Theme/Mantra: “The time of our lives is all we have.”
Reading:
Poem in Thanks by Thomas Lux
Lord Whoever, Thank you for this air
I’m about to in- and exhale, this hutch
in the woods, the wood for fire,
the light—both lamp and the natural stuff
of leaf-back, fern, and wing.
For the piano, the shovel
for ashes, the moth-gnawed
blankets, the stone-cold water
stone-cold: thank you.
Thank you, Lord, coming for
to carry me here—where I’ll gnash
it out, Lord where I’ll calm
and work, Lord, thank you
for the goddamn birds singing!
Meditation:
Find a comfortable position for meditation, and begin with a deep breath.
Listen to the truth of your inner heart.
What are you thankful for in this moment?
What do you know you should be thankful for, but just can’t bring yourself to be (like the goddamn birds singing!).
Sit with the truth of your real and obligatory gratitude, with awareness, and no judgement.
Physical Movement:
Chair Pose
Stand with your feet hips width apart, with your arms held out straight ahead of you.
Exhale and slowly lower your body into a squat position, as though you were about to take a seat in a chair.
Keep your feet flat on the floor, pressing through your toes and heels. Be sure your knees are over your ankles.
Gaze straight ahead, beyond your arms.
Hold for the count of 10.
Perhaps say the words in your mind “I allow Life’s energy to stream through me.”
Rise to standing position.
Repeat as desired.
Reflection:
I can get caught up in the shoulds of life. I should be more peaceful. I should be more grateful. I should be more kind or generous, or patient. And when life is full, or I am stressed, and the shoulds take over reality, I can lose sight of who I really am, and the work I really need to do.
All we have is the here and now. All we can influence is the here and now. That doesn’t mean that our decisions in the here and now don’t affect the future- or aren’t sometimes influenced by the past.
But we need to hold the past and the future loosely, as we realize now is all we are assured. The past can be misunderstood and misinterpreted. The future can always be changed (by ourselves or others).
So do what we can with who we are and what we have is all we can do. It must be enough. So thank you God Whoever for the goddamn birds! (oh how I love the birds).
Song: Call it Dreaming by Iron and Wine
Lyrics:
Say it's here where our pieces fall in place
Any rain softly kisses us on the face
Anywhere means we're running
We can sleep and see 'em coming
Where we drift and call it dreaming
We can weep and call it singing
Where we pray when our hearts are strong enough
We can bow, 'cause our music's warmer than blood
Where we see enough to follow
We can hear when we are hollow
Where we keep the light we're given
We can lose and call it living
Where the sun isn't only sinking fast
Every night knows how long it's supposed to last
Where the time of our lives is all we have
And we get a chance to say
Before we ease away
For all the love you've left behind
You can have mine...
Say it's here where our pieces fall in place
We can fear, 'cause the feeling's fine to betray
Where our water isn't hidden
We can burn and be forgiven
Where our hands hurt from healing
We can laugh without a reason
'Cause the sun isn't only sinking fast
Every moon in our bodies make shining glass
Where the time of our lives is all we have
And we get a chance to say
Before we ease away
For all the love you've left behind
You can have mine...
Until Tomorrow- Peace