Blessings
Last night I curled up with the book - To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings - by John O' Donohue.
John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga, recently shared at the teacher training that I attended, that to bless our students is a very powerful and important practice.
I have a friend who always signs her letters "Blessings." I have several other friends who do this regularly as well. John Friend signs his emails and newsletters in the same way. I have always sensed the power of words sent as a blessing.
John O' Donohue says this in his book:
"When a blessing is being invoked, time deepens until it becomes a source from which refreshment and encouragement are released...
Whenever one person takes another into the care of their heart, they have the power to bless...
It is such a privilege to have people who continue each day to bless us with their love and prayer. These inner friends of the heart confer on us inestimable gifts...There is such unusual beauty in having friends who practice profound faithfulness to us, praying for us each day without our ever knowing or remembering it...It is not a luxury to have such friends; it is necessary...
The beauty of the world is the first witness to blessing. In a land without blessing, no beauty could dwell...
While blessing is an act of the senses expressed in word and gesture, the source and destination of blessing remain invisible...
What is a blessing? A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal, and strengthen...The beauty of blessing is its belief that it can affect what unfolds...
Our longing for the eternal kindles our imagination to bless...Regardless of how we configure the eternal, the human heart continues to dream of a state of wholeness, a place where everything comes together, where loss will be made good, where blindness will transform into vision, where damage will be made whole, where the clenched question will open in the house of surprise, where the travails of a life's journey will enjoy a homecoming. To invoke a blessing is to call some of that wholeness upon a person now...
A blessing is a form of grace; it is invisible. Grace is the permanent climate of divine kindness. There are no limits to it...For one who believes in it, a blessing can signal the start of the journey of transformation..."
I will share some beautiful lines from O' Donohue's blessings tomorrow, but here is his blessing and prayer for the morning, which I imbibe, as I write on this rainy, and slow, Sunday morning, full of love and grace:
"I arise today
In the name of Silence
Womb of the Word,
In the name of Stillness
Home of Belonging,
In the name of the Solitude
Of the Soul and the Earth
I arise today
Blessed by all things,
Wings of breath,
Delight of the eyes,
Wonder of whisper,
Intimacy of touch,
Eternity of soul,
Urgency of thought,
Miracle of health,
Embrace of God
May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Clear in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love."
May you and your loved ones - be blessed!
John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga, recently shared at the teacher training that I attended, that to bless our students is a very powerful and important practice.
I have a friend who always signs her letters "Blessings." I have several other friends who do this regularly as well. John Friend signs his emails and newsletters in the same way. I have always sensed the power of words sent as a blessing.
John O' Donohue says this in his book:
"When a blessing is being invoked, time deepens until it becomes a source from which refreshment and encouragement are released...
Whenever one person takes another into the care of their heart, they have the power to bless...
It is such a privilege to have people who continue each day to bless us with their love and prayer. These inner friends of the heart confer on us inestimable gifts...There is such unusual beauty in having friends who practice profound faithfulness to us, praying for us each day without our ever knowing or remembering it...It is not a luxury to have such friends; it is necessary...
The beauty of the world is the first witness to blessing. In a land without blessing, no beauty could dwell...
While blessing is an act of the senses expressed in word and gesture, the source and destination of blessing remain invisible...
What is a blessing? A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal, and strengthen...The beauty of blessing is its belief that it can affect what unfolds...
Our longing for the eternal kindles our imagination to bless...Regardless of how we configure the eternal, the human heart continues to dream of a state of wholeness, a place where everything comes together, where loss will be made good, where blindness will transform into vision, where damage will be made whole, where the clenched question will open in the house of surprise, where the travails of a life's journey will enjoy a homecoming. To invoke a blessing is to call some of that wholeness upon a person now...
A blessing is a form of grace; it is invisible. Grace is the permanent climate of divine kindness. There are no limits to it...For one who believes in it, a blessing can signal the start of the journey of transformation..."
I will share some beautiful lines from O' Donohue's blessings tomorrow, but here is his blessing and prayer for the morning, which I imbibe, as I write on this rainy, and slow, Sunday morning, full of love and grace:
"I arise today
In the name of Silence
Womb of the Word,
In the name of Stillness
Home of Belonging,
In the name of the Solitude
Of the Soul and the Earth
I arise today
Blessed by all things,
Wings of breath,
Delight of the eyes,
Wonder of whisper,
Intimacy of touch,
Eternity of soul,
Urgency of thought,
Miracle of health,
Embrace of God
May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Clear in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love."
May you and your loved ones - be blessed!
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