7/10/2015 10:33 AM
Mindfulness & meditation has become the essence of my non-striving & conscious living practice. The world is full of chaos and uncertainty, but we can be in peace knowing that God has us in the palm of His mighty hands. This brings peace and comfort in troubling times! I am incredibly appreciative of all kinds of support and opportunity that came in my way that have made such an enriched experience over 2020.
In the Spirit of generosity, I am humbled to devote myself to what has helped me while passing along the second words of wisdom (wow) series from my inner battery to yours. Wishing peace, equanimity and evermore joy bestow among all humanity.
- “Gratefulness is the inner gesture of giving meaning to our life by receiving life as a gift.” – David Steindl-Rast
- “Gratitude is a habit of the heart.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
- “Whatever is happening, tend to your body and heart. When you feel overwhelmed move around, stretch, shake your body. Take three full breaths. Return to the present moment.” –Jack Kornfield, “A Lamp in the Darkness”
- “Our actions entrench the power of light on this planet. Every positive thought we pass between us makes room for more light. And if we do more than think, then our actions clear a path for even more light. That is why forgiveness and compassion must become more important principles.” – John Lewis
- “The tensions we hold (in our bodies) are in many cases just armoring and reflective of underlying anxieties and fears. When we knot our muscles, clench our teeth, or tie our stomach in knots it does little for us but cause pain, raise blood pressure, and create noise in the nervous system. While this accomplishes the unconscious task of dulling our sensitivity and shielding us from the intensity of life, it also exhausts, depletes and weakens us. Such survival skills are not sustainable and, over time, the accumulation will lead to many problems. Relaxation is a gesture of mercy, compassion, and kindness toward ourselves, and a step toward becoming more open and available to life, to trusting and embracing our wholeness. To make this step again and again takes courage – the courage to look, listen, feel and welcome life without running away, or constricting back into our shell of tension, or “ignorance.” – Joel and Michelle Levey from their book, “Living in Balance: A Mindful Guide for Thriving in a Complex World.”
- “Only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our full potential.” – Jane Goodall, Primatologist
- “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child – our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
- Winnie the Pooh says, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.”
- “It doesn’t belong to only you. It’s the dance of conditions. You can’t choose the music, but you can choose how you will dance.” – Jack Kornfield
Credit: University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.