Thank you Judith for this article. When I am 'in' my body, I feel present, grounded and sensitive to who and what is around me. I feel alive and safe. When I'm not, I feel disconnected and unsettled. Something is off and I am not able to receive and/or discern as clearly. The first time that I remember truly being in my body was when I took a yoga class many, many years ago.... When, at the end of the class, we laid down on our mats for shavasana, I, remember ...... I had never ever felt my body so relaxed, so alive and so aware all at the same time. It seemed as if every part of my body...finger, toes, knees, neck...all of me, was quietly and subtling saying, ' here'.....and I felt I had come home.

So beautiful! Prayer is something I have done as part of a daily morning practice for many years and I love the feeling of deep, sacred closeness that comes for me with this practice. And I've noticed over the last few years that sometimes for any number of reasons I will skip a day or miss offering a prayer. It is during those times that I more consciously sense the presence of prayer throughout the day...mostly in the form of gratitude or perhaps a blessing for sentient beings that seem to be in struggle or suffering. I've noticed that prayer grew and enlarged from a sacred connection between myself and something much greater than myself.....to a greater intimacy with all of life.

Thank you Toko-Pa for this ever so exquisite piece. 💖

This story reminds me of the story of the Ugly Duckling. An eagle raised as a chicken and a swan raised as a duck. Both from an early age only knowing one way to be....like a chicken or a duck...and having no clue or awareness that they are at their core, something different, a swan and an eagle. And only becoming aware once they are separated from what they know and are encouraged to see in a new way. They both face a double abandonment....first from their true nest and then again from the false nest in order to return to the true Self. And with both the ugly duckling/swan and the eagle, they were unable to come into the awareness alone, but needed space from their 'regular world' along with the wisdom and guidance from others. I sense this story is a common one for our humanity. I can sure relate to losing one's self for various reasons, so totally that the false identity is fully embraced....and even fought for. And yet I can also relate to the insistent, not to be denied, inner voice of truth and Mystery that through grace, love, healing and wisdom offered so generously by others, makes awakening possible. It allows us to come home to our True Self and remember who we are.....alone and together. Thank you for this story......with love and gratitude.

wow........what a beautiful reminder of the power we each have to make choices that support our heart, our work in the world and our sense of belonging. I needed to read this exactly this morning. I needed to be reminded to be conscious of my inner authority and the 'fluid area of my consent' . Thank you dear Awakin team! With much gratitude and appreciation....

This poem was a great gift to me today.........I was way too caught up in my thoughts, wants and judgments......smiled when I came to the end and was able to let go. Thank you!

Gratefulness means freedom to me. It means a free and spacious heart that is open to others, animals, nature, wonder....all that is in the world. It allows me to remember wholeness and beauty when I am lost in fear, doubt or worry....it comforts my soul. Brings me home once again.

This piece is so beautiful.....simple, clear and so empowering. The choice.......open to mystery, wonder and learning or not. Thank you Christina. I will remember and practice..... 'what is this?' as well as 'again'. A bow from my heart to yours with gratitude and appreciation

Thank you, thank you for this heartfelt and beautiful story. I love these words......'when we remember we can bless life, we can repair the world."

My deepest desire was to be a 'bowl' that was without breaks. I saw that as 'whole' and so I tried for most of my life to hide my imperfections, brokenness and pretend I wasn't broken.It was painful and because I was/am broken and I could never, no matter how hard I tried, unbreak the bowl. When I saw the beauty of the mended bowls I felt my heart open. I felt a deep love and compassion arise as I looked deeply at the beauty created from the breaks. They were so interesting and I loved them.
Sue Cochrane, a beloved being, had written a piece on Kintsugi before she died. She had three examples in her story. One with a simple break filled with gold, another with a small piece missing with gold filling in the gap and a third with big pieces of the original bowl gone altogether. The third bowl had to have the gold plus other pieces of random china put in to fill the space. That is the one I most relate to. And interestingly enough, the one I find most beautiful.........
Kintsugireminds me thatI'm ok. I'm enough. And that beautyis present even in the midst of great loss. It helps me to 'own' my bowl and love it. That has translated into loving the life I have had and owning the breaks and losses more openly and truthfully.
Peace, light and gratitude

Thank you for sharing this. It's a beautiful piece. I can so relate.... "Even after he had chanted for hours he still found himself getting caught in his own projections, the 'movie of me'- his own program of who and what he was afraid of."

mahalo to you for these magical words that are a restorative to my soul!  I read them back when you first wrote them and passed them on.  Now someone has passed them on to me, today, and they resonate even more!  "Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times."  This will forever inspire me.