When I care for someone who is in pain,
I want to take on their pain as if it were my own.
Absolve them of the grip it has
On their heart and release it into the wind.
As they share their sorrow, I enfold them
In arms as big as a house and
Surround them with enough space to
Spew out the fear and the struggle.
I pray they feel comfort
And rise with the release as
They find clarity and wisdom within
And trust they will survive.
I pray they understand this discomfort
Is part of the process of putting one foot
In front of another with shaking knees
as they find their way out of the mire.
It’s an initiation of sorts pushing
Through the fear and confusion
Fighting for oneself and discovering
They are worth every drop of sweat.
Like a salmon swimming upstream
against what seems like impossible odds
to find freedom, to find truth,
to find a heart soothed by their arrival.
It’s my job to love you and to
Hold you as you discover you are
Worth every teardrop and every fearful
Thought. You deserve the best.
You are worth the inner fight and
I know you will find You in this process
And I know you will be happy and I
Know you will find peace.
Rogue Mind by Danna Faulds
“Come back, you rogue
mind, determined to find
the cloud behind every
silver lining. You flit
hither and yon, never
asking my permission,
rarely sitting still. You
delight in adding items
to your litany of concerns.
Rest here in contentment?
That’s boring, you say.
There’s a war to be fought
with reality today! There
are lists to be made, mistakes
to point out, a brisk trade
in guilt and shame to engage
in. I’ve only found one sure
way to tame your wild nature.
If I ask, “who are you,” you
slow down to chew on this
conundrum. When I say
“tell me what is true,” you
focus like a searchlight,
illumined, and intent.
Finally, we work as one,
mind and soul and heart
combined and reveling
in truth.”
Participants’ Reflections:
As soon as you shared put one foot in front of the other, an earworm started, a song that we sing – don’t give up hope, you’re not alone, don’t give up hope, keep moving on. You got to put one foot in front of the other and lead with love. It’s a pretty great earworm to have.
I was thinking of the rogue mind. The word rogue is wild, like wild mustangs or like sheep that can rove anywhere. They need a dog that brings them back which kind of guides them in a direction. Meditation gives the mind structure and space so we can be exploring and come up with ideas and inspirations. It needs that incubation, the silence, and stillness for that to happen.
When you described the sheep with the herding dog, it reminded me of the use of our breath bringing our mind back to present, like a herding dog brings the sheep home.
I definitely had a rogue mind this morning. I thought how many minutes did I just spend going through what I did yesterday. I had to come back and come back again. I was doing everything in my power not to be present. I kept coming back to my breath over and over again.
It’s a chance to practice using that muscle to bring yourself back to the present over and over again.
I’m sitting in a different place this morning to meditate, and I think a different perspective or view is helpful. I had my phone propped up on an old antique iron doorstop. Instead of being a doorstop, it’s a door opener. I’m looking at a view of scrub growth and wetlands and just observing all the green beginning to turn to gold. All of a sudden, I see a fox trotting by. All kinds of new things to see, to ponder.
I was sitting here so excited. It’s great to know we’re sitting in these squares doing this together. We’ve created a community. I’m listening to everyone and we’re all doing this in sync. I’m amazed by that. I was thinking maybe I should try to quiet my mind before our starting time by writing down what’s on my mind. And then I can just listen to the passage and be here. I read somewhere about someone in crisis realized they must have two selves, one is the I Am, the higher self, and the other is the monkey mind or the ego. I thought that was interesting.
Our chatterbox is always yakking away. When we connect to our heart, we are connecting to our true self. There are two, the higher self and the monkey mind. We need our minds and our hearts to work together. We’re all working towards this merging. Taking the time to assure the mind is safe, that it’s okay: we know you’re terrified, so sit here with me. It is a process of growth.
I also moved my seat and meditated, and it was a new perspective. It’s refreshing. We can be in the same room and have a different experience. I am in awe of the connectedness. No matter what each of us is experiencing, we are in sync together, meeting each other where we are at and knowing it’s okay.
I appreciate everyone participating and holding this space. The reading held so much for me. I ask for prayers for my loved one who is struggling in health with further complications. Thank you.
We hold this space of collective consciousness and hold your loved one up in love, knowing they receive the healing for their highest and best good.
I had the strangest images in my mind. The phrase rogue mind also came to me with images of a pirate trying to entice me off to the high seas letting me know he wants me to join him. I really felt pulled. I could feel how hard it is to pull back and stay in the quiet. It must be a sign of healing that the enticement is getting stronger.
Susan Jeffers wrote a book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. This book is full of dynamic techniques to help turn fear, indecision and anger into power, action and love. I imagine our ego is like a toddler sitting on the floor in front of an open kitchen cabinet with all the pots and pans and starts clanging and banging to distract us because it is afraid. The reality is the toddler just wants to know it’s loved and cared for and it won’t be abandoned. When we demonstrate to the toddler it is safe and okay, the toddler stops banging and feels the nurturance and love we have to offer. The heart and mind exist together in us as we live a more peaceful coexistence.
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