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I had a powerful spontaneous healing experience once where I was jettisoned back in time to a traumatic childhood event. I wrapped my arms around my childhood self, grabbed her with the urgency of a parent pulling a child from a fire and brought her back to the now of my heart. I sense time as we know it is an illusion and time and love are one.

Yes there is undoubtedly reductionism of deep meaningful spiritual values in social media’s bite sized over simplifications. There is much unwholesome spiritual consumerism. But, there is “good and bad’ in all things”, for those one liners, those token wisdom teachings may act as seeds, first steps, a creaking door opening a way onto a spiritual path. We can be lofty, purist, idealist, but that is wishing it were other. I celebrate EVERY crumb of curiosity I witness, every question asked, every beginning taken. They may be small drops in the swelling tide of the raising of consciousness but they part of the ocean of awareness.

Yes there is undoubtedly reductionism of deep meaningful spiritual values in social media’s bite sized over simplifications and spiritual consumerism. But, there is ‘good and bad’ in all things…..( and yes, I know labelling ‘good or bad’ is a spiritual no no :) ) for those one liners, the token wisdom teachings may act as seeds, first steps, a creaking door opening a way onto a spiritual path. We can be lofty, purist, idealist, but that is wishing it were other. I celebrate EVERY crumb of curiosity I witness, every question asked, every beginning taken. They may be small drops in the swelling tide of the raising of consciousness but they are all part of the ocean of awareness.

It’s a dance isn’t it, between opening and closing. I’ve had tastes of how it tastes to be cooked. Sweet, tender blissful times, but I don’t sustain them. I adhere to my practices, maintain trust and faith, outwardly look like I’m simmering away, cooking gently. But inwardly, the fire is but a few struggling embers and there is a stress with this a disquiet. Much the same as any stress, an underlying sense that something is wrong and with it a deep sadness at the alienation from the connectedness with the comfort of a glowing fire. So I breathe deep, bellowing into the dying embers. The next breath or the next, the fire may leap into life and the dance take a merry turn.

I feel the profound tenderness of impermanence in the autumn. Those precious last days, hours even, of warmth and light, when the last few delicate leaves pepper bare branches. Truly delicious days that fill me with joy and deep gratitude.

I found myself reactive to this passage. Whilst I honour, practice and aspire to mindfulness I know it to be a huge privilege, denied to many, and the many the most vulnerable, so often trapped in the addiction of unhealthy relationships, food abuse, alcohol abuse, substance abuse etc. Obviously there is a spectrum of addiction and the author is talking about fine tuning for those already towards the sunny end of it, but never the less, to not acknowledge the privilege of those who find themselves on the sunny side lacks compassion. The lack of warmth and understanding made me feel uncomfortable, as all elitism does. In addition, I know from personal experience and years of being an holistic therapist that addiction does not all come from the brain. For example an unbalanced microbiome can cause craving which can become addiction.

In our perfectly imperfect world I wonder what percentage of people actually experience sustained unconditional nurturing support. I doubt it is many, and on this the wheel of our perfectly imperfect world turns.

“Being is impersonal and yet utterly intimate” . Beautifully expressed.

Ill health has been, is, a powerful teacher in my life. Stripping egoic layers away, taking me defencelessly into moments of exquisite stillness that I am deeply, deeply grateful for and wouldn't trade. Experiences that have forged the me I am in this moment and that I fully embrace. It is not the whole story though for I am not talking about terminal diagnosis, there is also life, recovery, hope, the chance to bring the gems of wisdom hewn in the darkest of moments into the world to sparkle. Diagnosis is such a powerful thing. As 'stream' mentioned in their comments, there are many incorrect and clumsy attempts at diagnosis that cause much damage. For myself, this too has been much 'grist for my mill', finding compassion for the ignorance of medics no small thing. Yet, accurate diagnosis is a light that can illuminate the path of healing, and offers a dynamic process. Staying open and curious to the vast choices of what may be available, exploring and navigating these against the tide of conventional medicine, financial challenges, the fears of loved ones, the frustrations of fruitless dead ends, all this too 'illness' has in her lesson plan. With open curiosity diagnosis can be a potent and exciting jewel of information.

I have no story but want to share my gratitude for reading this memory and being reminded not to get sucked into being reactive and caught in the drama. THANK YOU

This resonates deeply with me. I am grateful for hearing these words today. “ to make our inwardness a resource and not a refuge. “

I am learning that Recognising the moment i am in a ‘nervous system state’ is the moment to hold myself in loving kindness. That I’ve probably overextended myself and need to stop and replenish.

I have enjoyed thinking about the ramifications of this concept. Thank you. It would seem to me that stealing has many greedy tentacles driven by unfulfilled needs. Competitivediscourse, not pausing to hear what peopleare sharing but charging ahead with a story about the self, is tome a form of stealing. In fact I would say that all foes of attention seeking are stealing as they demand something from someoneelse with an assumption they have it to give.