It is time to still, to pause

Comfort finds me when I stop and breathe

Not a breath forced through a gasp

But a breath light and deep

Fully taken in like a long feather

Blown out through a gentle straw

Slowly I inhale the clear breeze

Coming off the ocean with the

Scent of salt and sound of gull.

I stand in the vastness before me

And bask in the softness of air

As roots grow through the sand

Into the earth

Into my marrow

It is time to still, to pause

And remember

I stand in my world

Balance feet on this earth.

The earth holds me up

and I hold me steady.

Movement happens

within the walls of my skin

blood flowing, bones mending

tendons and cartilage,

muscles and joints supported and

encased in my energy walls.

I am connected,

all working together

in my physical body

standing in my energy body

standing on the earth.

My energy center holds

the essence of who I am,

safely surrounded by guards in

proportions of strength.

My heart with its mysteries

beat by beat, because

the real power is invisible

yet stronger than any force of mind.

I am one in my body

A universe wrapped in my soul

My mind stills in the miracle of

My breath

I stand as one in my world

My truth lies within my walls.

I lead by my own example

My heart pointing the way

Every breath fills my reservoir

In and out no matter

For the essence of my breathing

Whets my need for fuel

My heart, my body,

my soul, my mind

I am one with the earth

I am one with the sky

I trust my breath

I trust my bones

I trust my feet

I trust my heart

I choose peace within my bones

I choose peace within my mind’s eyes

I choose peace within my heart

I choose peace

Participants’ Reflections:

• Thank you. That was beautiful and inspiring. Powerful words. The real challenge is to take those words and make them not just words. To make them part of my belief system. That’s where the real work is, to challenge myself to be in real peace. The snow reminds me to just be while it is all happening around me. Because it is going to happen all around me and I don’t have to be attached to any of it. I can stay focused on my path and be at peace with myself, which is my goal today.

• Thank you for that meditation this morning. I loved the image of the ocean, so beautiful, so peaceful. Also, this snow that is going on, this reminds me to be in the present moment despite all these other storms that are going on politically, and Covid, and all this wacko stuff. We have this beautiful healing snow in this present moment. I love the idea that “my truth lies within my walls.” I think it’s really important for me right now, to get quiet and remember who I am, my authentic self, my intentions. And that quiet inner voice doesn’t happen when we’re going about super-paced, getting caught up in all this drama. In the quiet moments, that’s when clarity comes. Love the guardian image, the guards. For me, my higher power is definitely one of my guards. And all of you, a beautiful community of meditation and prayer definitely serves as a guardian for me right now along with nature.

• I loved the simple affirmation of “I choose peace.” During the meditation, I could feel my mind going way off and I’d say, no, I choose peace. There’s a lot going on. It’s a good affirmation. So thank you.

• What stuck with me is the energy center of choosing peace. I have someone close to me who is far away right now and going through a very difficult time. There’s no way I can talk or get close to her. But I created an intention to take away her anxiety. Focus my energy on calmness for her as a way to try to send something.

• It’s a form of surrogate healing, that you imagine and then feel the comfort that you are giving her.

• Thank you for your reflections. You continue to set the way with your beautiful thoughts, they keep going higher and higher. What today offered to me that I am embracing is with control. This illusion that I have control. I know I can have influence but I often struggle with the control piece. It’s based on my inability to trust. Your reading reminded me today that so much of my very survival—my heartbeat, my breath, my blinking—all these things my body does without my specific direction, enable me to have just a little bit more trust in what is unseen and even unknown.

• Because we can’t change what’s happening. We can voice our opinion, put ourselves out there, do action. But it all comes to dwelling within. That’s what I’m focusing on in the next couple of days. Even for 15 minutes of silence before we move on to what we are doing, because it’s important the actions we take. And it’s important to find comfort within.

• And where do I draw my awareness and my focus? One of the things I do in the morning is discovering my first consciously awareness of my first breath I take when I wake up. How long does it take for me to be aware that I am breathing and consciously breathe? Where’s my awareness? Where is my focus? Awareness of awareness.

• It’s my goal to create peace, even for the tiny world we live in. It’s a big world we live in in these moments of time. Thank you for joining. If it can add to anyone’s day to find peace and comfort within, I’m all for it. I hope you all have a gentle day and that there’s awareness, and you find clarity and direction in your heart.