Today is one of those supremely delicious Brazilian summer days that requires full body absorption. It’s 6:30 am and the roosters are crowing and the bright green maritacas have come to roost in the mango tree behind the house. The dogs are curled up on the mat at the kitchen door, savoring the warmth of the first rays of sun with every fiber of their furry little beings.
I’m making the first of five rounds of coffee, thinking of our upcoming trip to see Joao de Deus. What will I ask him this time? I put a big pot of hot water on the stove to boil the utensils, and then I remember. The last time I visited, I asked for assistance with my lifelong struggle with living in the present.
I laugh at the thought. Here I am, fully absorbed in the tasks of Helena’s healing—a protocol so rigid that all one can do is to take each day one minute at a time. Scrub the carrots, chop the carrots, make the juice, add supplements, drink. Wash the juicer, check the next round of greens, put more coffee on the stove.
There are relatively few moments of down time in our life these days, but we’ve learned to adapt to the schedule so that we can get in a 30 minute walk at least once a day. We read passages of books aloud, working to understand how and why and now. We talk while we chop, and sometimes we just breathe and do. There is only now.
Yesterday fear made a nest in my head.
I cried off and on throughout the day, thinking only the very worst thoughts. By 5:00 pm I was miserable—and our schedule was completely thrown off as a result. Nothing could shake it.
In Helena’s online course, Difficult People and Other Angels, she coaches participants to understand the messages behind challenging relationships. People learn to look for the gifts in each challenging life experience. Yesterday, I couldn’t find a single one.
Then, just before bed, I remembered Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom:
Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.
It was like a slap in the face. If I look at it moment by moment, our life is exceptionally beautiful. Yes, the way we spend our time has changed, but we’re spending more time together than ever before. The conversations we’re having require me to grow in ways I’d never intended or expected. In between, I spend much of my time in quiet ritual, which has become my new form of meditation.
Thinking “What if?” promotes guilt and remorse. “What next?” Worry and fear. Fully living Right Now means giving full attention to the sacredness of my life. Now is everything.
I am thinking of this as the dogs burst into the kitchen. While I was lost in thought, they discovered a ripe mango under the tree. Mina has learned to wait for them to drop, and it is an ecstatic experience every single time she finds one. She drops it on the mat and looks up at me with expectation of gratitude and praise.
I kneel and give thanks for the gift.
Just for Today
Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, do not anger.
Just for today, be grateful.
Just for today, work honestly.
Just for today, be kind to others.
–The Five Reiki Principles, BY DR.MIKAO USUI
YOUR TURN
Today, as you revel in the beauty that is your life, allow yourself to fully experience each moment. Breathe it in great gulps, savoring the deliciousness of NOW. Later–not now–send me a note and tell me about it.
