by Suzanne E. Sky, MTOM, Life Resilience Coach
"If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong". ~ Masaru Emoto~
It’s hard to believe what we’ve been through collectively and individually especially in the last 24 months since Covid came into our lives. The pandemic changed the world and touched all our lives in diverse ways.
For many of us, myself included, it’s been a mixed blessing and we’ve been able to use the time to make career transitions or positive changes in our lives while also bringing challenges of isolation and changes in our daily routines and lives.
Many people experienced unwanted change of direction or life plans anywhere on the spectrum from challenging to highly stressful or even traumatic. Loss of work, friends, family connections due to not being able to visit in person. Loss of friends and family who died from the virus. We’re likely experiencing and processing grief, frustration, and many more emotions even as the pandemic enters a quieter phase and we’re invited to return to our social activities, work, and to each other.
Counselors and mental health providers report being overloaded, scheduled out for three months or more and unable to take everyone who is seeking help. If you are feeling highly stressed, distraught, or challenged please seek out a good therapist or at least a good friend or supportive family member who can offer the help you need. This article is mostly for those of us seeking some daily inspiration as we work through the current challenges sometimes week by week, sometimes one day at a time, and sometimes one breath at a time.
What does it mean to return to ourself, to who we are?
First, this is a lifelong koan, or riddle, that we can meditate on. Who are we returning to? Who are we actually? The second part of the quote offers a clue – return first to here, now. Simply bringing our awareness to here, now; this present moment.
Being aware of our breath, our feet on the ground, the soft rising and falling of our belly with each breath. Sitting here now I’m aware of the gentle sound of the breeze rustling through the tall, lush Leyland Cypress trees outside my window, of the melodic music playing in my study, the hint of moisture wafting in through my window, the slight pressure of eyeglasses on the rim of my nose.
Here and Now You Discover Yourself, Like a Lotus Flower....
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing – now, let your awareness rest and expand to include yourself, sensations, sounds, the whole of yourself and where you are. No thoughts, judgements, or labeling this or that.
It’s a natural function of our mind to be on the lookout for danger, to constantly be assessing everything in terms of our past experience and desires for our future. For just this moment, I invite you to drop it all and arrive in the here, now. In the here, now is where we truly discover our self; our being. One of my teachers, Mary Burmeister, constantly reminded us, “we are not human doings, we are human beings.”
Simple Awareness
This is the hidden invitation in the quote – and this practice of bringing our awareness to here, now is a practice we can incorporate in our daily lives. You can engage this practice however is best for you. At times, I’ve brought my awareness to my heart or my breath throughout my busy day. This also brings us right into the relaxation mode of the nervous system, promoting calm awareness over time. As we arrive in the present, we naturally learn to slow down, relax, enjoy our being, and we can begin to attune to and listen to the still, small voice within.
In this present moment, simply being, is where we “will discover ourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”It’s an invitation extended by spiritual teachers, philosophers, and mystics throughout time. And now, I extend this invitation to all of us.
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