“The Peace of Wild Things”
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
May first marked the halfway point between Spring and Summer. The Celtic celebration of Beltane marks this halfway point by acknowledging the marriage of Earth and Fire, masculine and feminine ( the Hieros Gamos) to bring about the abundance of Summer. Summer is coming but now we stand in the union between two seasons and feel everything quite powerfully. Every Spring I promise myself that this year will be different. I feel prepared to manage the rising energy of Spring with out letting my emotions spin out of control. Yet this year, like last year, I am shocked to find myself in the tumultuous upheaval of pendulum like anger and excitement. My yogic judgement sets in as I take stock of my own unruliness. Why am I such a mess? What is wrong with me and how can I fix it? Is there some magical set of postures and mantras that will get me to a place of equilibrium? Maybe yes, but what if I take a different tack entirely? Can I see the swing of my emotions as part of my humanness instead of a shortcoming? Is it possible to befriend my wildness and call it wild and natural? We all understand taking refuge and comfort in nature. We can go outside and feel that there is an order to all this wildness that holds the universe together in balance . Knowing that we are also natural beings, we can rest into our awareness in an easy and nonjudgemental way and find a kind of freedom there too. We can come to know our simple wildness and our home in the family of wild creatures simply by listening, feeling, and observing the body/heart/mind. This softening and acceptance prepares us for the joy and abundance of Summer that calls to us. Now is the perfect time to go inward to create acceptance then go outside and connect to the great Mother…feel that you are at home in your body and the world…find refuge…allow for forgiveness…and get on with the playtime!
Love,
Love,
KJ
Mantra of Wild and Authentic Nature:
thank you bones
thank you breath
thank you wild mind
thank you great heart