m e d i t a t i o n s
& other ramblings
Freedom on the physical plane is great...location, financial, time, etc. But true freedom is in the mind. Because if you can free your mind, you have the key to access freedom throughout all areas in your life.
I can naturally feel down and out because I choose to be at home during this time, but overall (I have my days), I’m extremely grateful for this time to reset, slow down, and reconnect with what I really want in this twirl at life.
It’s a wild time right now. I’m growing and learning. I’m still enough to watch my actions and reactions. What I love most, is the clarity I have of how we are all interconnected. This virus knows no color, it knows no borders...it’s free flowing, it’s contagious, and it affects all of us. This is us. We are free flowing, our actions and reactions are contagious, and we each affect one another.
“To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.”
#williamblake on his own experience of #unity
w/ love, dianalu
One day you’ll look back and remember:
- a time when people of all ages, gender, color came together in solidarity to support the good of humanity
- a time when you did your part in taking care of your brothers and sisters simply by staying in and taking care of yourself
- a time when Earth was able to heal faster than humans were able to destroy it
- a time when you spent 24/7 with the people you live with - be it yourself, lover, friend, or family - and embraced it
- a time when you appreciated all your blessings (we can drive five minutes and get fresh veggies, what?)
- a time when you had uninterrupted time to sow seeds to things you’ve always hoped to reap.
Thank you to everyone who is doing their part during this pandemic because each one of our actions matter - from the doctors and nurses on the frontlines to the average person staying home to flatten the curve. I’m grateful to all my brothers and sisters who appreciate life and value themselves so much that they have capacity to take care of others
When we judge others, we generally do it from our point of view, our life experiences - what we’ve been through, how we were raised, what we’d do in that situation. For me, judgement is a response to fear or the destabilization of how I perceive the world.
Being aware of this, I am able to choose compassion (asking questions like, what situations might this person have gone through that led to this action?). I choose to act with compassion and love over judgement and fear. This is my first step towards #change.
Believing that nothing is an accident, I’m able to see obstacles not as a problem, rather an opportunity - to grow, learn, evolve, move in the direction I envision for my life. These obstacles give us the opportunity to be creative in our thinking and actions. I welcome the effortlessness of life as I do the challenges because I trust where I’m at (even if I might 😖 at times). 🙋🏻♀️
Most ask “what do I get?” when making decisions, but a more important question is “who do I get to become?” I find this super useful in work, relationships, and in seemingly simple decisions like, “do I eat that Oreo late at night?”
We often hear stories of people who’ve realized their dreams only to find that wasn’t enough (#jimcarey comes to mind). When we focus on the journey, who we are becoming with the choices we make, how we are handling the highs and lows...we get to uncover who we really are.
I was introduced to the idea of equanimity when I sat for a ten day silent meditation retreat years ago. I was much younger and interpreted the teaching as being neutral, emotionless, not feeling the highs or lows in life. I recall explaining to the teacher that I didn't want to go through life not feeling happy (the highs), and if it'd cost me sadness (the lows) at times, I'm ok with that. I don't remember the teacher’s response now, but whatever it was, I couldn't comprehend at the time.
Years later (and after much awareness and healing), I understand that to be equanimous is to have the ability to observe without being caught by what we see. To feel without being hijacked by your emotions. To respond with impartiality, rather than fear based reactions. To remain centered in the middle of whatever is happening.
"It's protection from the 'eight worldly winds': praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute - each which lead to dependence on the external and suffering down the road."
This is one way I can contribute to the world. The outcome is a greater sense of peace - which enables me to be more accepting, loving, and compassionate. The world desperately needs this from all of us.
"𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧." -Ghandi
I’m checking for you 🙋🏻♀️
A new year, a new decade, stirs up the need to reflect, to set new goals, new intentions. I’m keeping mine simple this year:
create more, consume less
practice discipline through the practice of Ashtanga Yoga
drink more water, preferably Kangen water from my reusable bottle.
love more, rage less.
It’s magic. It’s a superpower. We can use it to to turn our dreams into physical reality or we can use it to manifest our worst nightmares. Because life starts with an idea in our minds.
If you’re consuming content that elicits fear and insecurity consistently - unaware of how it affects you, your imagination will run with that and you’ll find yourself making choices out of fear and insecurity.
Instead, take time to let your imagination serve the life you 𝘞𝘈𝘕𝘛 - let it play, let it run wild, let it show you what is possible in life - so you make choices from this space.
Imagination elevates you’re ability to dream. Your ability to dream is a measure of how much hope and belief you have. So imagine big so you can dream up the life you want - whether it’s to wake up with energy, to be healthy, get that new job, of find the love of your life.