Today's world of rush and hurry, of frenzied busyness and over-scheduling often leaves our minds spinning, our hearts hammering, our blood-pressure rising, and our spirits needing. Although it is difficult to avoid, this calamity of chaos can be balanced through the deliberate seeking of Quietness and Calmness, and one does not need a strict regimen of yoga or meditation in order to find it. What is required, however, is a decision.

Deciding to choose a few moments of Quietness in place of turning on a device or switching on your playlist can, at first, seem just as challenging as the aforementioned yoga. Electing to go outside to sit Quietly beneath the stars may sound monumentally boring, and choosing to stay home rather than running out early to grab that over-caffeinated, sugar-infused, powerhouse beverage might lead you to wonder if you’ll stay awake long enough to accomplish the 101 things on your to do list, BUT the benefits of Quietness and Calmness cannot be overstated.

The purpose of the Mindfulness consultation is to discuss how mindfulness will fit into your current lifestyle, to create a structured mindfulness plan, and provide you with resources to help facilitate your ongoing meditation practice. Each session will provide a space to have a personalized ‘check-in’ to explore the obstacles and to answer any questions you may have that may keep you from successfully integrating this new habit.

Detailed Description: Learning to be mindful/ to meditate is a journey of discovery that incorporates deliberate change in a gentle, safe environment. Mindfulness is not about blanking out or trying to get rid of all of our thoughts and it is not a cure-all answer. Mindfulness and meditation is about giving ourselves time to pause and learning what generates calmness within us and how to tap into that calmness during stressful situations. Mindful Meditation, like any other exercise, takes commitment and practice, but has been shown to generate a more healthful state of wellbeing through alleviating the symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, fear, and loss of direction (and many others!)

Areas of Expertise: Mindfulness, Meditation, Breathwork, Stress Reduction

What to Expect: **This will be a conversational service with me where you can get advice, customized for your situation and unique circumstances. Together, we will learn what triggers serentiy in you and I will provide daily meditative guides/prompts to make the most of even a few moments.

Session Deliverables: To develop a meditation and mindfulness plan customized to your needs as well as resources to help you maintain your mindfulness practice.

Come to the table with: An open mind, willing spirit, and positive attitude. Lay aside the “I already knew that” mindset and negative thinking. Be ready to change.

Prisoner in the mind,
With fears and doubts rampantly raging,
Screams echoing in the tumbling darkness
As I grope and claw for Light,
For breath,
For the hope I once held in my hands.
Captive to a thousand harbingers of uncertainty,
Shaking and trembling in the void that darkly surrounds,
Devouring my soul.
Asking,
Waiting,
Stubbornly refusing to surrender to the harrowing blackness.
Faith stands.
Faith waits.
Faith holds her fragile breath and stares into the starless sky,
Seeing only light,
Luminous, streaming, sparkling light,
In gossamer tangles and silken pools that glimmer radiantly,
Filling the heart and reaching outward
Drawing in the barren void
To embrace and renew.
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Although it is not often easy, Faith, Belief, and Determination are more often than not a choice. Something we must willingly and diligently decide upon each day. It’s entirely up to us whether we face the dimness of this world with a melancholic view and allow its darkness to consume us, or we stand against the rising currents of anger, hatred, and violence to seek light, beauty, and truth.

This poem puts this choice into lyrical reality and shows, through the choices of the words and phrases I used, how the choice very often creates its own illumination and inspiration.

Each day we face challenges. The darkness of this world is devouring and seeks to extinguish the light within us. Darkness seeks darkness. Look around. See how intolerance breeds anger and hatred. How greed and avarice spawn deceit; how apathy produces violence. It’s not simply a metaphor, it happens every day.

Those of us who choose to walk in the Light rather than the Darkness are not only the harbingers of kindness and compassion, we are truly the light of the world. He wasn’t joking. Our light may be only a single candle flickering in the void, but when I shine my light outward into the dimness, and you shine yours, and he shines his, and she shines hers, and they theirs, suddenly a warm ruddy glow shimmers in the murk. And we all know what happens when a light is shone in the dark of night.

It draws others to it, which is the entire point of the metaphor He spoke….and this verse.

Morgan

Photo by Mark Basarab on Unsplash

I love to walk along the ocean shore and listen to the rhapsody of sound. The restless surging of waves; the tireless whisper of the breeze. I feel the gentle caress of salt-sea air as it brushes its fingers through my hair, kisses my cheek, and enwraps me in that place entirely.

I listen to the cries of the terns winging overhead upon the boundless open sky. I watch as the breakers roll and rush, building in majestically deliberate measure until their passion unfurls upon the shore with fervor and vigor. This ardor is not meant to last, however, for just as surely as the tide rushes forth it turns once more. Withdrawing back until the restless, crashing subsides and the touch of the sea upon the shore is tender, relaxed, quiet, and peaceful. Though they seem at odds, these mighty forces are bound together, merged into one harmonious union. They work in collaboration and their power is formidable, creating rhythm and balance for the entire planet.

Their beauty reaches into the soul, seeming to reconnect us with a time long forgotten. Perhaps that's part of the reason why so many of us are drawn to the ocean. The inexorable waxing and waning have a similar effect on all of us, causing us to stand in awe-struck wonder, pondering mysteries beyond comprehension. For me, they also cause questions to tumble in my mind, much like the surging waves.

Questions like: are not these rhythms, these harmonies, these moments of passion and fury, as well as the moments of serenity and calm like the nature that struggles within all of us? Doesn't the ocean, with its fretful motion and lush balm, seem very like the forces that rock and heave our world to and fro?

Often I compare them to the gentle whispers of spirit and the brusque volubility of the flesh that converse ceaselessly, communing with each other one moment and arguing the next. Like us, they coexist, yet seem to ever be at odds. While one reaches for what seems unattainable, the other grasps at the fleeting and transitory. They both want; they both yearn. One seeks harmony while the other craves immediate pleasure. They wax and wane within us like the ocean's tides and, like those tides, they can be beautiful or terrifying and destructive.

We often wish these two voices within us would speak harmoniously. We wonder why they argue? Why they are so intemperate; why they are always at odds, but the beauty and ferocity of the restless sea remind us that one cannot exist without the other. In nature, there are always two forces that create balance. Light and dark. Hot and cold. Wet and dry.

The lion and the lamb.

Balance requires two opposing forces. Forces that exist so we might learn from them. So we are able to see what balance is and understand the nature of nature. When we learn to accept the opposing forces within our nature and work with them, rather than struggling against them, we find balance

Everything we need to understand about balance exists at the ocean shore. The rushing waves, the restless breeze, the songs of seabirds, and the shifting sand exemplify the basic forces of life and how these forces exist together. They are all distinctly different; still, they unite to create a place that is irresistible, beautiful, and ever-changing.

Like you, like me.

Morgan

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I dreamed of writing. Writing for whoever might hear, whoever might care, or, for myself and the sheer enjoyment, nay, the absolute bliss of filling a page with words spilling from my mind like a torrent. (a torrent of what, we shall not debate!) Words have always been there, at the forefront of my every thought, waking or sleeping, dreaming or working. How many times I’ve been caught narrating what I’m doing by a quizzical onlooker I dare not admit (usually a family member, thank goodness, but not always). It’s rather like an obsession I cannot escape or break free of, and like an obsession, I do not care to break free, really.

I distinctly remember sitting in my fifth grade classroom, creating stories in my mind and scribbling them down for all I was worth rather than going out for recess (even when a rousing game of 4 square or kickball beckoned). How could I explain to other ten year olds that I would much rather immerse myself in the mystical places my imagination could take me, would take me, than run around in the dirt or swing from the playground monkey bars (which I never could reach anyway, being so diminutively statured).

OK, maybe that is just proof that I’m a little left of center. (You might enthusiastically agree) The dilithium crystals aren’t reaching full efficiency, Captain. I’m one clue short of a revelation, Sherlock. OR it may indicate that I was destined to unravel the complexities of life and love in lyrical, narrative fashion; who can tell (although more than likely it’s a bit of both, really). One thing is clear, though; I shall never escape the compelling temptation that is writing. I’m addicted, mind, body, soul.

Good thing, though, since it would seem this compulsion is my one true gift. (Yes, I do believe we all have at least one, some of us have more than one, though proving how quickly a bottle of Absolute can be absolutely obliterated or diving from train trusses with a spongy rope attached to the feet are not illustrations of a gift by any means) Where was I?

Good thing, yes, because I have found that once you allow yourself to become completely wound up in your True Gift the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment you achieve supersedes anything else, everything else. Of course, the trick is figuring out what your One True Gift is, which isn’t as simple as it seems. I should have known I was a writer, since words have been tumbling from my mind and spirit since I was old enough to speak. I spent a summer composing a collection of 100 poems, just as a challenge to myself and I’ve been writing one thing or another since I could hold a pencil (or crayon) (or lipstick). So why did it take me this long to sit down and take it seriously and to finally realize the ultimate joy in utilizing that one talent given to me alone (so to speak, since it was certainly given to you as well or we wouldn’t be here, but do humour me, as I’m making a point here) (I think/hope).

We walk along the path of life, meandering through the shaggy undergrowth and stopping often to investigate the curious or spectacular. We stumble over debris scattered in the avenue, sometimes we fall, tumble, roll and when we struggle to our feet the right way to go isn’t always clear. We point ourselves in a direction and trudge on. Often, we need to double back, realizing that we’ve chosen the wrong direction. The going can be difficult, uphill, over large stones and through loose gravel that slips underfoot; yet the light is always shining down on us, streaming through the lush canopy of green swaying in the wind over our heads. Nevertheless, we ultimately come to a place where we can go no farther unaided and we must make a deliberate choice. Turn around and stumble back the way we came, making no further progress and never reaching our goal(s) or reach for the walking stick waiting at our feet; accept the hand that is offered to help us continue on; allow ourselves to be carried through the brambles so we don’t fall or bleed anymore.

This isn’t a cop out, however. Nor is it taking the easy way out or cheating. In fact, it’s just the beginning. The start of a whole new journey; another path to walk along, another avenue to sojourn, though not alone, and when we walk this road, aided by the Light that is within us we will discover our purpose. A purpose that will fill us (oddly enough) with Purpose. A destiny that will lead us to our Destiny; and a gift, One True Gift, that will give us the greatest Gift of all.

Purpose and a Destiny.

Morgan

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Image by Susann Mielke from Pixabay

One Fire in the Soul with Love's Endless Flame,
One Celestial Presence Burning in Temporal Time,
Ever Rising, Never Setting, Ever Spinning,
Calamitous Treason, Incorporeal Rhyme.
One Soul that is Yearning for One Soul,
One Heart that is Aching for One Heart,
One Life that is Standing Still, Moving,
Upon the One Sea that Keeps Us Apart.
One Longing, Stretching, Reaching Burning,
One Bearing Solitude's heavy Grief,
One Watching the Tide of the Heavens,
For that One Moment of Eternal Relief.
One Standing on the Precipice, Gasping,
One Misery more than One Can Bear,
One Hope Unvanquished by Time's brutal Tempest,
One Patient Privilege for One So Fair.

Love, in my thoughts, is eternal. Though life and death come and go, the love we have in our hearts and our spirits remains. Long after the journey is complete and long before it begins, love remembers. It guides us. It challenges us. It shapes our thoughts and desires. It hones our consciousness into harmony.

I believe, as well, that love brings two spirits together, again and again. Over and over in an endless, eternal rhythm. Like a heartbeat that is ever in duplicate- ba-bum, ba-bum- the duality of our true essence seeks to find the other. It longs for the other half in order to be complete. It searches endlessly, yearning for the One.

Waiting to find the Twin, or your Soulmate, can sometimes seem interminable. When you feel the pull of the other, but cannot find them, it creates stress that we are aware of every single day. We often find ourselves looking for the other everywhere, which invariably leads to looking in the wrong places. We try, again and again, finding only frustration and mismatched relationships that are unsatisfying and, sometimes, dangerous.

Ever notice when you search for something frantically, you very rarely find it and it's only when you actually stop looking that it suddenly turns up? The same thing often happens with love. When we stop desperately searching and give 'The Universe', our Guide, The Father, or whatever you choose to name the Love that is Everlasting a chance to work, the other's spirit can finally connect. Instead of voicing self-destructive affirmations, such as "I'm never going to find love" or "I guess the Universe hates me", begin voicing positives.

"I trust my SoulMate is waiting for me. I release the negativity that is blocking us from being together. I receive the blessing of being united with my SoulMate."

Speaking something like this far more positive affirmation not only can, but WILL, have a profound effect on your life. I know because I experienced everything I'm writing about. I longed for nearly thirty years for my true soulmate. I went through two failed marriages and multiple unsuccessful relationship, ultimately coming to a point in my life where I truly thought I would never find them. It wasn't until I stopped fantically searching and gave 'control' over to the One who Guides and Loves that change finally happened. No so remarkably and much like the phenomenon of something turning up only after you stop looking for it, my soulmate and I were able to connect at last.

Believe Love waits for you.
Trust that it WILL find you.
Release your doubts and fears.
And Receive the blessing.

Morgan

In this world of rapidity, haste, and urgency, where instant has become the norm and the norm has become tedious, the importance of Quietness and Solitude has seemingly been forgotten. We fill our daily schedules to the point where there remains little, if any, time to simply sit quietly, close our eyes, and unwind. We participate in every imaginable activity; we flutter from community event to social outing; we hurry to work, hurry to the gym, rush home, race through a meal in order to dash back out the door again until we fall into bed in the attempt to cram in a few hours of sleep before we start it all over again.

Life around us is bustling and bursting, blaring with boisterous babbling and blatantly brazen brashness that bewilders and befuddles. From the minute we bounce out of bed, we fill our eyes and ears with sound and images; we hurry our hands with smart technology; we drink copious quantities of caffeinated energy drinks so we can rush to and fro, rarely taking a moment to smell the roses or sit among the lilies. Yet Peace Pervades Peacefully. Tranquility Settles Tenderly. Serenity Rests Calmly. And the only way to attain these Treasures is to do the same.

Turn off the tunes and open the window so you may listen to the birds singing. Stop from rushing and Sigh in the warmth of the afternoon breeze. Forego meeting the crowd at the pub and Walk quietly along a burbling stream to listen to its purifying laughter. Turn off the lights and Gaze at the stars to wonder with awe. Put down the i-device and pick up a daisy to pluck its petals pensively or Run your hands through the feathering fronds of a whispering willow to feel tranquility seeping into your soul. Sit quietly in contemplation of the singular Majesty and Mystery of your own beating heart and Take stock of each Precious breath.

In that Quietude, where technology pauses and the human condition returns, the simple, understated gesture of folding your hands, closing your eyes, and bowing your head can have a far greater and more lasting effect upon your day and your life than any latest tune, text message, tweet, post, or energy drink. In that Silence, where all the rushing stops and a measure of Harmony returns, Peace will Pervade. Tranquility will Settle, and Serenity will Calm; teaching the mind that Opens to their gentle Presence that all the Wealth and Power in the world cannot replace the Blessing of a single moment spent Touching the Spirit.

Morgan

Being Grateful means, by Oxford's definition, a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness; having or showing the desire or reason to thank someone for giving pleasure or comfort. Being Grateful means you know you are indebted to someone for some action undertaken by them that benefited you in some manner and consciously acknowledging that appreciation. Gratitude can take unnumbered shapes and forms, from tickets to the hottest show in town to a brand new Porsche (theoretically speaking, of course), but often gratitude comes in gentler doses; a simple inclination of the head, a tearful, wordless hug, a handshake and poignant look into another's eyes. Yet however it comes, it is one of the most important things we can ever do.

Expressing gratitude rewards; it builds bridges, it alleviates tensions, it sets a higher standard, but it also opens the doors and windows to blessings untold. It sets aside our baser, more selfish tendencies and allows us to be, if only for a few moments, the people we all wish we could be far more frequently. It makes princes out of paupers and, conversely, paupers out of princes; it is a leveler of scores and a righter of wrongs and no matter how it is expressed, if it is genuine, it is always significant.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a laborer working at some menial job; cleaning bathrooms perhaps, collecting garbage, mopping floors somewhere. Every day you come in on time, do your job conscientiously and without complaint; you leave only when your task is done completely and correctly, but no one ever says a word to you. If you didn't do this job, the resulting mess would be atrocious, yet people pass by you all the while you work, stepping to the far side of the hall or moving to the other side of the room rather than approaching you and no one, not even your boss, tells you that you are doing a good job.

Then one day, out of the blue, a complete stranger comes up to you and says Thank You. They tell you they truly appreciate your willingness to do a job that not many others would do and they even go so far as to shake your hand, although you are grimy and they are pressed and polished. It only takes a moment, then they go on their way, but their simple act changes everything. You hold your head higher, walk with a lighter step; you go home, tell those close to you what happened, share how good it made you feel and, regardless of the fact that no one, not even your boss, has ever told you how important you are, you value yourself much more highly.

When you go back to work, you feel so good, so essential, you begin taking on extra responsibilities without being asked; you work a few extra minutes each day tidying up or polishing something that has been neglected for months. You talk to people more willingly; you share a smile more easily; you begin noticing the things that others do, which go unspoken, and you take time to extend a token of appreciation to them. A small note of thanks for cleaning the windows so well or a bottle of water for the man cutting the grass outside in the summer heat, and as a result of all of this, you feel even better about yourself.

Not too long after this change occurs, your boss stops by unannounced to speak with you. He tells you that he has noticed what a great job you've been doing lately, how hard you have been working and how well you treat your coworkers and the company's clientele. He explains that a new position has recently been created by management, one for which he feels you would be perfect, and asks if you would be interested in a promotion and a raise. Then he stands back and watches you smile.

And all because someone thanked you.

Yes, Gratitude is a miracle worker, and if we remember to be thankful for our blessings, big or small, trite or unique, miraculous or mundane, our appreciation invariably opens the floodgates and allows Heaven to send down Showers of Blessings beyond imagining.

Morgan