Nancy Lankston
“There is always music amongst the trees in the Garden,
but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.”
~Minnie Aumonier
“Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky”
~Khalil Gibran
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but
a mirror reflection of what we are doing to
ourselves and to one another.”
~Gandhi
We Live in a World of Duality
Form / Formless
Life / Death
Light / Dark
Physical / Ethereal
Earth / Heaven
Moon / Sun
Female / Male
Shakti / Shiva
Love / Hate
Sorrow / Joy
Yin / Yang
The energy of our Universe flows and dances constantly between tangible form and formless energy. We are part of an intricate weaving of light and dark, form and formless, growth and decay. Duality is woven into the very fabric of our Universe. And duality is a natural part of the miraculous dance of Spirit within earth, air, fire and water.
How do I keep my balance within this ever shifting duality?
Pain and problems arise when I turn duality into polarity – when I attach an emotional charge to a person or event. For example, I might label something bad and reject it… or decide someone else is wrong and I am right… or push an experience away as bad and unwanted… or desperately crave something I don’t have. Pain and disconnect are inevitable when I polarize my experiences.
Judging and labeling EVERY single experience as good or bad
only makes me crazy and miserable!
What if I stop judging and labeling every aspect of Life as good or bad, right or wrong? What if I stop living in a state of charged polarity? What if I choose to actually live by the wisdom of the Tao?
“If good happens, good; if bad happens, good. ”
~Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
☯
One of my favorite parables about good and bad:
A farmer had only one stallion. One day, the horse jumped a fence and ran away. All the neighbors came by saying, “Oh no! Such bad luck! You must be so upset.” The man just said, “Maybe good, maybe bad – too soon to tell.”
A few days later, his stallion came back and brought twenty wild mares with him. The man and his son corraled all the horses. All the neighbors came by saying, “Wow! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “Maybe good, maybe bad – too soon to tell.”
A few weeks later, one of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, and broke the boy’s leg in 3 places. All the neighbors came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “Maybe good, maybe bad – too soon to tell.”
The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed many young men from the region, but the farmer’s son was spared; his broken leg prevented him from fighting. All the neighbors came by saying, “You are so lucky! Your son didn’t have to go fight” The man just said, “Maybe good, maybe bad – too soon to tell.”
~Author Unknown
☯
What if I stop judging myself and all my experiences? What if I meet EVERY experience with the energy of, “Maybe good, maybe bad – too soon to tell”?
God already has everything under control, no matter how it looks in this moment. Maybe I should just open up and embrace the natural and inevitable duality of this world.
Can I stop judging and polarizing everything that happens to me? What if I allow my world to just be however it is today? To allow is not polarized; to allow is a loose, easy state where I am open to possibilities. When I relax and allow my life to unfold, peace fills me. And balance follows.
——
Al·low v.
al·lowed, al·low·ing, al·lows
“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth
and in the contemplation of her beauties, to know of wonder and humility.”
~Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson is one of my personal heroes. She published a thoughtful little book called Silent Spring in 1962. Her book exposed the dangers of environmental pollution and galvanized the early environmental movement in the United States.
I honor Rachel today.
Here’s to people who hold onto their knowing. Here’s to people who realize that we owe our lives to this beautiful Earth mother that nurtures and supports us. And here’s to people who change the world by standing up for what they love.
I’d like to share a potent mindfulness practice with you today.
In this 10 minute exercise, I guide you through creating and holding a sacred space for yourself. Holding space is simple yet so powerful! It is about being as grounded in your bones as a mountain is to Mother Earth. And at the same time being as open and spacious as the sky, and as flowing and reflective as a lake. Relax and just play with the guided imagery…
Sun
falls over the edge of
a silent Earth
reverent day’s end
holy night slides in
and dark expands into
a landscape of dreams
I am full of this night
potent with possibility
in this dark space
waiting for moonrise
and remembering
the light.
~Nancy L
Water flows through its day
Water meets whatever is in its path
And then it flows on
Water is never stoppable for long
Resistance is met with allowance
And water flows on.
Can I flow with liquid allowance?
As thoughts and emotions create inner ripples and waves
Can I meet and greet them kindly
And then just flow on
no matter where they take me?
