How?
When I…
…sit with a cup of tea and stare into space and realize it’s all going to be okay, the bigger picture of all things…the meditation that comes, that first begins with a storm of thoughts and then silks itself out, s(m)oothes itself out in time when I give myself time
…move in gentle, easy ways through yoga, especially the roots of yoga that have no ‘poses’ and are more shape-shifting through feeling, moving and resting, moving and resting
…move in gentle and clever ways through Movement Intelligence and Feldenkrais Method that bring relief to so many things and invite playfulness and restore my joints to innocence
…let my pen or paintbrush dawdle on the page and something of what I’m feeling ends up on the page…not always beautiful, though real and wise and somehow helpful to me
…let my naked feet touch the naked earth, as they/we soften each other and something in me wants to feel that charge of the earth, what tai chi & qigong invites, to know real power within myself and in relationship with the earth, such deep intelligence
…let my hands rest on my body or accept others’ hands or they accept mine, all gently and in safe places, and experience a wholeness, I remember I am whole, as Healing Touch teaches, a wholing, healing…
…put my hands on and in the earth and accept its gifts of fruit and vegetables and know the utter pleasure of eating things so fresh…
when I do any of these things,
then I am…
…gentler with people, more thoughtful, less ready to assume they have bad intentions and more ready to realize we all mess up or forget we as individuals are not the world in itself and maybe the call for us all is to awaken one another nonviolently to ALL THAT IS…THE ALL
…inspired by people’s courageous efforts to grow their own food, make their own products…which require less fuel to ship and often substantially less energy to to grow and make…and I buy from these local vendors or learn from them and grow/make my own
…more able to know love in relationship, love for and with my own self, no matter what I deem to be shortcomings (indeed, maybe they are gifts too)
…more able to offer more of my authentic self and know a profound love, a love more whole than anything else…this life, this amazing life on this amazing planet, and…
yes! self-care is world-care! yes!
that in taking some care of myself, remembering my own wholeness as a person, that I realize that I participate in a larger whole — this infinite life, THE ALL — and the world is changed by it, by how I care for myself.
You too?
Please share with us your experiences and perspectives at VITALITY’s weekly class-offerings and through our books and writings and artwork together.
May we know such heart to life together!
— Brian Shircliff[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]