The Universe and Apple Pie

In today's practice we look at our deep connections to each other and to our world, drawing on the words of Carl Sagan. Begin your day with a new perspective on your profound belonging to the world, exactly as you are, at exactly this moment, and smile. This practice will leave you feeling light and inspired, ready to embrace a new day.

Transcript

Hi, Welcome to Peacebeam. Let's begin. Step one, Notice. Just take a few moments to notice how you feel today. How is your mood? How are your emotions? How does it feel to be in your body today? And just notice. Step two, Breathe. Just gently rest your attention on your breath now and begin to tune to the rhythm of your in-breath and your out-breath and just watch it. And imagine now that your breath is moving in and out through your heart, The centre of your chest. And feel the rhythm of your heart and the rhythm of your breath interjoin and relax. Let the day drop away for these few brief moments. Step three, Activate. The astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan has a really beautiful expression. He said, If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, You must first invent the universe. And this is a wonderful way for us to look at our world because it is so fundamentally true and so beautifully elegant. The rigour of logic pointing to the miraculous complexity of existence. And it points deeper to our profound connectedness to all other things and these connections run backwards and forwards, Vertically and horizontally. Our lives and the world that we occupy is a web of profound relationships and links and connections at all levels of existence in a way that is really beyond our capacity for understanding. Whatever you are doing now, Whatever you are, You are here because the universe came into being eons ago and an unimaginable number of interlinking events and acts of love took place that arrived at this moment, This breath, You here. And if you allow this to penetrate your being, To enter your heart, The only appropriate response is wonder and awe. Step 4 Beam. Everything we do, Think, Say and have is because of everything else that came before us and we are the before of everything that will come after us. We are indivisible from existence and we all belong exactly as we are in our universe. And let that energy of connection move out from you into the world today. And if you have time, Make an apple pie almost but not quite from scratch. Have a beautiful day.

Reviews

🥧What a lovely way of putting things in perspective. Wonder and awe indeed. Thank you 🍏

Carl Sagans recipe made me smile a huge smile! The irritations of today are now in their proper place and I marvel at the awesomeness of the Universe and of being here . Thank you !!! 🙏🌼🧘‍♀️

Absolute one of my all-time favorite meditations. Thank you for thinking this up from - almost - scratch! 🤓🍎🥧🔭

Outstanding perspective shifting session! Thank you so much!

I love that quote of Sagan’s! When I contemplate the preposterousness of the universe and my being in it, I feel not only wonder and awe, but a deep sense of groundedness and belonging! That I would be a consequence of the unfathomable coincidence of there being a Universe, a solar system, a planet Earth, a “Me”—well, it’s all one piece of cloth, isn’t it?
Thank you for the cheery reminder!!