Go. Do. Be.: June 8 - 14

"Sometimes contemplation is a place I go,

sometimes a practice I do,

and sometimes a place I can be."

from Queering Contemplation

by Cassidy Hall

I'm always reading a book. I just started another book on meditation when the above line jumped off the page or rather from the screen of my kindle. I immediately recognized the threefold nature of mindfulness as a place to go, something to do, and a state of being. The three images above are from three previous reflections.

The first image of the pink altar is from Retreat - Closet. (You can click the link to check out the full reflection, but here's a snippet.) "When I meditate and journey inward, I go to this private room, where my God already dwells and waits for me. Meditation is itself a type of retreat, an invitation to encounter the Divine within. Many days I pray without words, I simply allow the silence to echo in the closet of my heart." Mindfulness is a place of deep abiding.

The second image of the rock climber is from Life is Hard. This is the doing part of meditation. It could involve breathing, sitting, arriving, setting an intention, paying attention, softening, relaxing, releasing, listening deeply, remembering, returning, sensing, opening, expanding, sending loving kindness, tapping into gratitude, imagining, naming, befriending, inviting, letting go. I guess I do a lot of doing when meditating. Who knew?

The third image of my shadow at the beach is from Being Human. I am already enough. There is nothing to fix. There is no place to be or nothing to do. Life only ever happens in the present moment. These are some of my often repeated mantras that remind me to simply be.

Practice

Begin by arriving into the here and now. Close the door both internally and externally to the distractions of the day. Sense your feet on the ground. Come into the breath. With each breath, relax a little more. Imagine coming home after a long trip. Now it is time to settle down and settle in. Take a minute or two to transition from where you previously were to the richness of the present.

There are many paths that lead from the head to the heart. Maybe follow Goldilocks and sit in a way that is not too hard, not too soft, but just right. Maybe you listen to the words of Rumi and befriend whoever shows up today, be they Fear, Sadness, or Joy. Make room for all of them and listen to their message. Maybe you watch your thoughts come and go like clouds drifting across the sky. Today's practice might be just like yesterday's or something different. Trust your intuition to guide you in the right direction. Pick a meditation method that feels right. Continue your practice for a little while longer.

Now let go of the doing and simply be. Allow awareness to hold you as you rest in its presence. Calmly abide. Remain centered and grounded like a tree. Relax and let go. Let go of the thoughts. Let go of the words. Let go of the stories. Find the still place within, beneath the storm, where a part of you has always been and always will be. Linger as long as you need.

We arrived. We practiced. We let go and let be. Honor yourself for showing up this day and being present to life just as it is. Transition into the rest of the day but remain mindful to all that unfolds.