Not Forever Again: March 10 - 16

As a skeeter bug dances across the surface of a pond

so I skim through life a breath at a time.

I live in the present moment and am only here

as long as my lungs breath,

as long as my heart pumps,

as long as my being be's.

This thing I call "I" is fleeting,

a gossamer thread connecting me

from one tiny moment to the next.

This life that I measure in years and decades is a mirage. 

I am only here,

I am only now,

until no more,

until forever.

Practice

Come into stillness and sense the breath. Focus the awareness on here. Feel the body supported by the earth. It is OK to let go of yesterday and to forget about tomorrow just for a little while. Fully inhabit the present moment.

Picture a still pond, its surface as smooth as glass. Suddenly, a pebble drops into the center, sending ripples across the water. The ripples spread out from the point of impact, getting weaker and weaker as they travel outward. The movement of the water creates a beautiful pattern on the surface, with each ripple merging and blending with the next. The ripples gradually fade away, becoming less defined until they eventually disappear altogether, returning the pond to its peaceful, undisturbed state. When thoughts arise, envision thoughts as pebbles. As they surface, allow them to drop and dissipate. Return again and again to the stillness within the depth of the pond.