It’s such a pleasure to be in those moments when you truly delight in the world through the senses. Why do we stop doing it? We are stingy with ourselves and don’t allow ourselves the least expensive, most natural of joys. They are not only wonders such as:
- Smelling the fir needles as they bake in the warm sun
- Tasting the simple sweetness of water after a long walk
- Gazing at the clouds glow as if from within as the rays of the sunset illuminate them
- Allowing not only your eyes, but your fingers to become mesmerized by the intricate achordeon patterns of fir bark
- Savouring the sound of the hummingbird, the swirling of the wind in the trees or the comforting sound of a favourite melody
These are the sensual portals to a deeper layer. Connection. Knowing. Love.
On a walk with the kids on the long weekend, we did an activity. It was to name a number of things in the forest we smell, taste, see, feel and hear. And then, to lean into them one by one. Leaning closer. Into the spaciousness. To feel the connection open up within us as we were present with the natural world and with each other. And they actually did it. We talked about the difference between just doing the activity and really being in it, in that moment. Held by gravity, by the sentient universe. They’re both tween/teens now, but they leaned into it. And it created a precious time for us to connect within that spaciousness.
Every time I remember what this is like, and step into it, I ask myself why we have to toggel in and out of presence. Whey we can’t just keep it all the time. This is the play of life. And may we savour it even more deeply when we do remember.
If you need a little help to drop in, join me for Radical Presence, a month-long Yoga Sutras intensive with daily 20-minute wisdom videos, and five circle gatherings Live on Zoom. I also offer Lunar Circle Gatherings that are a way to commit to deepening your commitment to presence once a month!
