Love, Breath, and Mindfulness: Simple Medicine
Love, breath, and mindfulness are recurring themes in my yoga classes and in my life.
I don’t profess to have answers to the world’s biggest problems. But I do know this: love, breath, and mindfulness can help in the moment. And moments are where everything begins.
Love
(Thoughts adapted from The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo)
Water, in its clear softness, fills whatever space it finds.
It isn’t skeptical. It isn’t distrustful.
It doesn’t decide the gully is too deep or the field is too open.
Love can be like that.
Not naive. Not permissive.
Just steady. Available. Willing.
“Love soaks our wounds.”
And beneath the many choices we make each day, love can flow back into the world through us—through our words, our tone, our restraint, our honesty, our courage, our care.
Breath and mindfulness
(Thoughts adapted from No Mud, No Lotus)
Breath unites body and mind.
And the way we begin producing the medicine of mindfulness is simple:
We stop, and we take a conscious breath.
If we learn to take care of the suffering inside us, we have more clarity, energy, and strength to respond to suffering in our loved ones, our communities, and the world.
But when we are preoccupied with fear and despair within us, we can’t help but reduce suffering outside of us—not effectively, and not sustainably.
When we know how to care for our own suffering:
we suffer less
we become more resourced
and we create more steadiness and happiness around us
This is not selfish.
It’s how we become capable of showing up.
If you want something concrete, try this:
Put one hand on your heart or belly.
Take one slow breath in.
Take one long breath out.
Ask: What would love do in this next moment?
Then choose the smallest possible loving action.
That’s enough. That’s the work.
A closing blessing
May we all be well.
May we all be safe.
May we all be loved.
And may we all be able to breathe.
If you want to practice with me, you can find upcoming classes and retreats here:
www.jessiemahoneymd.com/yoga
www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats