Homecoming: July 7 - 13

Let's do a thought experiment.

Answer the question:

"Where are you right now?"

Stop reading, close your eyes, and see what surfaces.

Here's my answer.

I'm sitting at home, wondering about the housing market in DC in the wake of political turmoil, hoping my kids find meaningful careers, curious how my job will shift in the next couple years.

My thinking brain quickly falls into a habit of worry.

Let's try again.

Answer the question:

"Where are you in the present moment?"

Try not to think, but sense what you hear, what you feel, what is happening inside.

Stop reading, close your eyes, and see what surfaces.

Here's my answer.

I'm sitting at home, alive in my body, surrounded by the morning light, grateful to step into a new day.

Notice the gap between where we think we are and where we are.

The practice of mindfulness helps us narrow the distance between where we are in our thoughts and where we are in our body. We are most fully alive when our head and our heart arrive and align in the same place and time.

Practice

When was the last time you visited yourself? Perhaps ten seconds ago, ten minutes ago, ten years ago.

Now imagine standing on the doorstep to your heart, about to knock and enter. Before you step inside, wipe your feet on the doormat and take a look around. You've stepped through this door a million times, but take a moment to notice your inner landscape. What's growing in the front yard? Who are your neighbors? How does it feel to arrive home after whatever adventures you've been on.

When you are ready, step over the threshold. Enter the vestibule of your heart. Feel free to drop whatever baggage you are carrying. Put down the keys. Maybe allow your shoulders to relax and your breath to soften. Does a loved one or a pet greet you? Take a moment more to truly arrive. Feel the sense of homecoming from head to toe.

Check-in and practice self-compassion. Hungry? Feed your soul with sweet words and tender thoughts. Stressed? Breathe slowly. Envision draw a bath and soaking in calmness. Tired?  Tune out the mind's chatter and blanket yourself in rest. Lonely? Settle into your favorite chair and sit with yourself as you would sit with a close friend. Feel the sense of homecoming from head to toe.

Take a few more minutes to abide. Allow each breath to bring you further inward. Feel your chest rising and falling. Sense gravity holding you. Hear the echo of your heartbeat. There's nothing to do and no place to be. Actually, the most important place to be is here. The most important moment is now. Let the head and the heart arrive and align in the same place and time. Feel the sense of homecoming from head to toe.

When it is time, return to the front door and step back into the day. Honor yourself for fully showing up and taking time to befriend yourself. Allow this same quality of presence to infuse your conversations and actions. No matter where you go, home is always inside.