Meditation from the Forest: Release and Relax
April 19th, 2020
My life has been on fast-forward since I left home when I was 15 years old with only rare interludes for slowing down. When I was diagnosed with cancer the first time in early 2017 and then again in early 2018 the kind of slowing down that was mandatory then had a dramatically different flavor from the new and delicious slowing I am now savouring.
The forest has been, and is, my go-to place for renewal. I am deeply grateful for the privilege of spending hour upon delightful hour wandering the trails discovering new treasures. Recently I was drawn to a spot at the base of ancient moss-covered boulders and I accepted their invitation to stay with them a while. I broke into spontaneous relaxation! Before saying goodbye I was moved to record a breathing meditation as my way of sharing my relaxation with you.
A dear friend, the intuitive, wildly creative and loving Sue Muirhead distributed a wonderful poem that I resonate with so powerfully I have been reading it every day. The poem is written by Laura Weaver. I’ve purchased her book Luminous: Poems & Inquiry for the Soul's Journey.
Here is the poem for you:
SURRENDER
There are moments when-
no matter how deeply you love
the holy wholeness of your life –
something quakes along the fault lines,
some grace that feels like a curse
taps along the fissures,
some alchemy of soul and magma
builds beneath the tectonic plates
of all you have created –
and in a moment everything shifts.
And your heart, which is broken,
realizes that the prayer it has sung
is returning as a kind of unexpected
answer to a question,
a light to a dark mystery
you have been seeking to understand –
only this was never the way
you imagined the song ending.
and you have spent days
and weeks and months watching
the fissures widening, crying out
to have the strength to mend and fuse.
But now the chasm has opened
beyond hope of any repair.
and the singing waters of destiny
rise up through the cracks
and this river of elation
surges through you.
And you weep and tremble
At the same time -
for this is the fierce revelation
of your unexpected life -
and there is nothing
to do but surrender.
- Laura Weaver
