By HariKirin
We are very familiar with the prayer: peace in our hearts, homes, villages, countries.. and the world. But do we REALLY believe this is possible? Every day the news barrages us with facts. Facts that do NOT support the possibility of peace. Optimism sags. We feel that compassion and caring are a sacred commodity to be parcelled out only to loved ones and immediate neighbors. The world will have to fix itself, somehow... we ostrich as a survival tool.
There remains another way. It begins with believing in the POSSIBILITY of peace. It starts like any 12 step program: yes, this is miserable, unmanageable... BUT I am ready to believe there is a path forward. It starts like any GPS search for your driving destination today. You haven't been there before, but you BELIEVE you will find your way. We may not feel peace in our hearts in this moment. BUT we become open to peace landing like the sweet gentle dove on greeting cards, on Noah's Ark.
Scientists can measure and track the background vibration made by the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Mathemeticians calculate that the flapping of a butterfly's wings can effect the course of a tornado weeks later. Everything human is a vibration: our thoughts, breath, heartbeat.
So why not? Why not cultivate equanimity in our thoughts? Ease in our breath? Relaxation in our heartbeat? Science supports the philosophy that our inner state CAN create a larger effect. In the meantime, we are a more relaxed ostrich. Nothing to loose.
When the dove returned with the olive branch to Noah and his battered passengers, everyone cheered. Hope sprung alive. Just so, this holiday season, let's spend time with practices which unleash peace, hope and love. Let's keep possibility alive.
Here is a free video to jump start a simple, calming, balancing practice: alternate nostril breathing. Try it for even a few minutes or 11 breaths, and notice any effects.
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