Sunday was a brilliant day as I found myself immersed within a day long practice of “Light Bathing.”
This wasn’t my plan nor did that term pop into my mind until I was already deep within the process. With my morning shake in hand, my plans rearranged themselves when I was called to engage my Soul in meditation.
Sitting in my pajamas on my back deck, journal nearby, I closed my eyes and dropped into the moment.
The birds sang. My neighbor swept his patio. Planes occasionally flew above me. The breeze rustled my hair. I wandered through a visually rich inner landscape. My Soul Conversation was enlightening. Amidst all of this movement, Stillness emerged.
Opening my eyes, I noticed my dog resting nearby. He looked regal as he soaked in the sun – totally at rest and seemingly content. I realized that he often sought the light patches in the house or spent time resting in the sun on the back deck. Totally at rest and seemingly content.
Moving inside, my plans rearranged themselves again when I felt the desire to attend to my plants.
This again was unexpected. After all, I had a Dead Plant Sale when I lived as a resident advisor in the undergraduate dorms during grad school. I was clearly missing the ‘green thumb’ gene, yet here I was with a desire to tend to my plants. I have only one type of plant in my home and office given my seeming inability to keep them alive. Whatever type of plant I have, it is very forgiving and truly resilient.
I discovered that my plants were thirsty, the leaves wilted, and the vines long overdue for trim.
So I watered them. Trimmed them. Talked to them. Promised them more care. Finally I moved them all into the light.
When my husband came home, I informed him that our plants were “Light Bathing” until tomorrow.
I was struck by that term. I actually felt a warm pleasure throughout my body when it was said aloud. I noticed that I had turned on the lights that day in all of the rooms around me – using light as an accent of the beauty and tranquility of my surroundings.
Later in the day, while hiking in the woods, I noticed the presence of light everywhere.
I walked through ribbons of light in the denser forest and in bright sunshine through the field. When I prepared and ate my dinner, I blessed the food and those who brought it to me with Light.
I recognized that Light Bathing was not a new thing – it was a normal part of life. My dog already knew this, as did my plants.
Creating a new art piece that evening, I felt the lightness of enthusiasm and enjoyment while translating an inner vision into physical form. I chanted while I worked and consciously poured light into every layer of the mixed media painting.
My day ended with a practice to Steady the Light.
I resourced my energy field – physical body with the vital life force arising from the Earth and descending from the Heavens. Grateful for the day, it was no surprise to discover that it ended much as it had begun …
I was light soaked.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
A recent Gallup poll reported about a third of workers in the US are unhappy and disconnected at their jobs. Research at Central Michigan University found that exposure to natural elements seemed to have a positive impact on workers. Sunlight exposure revealed an even stronger influence. Indirect sunlight was associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms while direct sunlight was related to improved satisfaction and sense of loyalty at work. Employers, take note!
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
Three months ago, I unexpectedly entered into a relationship with a horse.
I met Zor during a visit to Liberty Stables in Florida, where I had gone to spend time with a friend’s horses. I had no particular expectations. I have no background with horses, no training, and no experience in equine-assisted therapy. I simply met this magnificent Friesian, and something quietly familiar unfolded between us.
I fell in love.
The women who arrive in my classes, retreats, and therapy sessions are sincerely looking for healing, expansion, clarity, or sometimes just a little room to breathe.
They are thoughtful women, deeply engaged with the people and work they love. Rarely do they arrive because they want another spiritual philosophy. Most are carrying something much more ordinary.
A life that has become full. Beautiful in many ways, but crowded.
About twenty-five years ago, I was driving with a colleague to a local conference. As we approached the hotel entrance, I noticed an open parking spot near the front door.
“There’s a spot,” I said, pointing to the right. He drove past it.
A few seconds later, another one appeared. He drove past that one, too. Then I pointed to a third. “There’s a spot.” Without the slightest hesitation, Dan replied, “I’ll leave that for someone else.” And he calmly parked much farther away. As we walked to the entrance, I asked about that statement.
During the Seeding the Light Gathering, I had the privilege of hosting Pascual and Jose Tomas in our home.
They feel like family as this was their second visit to New Jersey. We’ve also spent a week together in Damanhur and the Temples of Humankind in Italy. I’ve sat in many ceremonies with Pascual in Peru’s Sacred Valley. His flute playing often carried me up mountain trails in the thin air and hot sun.
I planned to work a bit, complete some projects, and enjoy slow days with plenty of relaxation.
All of that certainly occurred, but beneath it all, something else began quietly inviting my attention.
The plane had begun its slow fall toward the earth when a sharp ache pierced my ears. Half-dozing, half-aware, I surfaced into the moment just as the toddler in front of me woke with a scream that broke her open. The sound wasn’t defiance or misbehavior. It was pain.
I felt her small body struggling to make sense of something she couldn’t name.
Her mother bent over her with the tenderness of someone trying very hard to be a good parent. But her soothing came dressed in urgency, in the quiet pressure to behave, to use words, to be okay, to not disturb those seated around her. Her voice shook with the effort of managing her child’s distress and her own rising shame.
