the invitation

The Invitation

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

In these uncertain times I find myself longing for what I know and for what brings me a sense of feeling grounded. For many years I come back time and time again to this poem. I share it with those who I know are willing to meet me in the space of vulnerability and see me from the heart of compassion. For me this poem invites me into myself and reveals the truths of who I am, or who I strive to be.

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Follow me for more goodness!

The Invitation

/ embracingspirit / 1 Comment

In these uncertain times I find myself longing for what I know and for what brings me a sense of feeling grounded. For many years I come back time and time again to this poem. I share it with those who I know are willing to meet me in the space of vulnerability and see me from the heart of compassion. For me this poem invites me into myself and reveals the truths of who I am, or who I strive to be.

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Deep Sustenance

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied, 

I want to know what sustains, 

from the inside, 

when all else falls away.

Tell me of a time when hope and faith wasn’t enough.  Tell me what sustains you when all that you have known, or relied on, falls away.  Tell me what you do to find your way back when you are lost?

When all that we have relied on falls away we have nothing to do but wait. How we wait is up to us.  Whether we wait with openness, or we close off, the choice is ours.  We either choose to LIVE or we move towards a death.

To choose life, we have to be willing to wait.  To ride the waves of life even when it seems impossible.  To wait for the waves to subside.

What sustains us when all else falls away are the things that we do that make waiting and staying open to life possible. These things are our practices that fill up the space when hope and faith are waiting to find us again.

For me, my practices are my foundation.  Without them, I am lost in life.  I know that these are the rituals that I must do while I lean towards faith and hope with anticipation that they are around the corner during the hard times of my life.  Without these practices, I know I would not be able to show up in life the way that I do.

  • daily power hour; setting my intention for the day, journal meditation, plan my day and review my commitments, create tasks to complete that support my dreams, read a motivational/spiritual passage.
  • walk in nature; rain, snow, shine.  No matter what I get at least one 30 minute walk each and everyday.   No matter the temperature because after all that is what hats and gloves are for.
  • bubble bath; beyond the practical reasons, I self-care soak at least once per day to get grounded and connected, to wash off the day’s experiences and energy, and to savor my body.

These daily practices sustain me and keep me from being lost in a big world with often big experiences while I wait for hope and faith to find me.

This week we will explore this on the mat (or chair) as we dive into our practices of movement and breath with the idea of deep sustenance.  We will wait out postures by following our breath and coming back into the moment of now.

Join me!

Screen Shot 2019-02-10 at 7.45.26 AM.png

The Beauty

/ embracingspirit / Leave a comment

I want to know if you can see beauty

even when it is not pretty everyday, 

and if you can source from your own life from its presence.

Despite whatever is aching in your heart, can you still see beauty? No matter the despair, can you see beauty?  The physical pain.  The loss. The fears and worries of being human.

Can you still see beauty?

I learned many years ago from some of the wisest people that beauty is available in every moment, no matter what is happening in your life.  You see, my teachers come to me in a long-term care center for individuals who have sustained a severe brain injury.

Life for them is definitely not what you and I might  (initially) see as a beauty.  Their life has taken a huge detour and what was once their dreams of a family, a career, freedom to come and go, to travel, to do….is all gone. They now live within the confines of an old, dingy, strange smelling building relying on others for the most basic needs.  Many in a wheelchair and most unable to move parts of the body. And yet, they see beauty.  Every. single. day.

How do they do this?

Simple.  They choose gratitude.  They choose to see the beauty of the everyday things that we may take for granted; our bodies with all of the signs of aging and flaws, our minds to think and plan and speak, our spirits which fill the space with light.  They see the trees in the subtle changes as seasons change.  They notice the briskness of the winter air.  They take in the taste of the foods they are given.  They see the beauty in another human as they share the struggles and loss of daily living.

They do not see the lack and the limitations.  They do not look at their bodies with disdain and judgment. They do not see their living space negatively.  They do not long for material items.

The simply see beauty.  Even when it is not pretty everyday.

Can you see beauty even when it is not pretty everyday?

I know I am going to strive for that and I am going to receive the wisdom that they have offered me.  Beauty.  Everywhere we just need to look.

screen shot 2019-01-13 at 7.56.53 am