From Champignyada,
I'm Colleen Thomas.
This is Everyday Magic for Ukraine.
Today we honor the heartbeat of Ukraine.
Welcome to the circle.
So the only item you need today is a Ukrainian symbol.
This might be a necklace,
Or a bracelet,
Or a flag,
Or something that you picture in your mind.
I would like to place us in time for a moment by letting you know that this episode is being recorded just after a large aerial attack from Russia across Ukraine.
You've seen the news,
Maybe you've lived the news.
I would like to spend a little time today getting present with you.
So while we go through this,
Depending on how close you have been to any violence or trauma and how your nervous system is doing today,
It's possible that you might find today's meditation a little bit difficult because your body might not want to sit still,
Your mind might not want to slow down.
So it's always your choice whether or not you join us in circle and how you join us in circle.
And if today you choose to join us and you notice that you just don't feel very comfortable,
A couple of ideas are you might want to shake or gently sway your body or move around a little bit.
Listen to your nervous system today,
How your body is feeling today,
And work with that.
So with that said,
I invite you to join me for a breath and let's do another one and maybe a third.
Now with your eyes open and your ears attentive,
I invite you now to notice your space.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
Are you alone or are there people around?
If you are alone,
How does it feel to be alone right now?
And if you have people nearby,
How does it feel to have them right there?
You can feel your connection to the earth.
You can feel your feet on the ground and maybe feel into anything you might be sitting on.
Feel your weight resting there.
Or if you're lying down,
Feel the weight of your body pressing down.
Get a sense of the boundary of you,
Maybe by touching your skin,
Maybe giving yourself a hug,
Maybe rubbing your hands together.
Find the edges of yourself.
Become aware of where is the light source coming from.
The light source that's lighting up the space around you.
Where is it?
Is it creating shadows?
And notice where your exits are.
Just let your body become aware of where are the exits near you.
Just so it knows.
And if you'd like to maybe place a hand on your heart,
Maybe hand on your belly or wherever you feel most comforted by touch.
Just notice what that feels like.
See if you can bring love and support and care,
Calming yourself,
Being with yourself,
Creating companionship and trust with yourself.
And you are welcome to keep your hands in this position throughout the meditation.
Again,
You're welcome to get up and move,
To sway,
To have a snack,
To turn off the podcast,
Whatever you need.
If you would like to join us for our work to honor the heartbeat of Ukraine,
I invite you to find your symbol,
Your piece of jewelry or your flag or whatever you're picturing in your mind as a symbol of Ukraine.
And I invite you to hold this symbol in your hand or place it somewhere you can look at it easily,
Bring it very clearly to mind and allow yourself to see,
To intuit,
To feel the heartbeat of the culture it represents,
The people this symbol represents,
The ancestors that this symbol represents,
The history,
The present and the future.
And when you have a very strong sense of that heartbeat,
Imagine that symbol or hold that symbol in a way that creates honor.
If it's a piece of jewelry,
You might imagine it placed into a very special box.
If it's a flag,
You might envision it flying very high,
Full of defiance and full of hope and full of truth and full of victory and full of still being there the next day and the next day and the next day.
Really honoring that heartbeat,
Seeing it thriving,
Continuing and glowing.
And I invite you to join me in taking a breath and now just release this prayer,
This magic,
This honoring,
Just let it go and very,
Very gently come back to the space you're in.
As you wiggle your fingers and toes,
Remember you're in a body and you're such an important part of our circle.
May we all remember to honor the heartbeat of Ukraine every single day.
May it be so.
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Your presence,
Your energy and your heart make all the difference in healing our world.
Remember to breathe today,
Breathe and expand.
And I hope you join us again next time.
Please consider inviting a friend.
