The Beginning of a New Day

"This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or grow in its light
and be of service to others.
But what I do with this day is important because
I have exchanged a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever.
I hope I will not regret the price I paid for it."
~ Anonymous

This morning the river looked different. Because of recent rains, it was swollen, and yet paradoxically calm at the same time. The currents were deceptively visible in a very understated way. I would have liked to have gone paddling, but I had a lot to attend to...

It was simply glorious - sunny - and just slightly cool - that kind of day that is both cool and warm at the same time - straddling two seasons - a last gasp of summer welcoming the nascent harvest time of autumn. I did my Reiki and Lovingkindness meditations and sent healing energy to a small list of souls very much in need of physical and spiritual healing right now...

Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox and the length of the day shall seamlessly blend into the fabric of the night - rendering each of them equal in length of time. From here on end the days become shorter as we head towards the Winter Solstice. It is officially the end of summer...

I love the change of the seasons. Each one brings us a different gift. It has been a year of incredible changes for me - and so many others in my life as well. I am now easing into a schedule that is slower, more open, less stressful, and with ample opportunities for self care, and simply being spontaneous. And as I do this, I notice my muscles are less tight, and I have less pain in my body. As a dear friend noted last week, I have not been as happy in a long time. I think she is right. It is a time for me to be present - and all that entails - in a much deeper way...

Though the year brought its challenges, and heart aches, I can truly say it also brought me many blessings and afforded me with many opportunities for growth. I noted all of this, as I took in the sights at the river this morning. Yes, even the river seemed truly different as it heralds a new time and a new way of living and being...

"A woman in harmony with her spirit
is like a river flowing.
She goes where she wills without pretense
and arrives at her destination prepared
to be herself, and only herself."
~ Maya Angelou

Comments

Unknown said…
Isn't it great? That's the one thing that people have been telling me this year as well: "You look so much happier." May your happiness go on and on.
September 21, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rumi - "The Lord is in Me" and "Love Said to Me"

I was sent a couple of poems by Rumi recently, and I wish to share them here. May you find inspiration in them for a glorious weekend! The Lord is in Me The Lord is in me, and the Lord is in you, As life is hidden in every seed. So rubble your pride, my friend, And look for Him within you. When I sit in the heart of His world A million suns blaze with light, A burning blue sea spreads across the sky, Life's turmoil falls quiet, All the stains of suffering wash away. Listen to the unstruck bells and drums! Love is here; plunge into its rapture! Rains pour down without water; Rivers are streams of light. How could I ever express How blessed I feel To revel in such vast ecstasy In my own body? This is the music Of soul and soul meeting. Of the forgetting of all grief. This is the music That transcends all coming and going. Love Said to Me I worship the moon. Tell me of the soft glow of a candle light and the sweetness of my moon. Don't talk about sorrow, tell me of that treasure...
Read more

Upside Down Siva and Ultimate Freedom

Image
While I was in Denver last month, on Thursday May 7th, the day of the week in which the Guru and teachers are traditionally honored, I was drawn to buy a "murti" (sacred statue) of Siva doing a one-handed handstand. I bought this statue the very morning I was to demo this pose, unbeknowst to me... The murti of Siva is now on my desk in front of me, where it is constantly in my peripheral vision, every time I sit at my computer. It is also to the left of the meditation alcove I built into a closet. I was drawn to this piece from the first moment I laid eyes on it, and so after receiving it in the mail, I wrote to Dr. Manoj Challam, from whom I purchased it, asking him to give me more insight into the meaning of this representation of Siva. A primary focus of the week that Anusara Yoga teachers gathered in Denver was the study of the Siva Sutras with Dr. Paul Muller Ortega, a pre-eminent Siva scholar. I have always been very drawn to Siva , and this particular murti was so ...
Read more

An Advent Guided Meditation

I wrote this meditation for an Advent Quiet Day for St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Va, last week. And while it is long, I wish to share it here, for those who would like to embark on a little journey of going inward to experience the quiet and the true gifts of this season. Enjoy! Introduction: Advent is a time for waiting, for preparing, for embodying joy, faith, peace, and love… Advent is a journey, which invites us to sojourn more deeply within ourselves. Advent is a time to slow down, to open our hearts to receive the Gift of the Divine in our lives, and to share our own lives with one another, for there is no greater gift that we can give… Let us take a few moments to settle ourselves – our minds and hearts and body into stillness, that we may open, prepare, and receive the gifts of the season… Centering: Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible, sitting in whatever way will enable you settle most deeply… If you have to make...
Read more