Mindful Moment #39 - On the Road... Again?

On the Road…Again?

Introducing my 6-year-old to Peter, Paul, and Mary has been entertaining. Nothing like a Gen X mom and her Gen Alpha kid rolling up to the school drop-off zone while belting out “If I Had a Hammer.” The Millennial teachers seem a little bemused by it. The one older gym teacher who helps direct foot traffic in the mornings gave me a “Groovy!” and a peace sign as we passed. And it got me thinking about how history always seems to repeat itself. And reincarnation. And life purposes being something we decide before we are born…but I am getting ahead of myself.

I know we just welcomed in a new calendar year, but things that are so far away from what used to be “normal” just keep coming. My heart absolutely breaks for everyone going through extreme weather right now. From extreme snow to extreme rain, from wildfires and mudslides to earthquakes and tornadoes, it’s wild out there. I hope everyone stays safe! One of the reasons I started playing 1960s folk music for my little one was to garner some sense of my own childhood peace in the midst of my parental worry. Lemon trees and magic dragons and racehorses that drink wine are just so satisfyingly calming on the way to school in the mornings.

But the 1960s was a decade of utter turmoil as society shifted painfully into something newer and freer and trying out the concepts of equality and enlightenment. The 1970s was a decade of more struggle and recovery; redefining who we were and what was important. Every decade, it seems, goes through its own process of change. Which is to say, there really is no “normal.” Never has been. Those folk songs of protest and hope were ideas I embraced in the late 1980s as a young teenager. My mother was so confused that my musical tastes were from her high school years. Don’t get me wrong…I love Duran Duran as much as the next 40-something…but Dylan and Buffy Saint Marie and that ubiquitous “I’d Like to Buy the World a Home” song (from the famous soda commercial) spoke to my soul in a way that other music did not.

Why, though? And why does my kid seem to have a place in her little heart for it, too? I am sure there is a simple explanation. Maybe she likes it because I like it. Maybe it’s just the lovely three-part harmony. I always figured I was born a generation late. That is until I embraced the concept of reincarnation and thought maybe I had been alive in the 1960s. Maybe my kid was also alive in the 1960s. Maybe we knew each other back then! That’s trippy to consider, but also kind of comforting and sweet. Maybe that’s why now feels like then to me, even though I was never physically alive in this body back “then.” The echoes of society trying to shift into something newer and freer are here, I think.

Which then leads me to wonder if we somehow get to choose when or how we might be born into a new life experience here on this crazy planet. Does that mean we signed up to be here right now, experiencing this life like this? Sure, we can make some different choices once we are here, but if reincarnation is some form of destiny to be alive right now, then why not embrace the challenge posed to us? Why not take the challenge personally? If I chose to be here right now, and so did my daughter, what are we meant to be doing?

It doesn’t have to be anything huge. Maybe we need to bear witness to this timeline. Maybe one of the books bouncing around in my brain will become something important to people beyond my tiny circle of friends. Maybe I needed to write some meditations to share. Maybe I have a lot more time to figure it out. Maybe I don’t. Who knows what my child might grow up to be or do? The options are tremendous.

The options are tremendous for everyone, right? It’s sometimes hard to strip ourselves of barriers to discover our soul’s path, but it isn’t impossible. There are so many possibilities, it’s hard to choose just one.

For your meditation today, let’s move. If you can walk outside, please go. If the weather is a challenge, try standing in a space with a bit of room to move around. If you’d rather sit comfortably, that works, too.

I want you to focus on breathing. Fill up your lungs, hold it, and release. Feel your chest expand with each inhale. Feel your stomach engage with each exhale. Repeat at least five times.

As you walk, notice the rhythm of your feet. If you are at home, sway side to side, walk in place, or do an easy back and forth dance. Tap out a rhythm with your hands or feet if you want. Feel how your muscles are working together, in an easy give and take between steps or sways. Connect your rhythm to your surroundings with each foot fall, with each hand tap. You are innately part of the Earth’s rhythm.

While you continue to move, consider some of the “why” questions you might have for your own life. Why here? Why now? What is interesting to your soul in the here? What about now is compelling to you? Do you have a calling? If so, are you heeding what that calling is asking you to? If not, why not? If your calling seems to have faded or doesn’t align with who you are today, I give you permission to discover a new one. What could that be for you in this lifetime? In this decade?

Since these are big questions, it’s going to take some time to ponder through each one. Before you turn to go back home, commit to remembering at least one positive take-away that you want to keep for your soul’s sake. It can be a hope, a decision, a motto, a direction to take…just something important to remember “for the road.”

Write it down when you are ready to end your walk or dance or quiet time. Keep this in a wallet or purse or on the fridge—just somewhere it can be a helpful reminder to yourself. Collect as many as you like. Use them for directions to get where you want to go.

As always, friends,
Namaste

Amy

INSPIRATIONS THIS WEEK

We’re feeling inspired by these incredible and thought provoking pieces:

Rare Comet Will Pass Earth For First Time In 50,000 Years: How To Watch And What It Means For The PastThe comet will only be visible on the Northern Hemisphere, and binoculars and telescopes are highly recommended for those wanting to look out for it.
Rice breeding breakthrough could feed billionsAn international team has succeeded in propagating a commercial hybrid rice strain as a clone through seeds with 95 percent efficiency. This could lower the cost of hybrid rice seed, making high-yielding, disease resistant rice strains available to low-income farmers worldwide.
A Mass Extinction Is Taking Place in the Human GutTo preserve humankind’s diverse bacteria, scientists are harvesting, freezing, and storing poop from around the world.

That’s all for today, y’all – remember, taking time to focus on you is an act of love.

We hope you found this helpful – don’t hesitate to reply with any feedback on how we can improve future Mindful Moments! We can’t wait to hear from you.