The 13th century Persian poet Rumi wrote,
The wound is the place where the light comes in.
In times of vulnerability and brokenness,
We may feel shame and the need to hide our wounds.
We may strive to present to the world a picture of perfection,
Of flawlessness.
But the truth is,
Our beauty lies in our narrative,
Our stories of resilience and growth,
And the ways in which we have recognized our brokenness and still allowed light to come in.
In Japan,
There is a beautiful art called Kintsugi,
Which is centered around the idea of celebrating brokenness.
Kintsugi artists take broken,
Sometimes shattered pieces of pottery and other objects,
And they glue them back together.
The glue that they use is infused with gold that highlights the mending together of the pieces.
Brokenness is beauty,
And it is embraced and it is celebrated.
Let us settle now into a safe,
Supportive,
Quiet space,
And with a deep,
Slow inhale,
Invite life-giving breath into the body.
Connect with the fresh oxygen as it spreads throughout every cell in your body.
And as you exhale,
Release any feelings of tension,
Shame,
Or unease.
Continue here with several deep breaths.
I invite you to think back on a time when you have felt broken or in despair.
Perhaps you are feeling this way right now.
If it's helpful,
Bring a hand to your belly or to your chest or to both,
Or draw a pillow to your belly for comfort,
Wrapping your arms around it.
You may even want to rock gently to soothe yourself.
As you continue with a comfortable rhythm of breathing,
I want you to consider the idea of imperfection.
Kintsugi aligns with the Japanese philosophy of Mantanayi,
Which expresses regret over waste.
It embraces the fact that everything and everyone has flaws,
That imperfections are a part of life,
And that we benefit from acknowledging and celebrating brokenness.
By opening to it,
We find a lightness of being,
More joy,
And more growth.
Kintsugi artists embody patience and acceptance as they learn to repair broken objects rather than discard them.
You are not truly broken.
You have within you the power,
The grace,
And the ability to heal,
To mend the pieces back together,
And to find beauty in your growth.
We cannot always control what happens in life.
Perhaps you are dealing with a new diagnosis.
Perhaps you have recently lost someone dear to you,
Or maybe you're facing job loss.
You may not be able to control what has happened,
But you can control how you face these challenges.
As you take the next inhale,
Breathe in calm,
Breathe in peace.
Remind yourself that you are not irreparably broken,
And as you exhale,
Release and let go.
Connect with the rhythm of your breath.
Inhale peace,
Exhale letting go.
Inhale deeply,
Inviting peace in.
Exhale with a sigh,
Letting go.
Inhale again peace,
Exhale letting go.
Think back on previous times when you have faced challenges.
Even if this one feels more intense,
Remember that you have passed through other difficult moments.
Despite feeling despair and possibly even hopelessness,
You still have the core of your being,
And that light still shines through.
As you inhale again,
Visualize a light shining upon you.
Feel the warmth of that light upon your skin.
Feel it moving down your body,
Beginning at the top of your head,
Touching upon your face,
Your chest as you open your arms wide.
Feel it shine on your heart,
The core of your being.
Feel the light warm your belly and move down your body to your legs and to your feet,
Eventually warming the ground beneath you.
Inhale and absorb this light.
Let it feed and nourish you,
Driving away any darkness you may feel within.
With each exhale,
Release this darkness,
Allowing your breath to accompany it up and out of the body.
There is an impermanence to life.
Like an ocean wave,
Difficult challenges rise,
They crest,
And they ebb.
What remains constant is your strength,
Your grace,
And your growth.
What remains constant is your strength,
Your grace,
And your growth.
As we wind down the meditation,
I encourage you to connect deeply with your core.
Acknowledge what feels broken and draw upon your resilience and your strength to begin to heal.
Allow light to filter in and to illuminate the path forward.
Come back to this practice time and time again and be reminded of your beauty,
Even the beautiful flaws and imperfections.
Your wounds are ultimately sources of growth and inspiration.
Take a deep breath in here and feel the breath throughout every part of your being.
Hold for a count of four and release,
Sighing out any tension.
Inhale again,
Embracing the light of life-giving air.
Exhale and let go.
Let go.
Let go.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes coming back into the room.
Listen to the ambient sounds.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes and give yourself a warm embrace.
Namaste.
Namaste.
