Relief, Arrival, Awe

Image compliments of by Dr. William C. Welch, Extension Horticulturist, Texas Cooperative Extension

I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  After a leisurely morning including an extended yoga practice and ceremony for the Divine Mother, I went to The Spa at Stoweflake, which is my happy place.  I got the Shirodhara treatment, which involves warmed oil flowing over the forehead.  The utter relaxation this causes in me is so dreamy and wonderful.  I was fully "under," or passed out, but not in a sleep state - in a state of deep relaxation that I find so tonic for the nervous system.  (For more on stress and the autonomic nervous system, check this out.)

I then soaked, lounged, napped, and enjoyed a spinach tofu salad.  After lunch I listened to my man, Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith, for some spiritual nourishment.

Wednesday 05-06-2015

In his sermon, he shared council he had given someone yesterday who was struggling.  Practice this every hour, on the hour.  It was a three-pronged approach that I will share with you.  It will, just like a deeply relaxing spa treatment, contribute to resetting the nervous system.  If you've got a chronically zapped out and fried up nervous system like I do, it needs a good deal of help to not see every moment as some kind of crisis.

1) Relief:  Take a breath to feel a sense of relief at being through the stressful time.
2) Arrival:  I have arrived!  I am here!  I am in the space of knowing I am enough.
3) Awe: Take a look around from this non-stressed vantage point, feeling enough.  Isn't it beautiful? 

Well I can just say that I've had a smile plastered on my face for like 24 hours straight with this!  And it's funny the way the first instruction strikes me - Whew!  I am through that stressful time.  That stressful time?  It's the last 36 years of my life!

I have arrived in a more deep sense of knowing that my spiritual nature exists, is pure, is love, is Divine.  This is great news for me.

And taking a moment to look around, it's all that same Divinity, everywhere I look.  I am surrounded by so much beauty.  And there is pain in the world too, but it is bittersweet.  And the heart-rending sensation of viewing Maya as she is (the material world) is the stuff of true awakening.