I decided to work downstairs today. It happens to be quiet (small miracle), and a hint of sun is coming in the south-facing windows on the front of the house. My office space is at the back of the house upstairs and doesn’t get much light this time of year.
I’m curious what this new perspective will offer me. I was feeling tripped up by roadblocks last week, and I found numerous opportunities to get in my own way. Not exactly how I wanted to start off the new year.
I’ve realized that it is easy for me to name the barriers that keep me from making clear forward progress toward a goal. And in naming that barrier, I turn it from a wispy cloud to an immovable stone.
What would happen if I could notice it without claiming it as mine?
What if I could see it as a momentary cloud moving through the sky, something likely to drift on before too long?
Instead, I’ve been collecting rocks, building them up into a wall between myself and the future I envision. I try to climb through the stones, and I stumble. I turn my back on the wall and wait for it to go away. (It won’t.) I show it to others and seek advice, but it’s my wall and they are my stones.
What would it take to release those stones back into the atmosphere? To turn them into clouds so they can eventually disperse?
I suspect it has something to do with the alchemy of breath.
Breathing in deeply, I fill my body with nourishment and lightness. Breathing out, I release my claim to these stones. Breathing in, I let love in. Breathing out, I let the wall fall away. Breathing in, I know I am not separate from all else. Breathing out, I accept grace.*
How easily the breath brings me to this mindful place. It helps me focus on what is here now; it helps me connect to myself and to a sense of being part of something larger than myself.
I know clouds gather. I also know they disperse on the wind, perhaps on the breath of the world.
Namaste.
What happens when you slow down and notice your breath? What do you wish to breathe in? What do you wish to breathe out?
* this practice is based on the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn
I’m curious what this new perspective will offer me. I was feeling tripped up by roadblocks last week, and I found numerous opportunities to get in my own way. Not exactly how I wanted to start off the new year.
I’ve realized that it is easy for me to name the barriers that keep me from making clear forward progress toward a goal. And in naming that barrier, I turn it from a wispy cloud to an immovable stone.
What would happen if I could notice it without claiming it as mine?
What if I could see it as a momentary cloud moving through the sky, something likely to drift on before too long?
Instead, I’ve been collecting rocks, building them up into a wall between myself and the future I envision. I try to climb through the stones, and I stumble. I turn my back on the wall and wait for it to go away. (It won’t.) I show it to others and seek advice, but it’s my wall and they are my stones.
What would it take to release those stones back into the atmosphere? To turn them into clouds so they can eventually disperse?
I suspect it has something to do with the alchemy of breath.
Breathing in deeply, I fill my body with nourishment and lightness. Breathing out, I release my claim to these stones. Breathing in, I let love in. Breathing out, I let the wall fall away. Breathing in, I know I am not separate from all else. Breathing out, I accept grace.*
How easily the breath brings me to this mindful place. It helps me focus on what is here now; it helps me connect to myself and to a sense of being part of something larger than myself.
I know clouds gather. I also know they disperse on the wind, perhaps on the breath of the world.
Namaste.
What happens when you slow down and notice your breath? What do you wish to breathe in? What do you wish to breathe out?
* this practice is based on the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn
 | Jessica Curtis is a professional life coach who helps people cultivate intention and live from a place of meaning and authenticity. If you think you could benefit from working with Jessica or want to invite her to work with your group, reach out to start a conversation. |
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