“You cannot shake
hands with a
clenched fist”
Indira Gandi
Accept + Welcome + Embrace = AWE
I heard this expression recently while zooming into WisdomHeart.com.
It clicked.
An accepting welcoming embrace is a mighty nice experience. But like so many good things in life, it takes time and patience to learn this fine art of giving and receiving.
Time and patience. I haven’t had much of either lately, so I’m taking a trip. We all need a trip to refresh and renew every once in a while, right? The kind of trip where we don’t fall on our faces but instead enter a special place where past failures no longer define us – where new inspirations exist. A fresh start!
I’d like to invite you to come along. Only if you’d want to go, of course. We’re all so very busy. No pressure. Just know the invitation’s open to join in at any time. I’ll be taking many of these kind of trips throughout the year.
Consider me your tour guide.
First step: The check
We’ll check our baggage at the door. Whether starting on the right foot or the left – be there. Recognizing any imperfections as adding depth and character to who we are
2nd step: The cloak
We’ll each wrap ourselves in a cloak of newfound compassion. Knowing deep inside we have the ability to live our greatest dreams guided by humility rather than arrogance.
Now we’re ready – let’s go!
We’re embarking on a journey to a place where the landscape is shaped not by societal pressures but by the contours of evolving kindnesses.
Planes, trains and automobiles aren’t needed on this first leg of the trip. All the movement takes place within the breath. Just an inhale and an exhale. In fact, if you’re reading this you’re breathing so you are already on board!
Simply watch the steady transitions of the dance between the inhale and the exhale – the tension and the release. In time noticing the delicate temperature changes. Cool air in. Warm air out. Embracing the choreography of the movement.
And just when this steady tempo of breath becomes familiar and cozy it may be interrupted by a bustling array of thoughts, questions, and musings. This part of the journey can get a bit bumpy. But no need to worry. We’ll get through it all just fine.
With no judgment, only a gentle redirection of attention, return the focus to the rhythmic dance of the inhale and exhale.
Within the silence that follows some quiet echo sounds,
Am I this thought? Am I that thought?– unfolding layers of self-awareness.
Once again, a gentle redirection of attention back to the breath.
The breath becoming a sanctuary to turn to. A quiet place where the turbulence of thoughts can settle into breezes of calmness. Our well-worn cloaks of compassion expanding in the gentle winds.
All this through a simple breath. An awe-inspiring breath.
And here we are now in Port 2024 – Aloha!
Joan Budilovsky can be reached at editorial@kcchronicle.com or through her website Yoyoga.com. She’s the Expert Author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meditation” available on Audible.com.
