Arriving: April 9 - 15

Do you ever dream of going on vacation, where you can leave behind the demands of work, show up in a relaxing location, and just be for a little while? Or maybe after a long trip, do you ever long to put down the heavy travel bags, just be in your own home and sleep in your own bed? This sense of arriving, the shift from doing to being, is what we try to tap into at the start of meditation.

Can we give ourselves permission to drop the worries and concerns of life for a few minutes, taking a mini vacation of sorts, knowing they’ll still be waiting for us? Can we find a peaceful place within ourselves just to settle in and take a few calming breaths? We pause and take a moment or two to mindfully arrive, to be intentionally present. As my friend often says when he leads meditation,

“No place to be. Nothing to do.”

Weis Sherdel

Practice

Close the door, either literally or metaphorically. Light a candle to cue your mind and body this is a time of transition. Take three cleansing breaths to settle into the here and now. Pay attention to any places in the body calling for kindness. Shift your body as needed to bring ease. Send the breath to any achy areas. As thoughts and feelings intrude on your quiet time, remind yourself this is not the time to deal with them, it is totally okay to attend to them later. Repeat, “No place to be. Nothing to do.” Continue with your meditation.