The Universe. Life on Earth. Human beings. Consciousness!
With every passing year, I am more in awe that anything exists, let alone myself. At the same time, I am ever more aware of the fragility and finitude of life – especially of an individual, personal life. Are you with me in that?
One of the shadow elements of our culture is the attitude that we can control nature, override the rhythms of life, and death. If only I do everything just right, think the right thoughts, take the right supplements, I can transcend the whole messy business.
Yes, we can do our best, take good care of ourselves and each other. As the years unfold, however, I witness how unpredictable, ever-changing, and beyond control much of life actually is.
This is a tough reality when someone we love is suffering – physically, emotionally, or both. Sometimes that beloved is one's own sweet self.
Sitting with dear friends who've received serious diagnoses, I see how bravely they face the most naked, fundamental reality, the one we all face – the great mystery. Often this is an awakening. Sometimes a healing.
The secret? Yes, you got it. Love.
Not fluffy, valentine card, white-washed sentiment, but intimate, sensory, deep-rooted, soulful communion with life itself. The actual substance of love, the subtle body of the cosmos we are all a part of.
What brought us here, what sustains us, and where we all end up.
Each breath is a caress of the divine. Nourishing. Inspiring. Liberating. Humbling.
Whether we are living in joy and vitality, or dealing with health challenges or heartache, the essential practice is the same:
Breathe Love. When all else falls away, Love remains.