Finding the Holiness & Soul in Everyday Things
Mindfulness, in its essence, is about awareness. When I shift my energy into awareness, it helps me become grateful for the little things. One of the first group meditation workshops in which I participated, some number of years ago, taught me to quiet the mind, pay attention, and find the blessings, by feeling them in our bodies. I have since used this whenever I feel lost, or whenever I struggle to find my breath or focus. These three focuses give me something tangible to connect to during my meditation.
A mom struggling with a child’s illness can have a tear jerking story to tell. However, the families that prevail through tragedy notice the awe in their children by giving attention to the way they are coping. By supporting, encouraging and recognizing the children’s ability to find the best life can offer in the moment (the small blessings). This is where we create holy spaces.
I love taking this ‘wave,’ or our gratitude and awareness, into the form of movement when I engage in conscious dance. By allowing ourselves to feel what we feel, but also noticing where we find love, goodness, compassion, blessings in our bodies and our lives, we can MOVE through life with more ease and flow. I like to call this “the feminine essence” of the world – ease and flow vs. an intense focus on change in order to achieve. It is a dance between being and becoming, and it is my favorite form of experiential teaching in my fulfilling work with teachers, women, couples, and children!
We nourish our bodies, often with good foods, clean water, and exercise, yet we spend very little time nourishing our souls.
Try allowing yourself to notice the rhythm of your own body movement, even if just in your hands. Allow the noise in your head to take a break for a few minutes to put all of your attention on one body movement. As you move, notice with gratitude how you are moving and let that part of your body move the rest of you. This simple way to get out of our heads helps us gain perspective of the little things we take for granted. If you are not ‘feeling’ your own movement, just watch an animal move with full attention, or watch the breeze move the trees with full attention. Find the blessing, smile, lighten your own load and ‘play’ with this movement or image for a few minutes.
With practice, we can see holiness in areas that are not necessarily associated with holiness; with the beauty in everyday events and gestures, and eventually in everyday problems that allow us an opportunity to grow and develop. When we fill our lives with the desire to sense the holiness, our ordinary lives feel holier and more magical, and this very process will nourish the soul, showing us the way to feel more connected to a bigger purpose (G-d, the universe) and much more expansive and grateful for whatever we have in our lives. The blessings are in the small things.
We can create more soulful awareness with our sexual energy as well when we nourish our souls and connect more meaningfully with those we love. Take a chance and open up to new choices in where you put your attention and awareness. Explore the openings and potential for holiness in connecting with others through our hearts, mind, body and soul!
Reach out to me if you want to talk about it!
Yours on the playful, joyful and holy journey,
Stacey
