Settling into the body and the moment,
Turn to your breath,
Letting your inhales go deep into your belly and letting your exhales ground you.
Breathe.
Sit.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
Do you ever hate being human?
I'm not saying you want to become a spoon or a flying saucer.
A narwhal might be fun for a bit,
But I mean,
Do you ever hate being the kind of creature who screws up,
Says the wrong thing,
Forgets something important,
Or causes harm,
Whether intentionally or not?
I had a moment where I felt fully human last week,
And it happened right here on Insight Timer.
I had posted two meditations back to back,
And in both of them,
I used the phrase,
Vampires sucking you dry.
When I realized what I had done,
Immediately,
The harpies in my head started to tear into me about what an abomination of a human I was.
It's easy to believe that dark cacophony.
But here's the thing.
The reason I said that image twice is because I am feeling sucked dry right now,
And I don't think I'm alone.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Our lives follow seasons,
Just like the world.
Sometimes life is full and easy,
Like when you're at a cabin staring into a dancing fire,
Or when you're on a beach walking and watching the ocean do its big work.
At times like that,
We can feel fed,
Nourished,
Full,
Ready for anything and everything.
Other times,
Life leaves us feeling fragmented and broken,
Depleted and exhausted.
We try,
Strive,
And push,
And because being human also means we have limited resources inside,
We burn up into a dry and wispy crisp.
How have we gone so far afield from being,
From whole and grounded selves?
Inhale.
Exhale.
The demands of your job,
Your family,
Not to mention world events and the endless supply of crusty dishes,
Can deplete you.
And when you get that exhausted,
It's easy to make mistakes or act in ways you might regret because you're trying to survive,
Which means making the easy and quick decision rather than taking the time and having the energy to make the wise and thoughtful one.
So rest,
Gosh darn it.
If only it were that easy to sit,
Breathe,
And I don't know,
Picture a full moon bathing you with its gentle glow or think about a bubble floating and shining with iridescent light or imagine yourself reclining on a couch eating grape after juicy grape.
Did you resist that last image?
I did as I wrote it because it seems like the height of privilege and laziness.
Yes,
And if you are shriveled like a raisin inside,
How much good can you do in the world?
You might be able to do some,
But at what cost and for how long?
And couldn't you bring even more love and light and goodness into the world if you are as full as a moon,
Light as a bubble,
And juicy as a grape?
And it isn't that you have to do and do and do,
Just be full.
So sit,
Breathe,
Take care of your magnificent self.
Because how can you expect to change the world for the better if you haven't given yourself the fuel and the nourishment to thrive?
Sit,
Replenish,
Get rid of the shrivel.
And then when you've grown as full as that moon,
Look around the world,
The world close in and the big wide world,
And see where you can gently shine.
Love Light.
