your cultivation of resilience and even find some new rituals for self-care.
Upcoming Live Streaming Practice Opportunities:
- Slow Flow Yoga, Mondays, 10-11:30am PDT live stream through Seattle Yoga Arts
- Continuum Inquiry Playshop, Monday, October 11, 6-8pm PDT live stream through Body of Insight
- All Levels Yoga, Sunday, November 28, 10-11:30am PDT, live stream through Two Dog Yoga
- Yoga Nidra Practice, Sunday, November 28, 5:30-7pm PDT, live stream through Two Dog Yoga
- On Demand Yoga Practices…All Levels… through Seattle Yoga Arts (practice with me anytime, anywhere!)
Inspirational Wisdom:
“Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.”
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