Before it all begins,
Before eyes open and bodies shake off the cocoon of twilight,
And all the dreams that reveal our deepest longings and our greatest fears retreat to the winding streams of our mind.
Before the morning call of gathering flocks perched in mighty trees,
The whoosh of morning traffic and the sounds of armies making their way to work.
Before the rooster crows in the delight of a new day and the aroma of coffee on the stove,
Earthy like fresh soil after a summer rain is savored in sweet silence.
Before that,
I ask you to simply,
Deeply,
And lovingly breathe.
Let the breath soothe you,
Let it nourish and give you sustenance.
Become aware of how much you need this breath,
And how cleansing it is,
How it clears yesterday's stories and sets the table for new moments to be experienced.
Not the shallow breath that we so often don't notice,
But a breath filled with intention and self-care.
A breath filled with love.
Become aware of the fact that this breath is not something we are actively doing all on our own,
But rather it is a gift.
It is a dance between the universe that extends in all directions and ourselves.
This breath is our connection to the cosmos,
As we make space for life force to enter us,
To circulate,
To move through us with new life,
And then just as quickly,
Return to the mother.
Find comfort in this connection as you marvel at the simplicity,
The vastness,
And the beauty of the breath.
No matter where we find ourselves,
No matter what yesterday brought to our shores,
No matter what we think our limitations,
Our shortcomings,
Or how stagnant our circumstances may appear to be,
We can choose to begin again,
Now,
For this moment.
We can draw the map of our day,
Intending on where it will lead us,
But at the same time staying open and welcoming surprise that we may encounter joy in simply the doing of it,
That we experience wonder in the discovery of an unnoticed tenderness in a stranger's eyes and monumental realizations about ourselves that slide through the cracks between thoughts,
That we will walk down a street we've been down thousands of times and see it anew with fresh eyes,
Colors,
Shapes,
And sounds that had been taken for granted and tend to experience all of it,
That you will find adventure around every corner and wonder in the unexplored,
That you will say yes to things you've said no to before,
That you will marvel in the beauty of all that is,
That you will take a moment to nurture yourself when darker emotions bubble up to the surface,
And that you will treat yourself like the precious object that you are,
Fueling your body with nourishing foods that send a tingle over your palate,
And that you rest in simple places of beauty when you need to catch your breath.
Choose to explore some place you've never been,
Read something you've never read,
Play music you've never listened to,
And let it carry you,
Let it move your body with authenticity and expression,
Greet someone you've never greeted before,
Commit to an act of kindness by giving something away,
Even if it's in the form of a prayer or wish for someone else.
These are the smallest of things that make magic,
These are the things that activate love,
And when you're in a state of love,
You're in a state of bounty,
And all that is plentiful will unfurl at your feet.
So,
As we sit together now,
Grounded in our commitment to this magical day you are about to step into,
I invite you to send out three wishes like doves on a summer wind,
A wish for yourself and all the potential this day holds,
A wish for someone else who perhaps needs support or cannot wish for themselves,
And now,
A wish for all of us on this big,
Beautiful planet.
I wish for you the most magical of days,
I wish for you wonder,
I wish for you ease,
I wish for you bounty,
And most of all,
I wish for you so much love.
Enjoy the magic of this splendid day.
