Energy

So many

have responded-

Energy

is striking

a  reflection

that

I share

in hopes

of re-energizing

and taking care

for each who read.

Sometimes

when I am

tired,

I realize

this weariness

is the result

of having given

my energy

to others,

usually

lovingly.

Then,

what

I need

is to give

myself

quiet to restore.

There are different

ways

to recover from

fatigue.

For me,

it isn’t always

a matter

of needing

more sleep,

but having

enough time

to read,

to think,

to meditate,

or just sit

in a comfortable chair.

Watching

the patterns of

leaves

blowing in the wind,

listening to

chattering birds,

feeling

a cool breeze

or the warmth

of the sun-

all have restorative

power.

For me,

physically,

emotionally,

overstimulated,

at a crossroads,

I have

learned to welcome

the

tiredness

as

a protective gift.

How do you

feel

in this moment,

today?

Healing

Trying to

restore

our emotional health

can be

exhausting,

particularly if we have

neglected it.

No wonder

people sometimes

choose

to numb their pain.

It takes courage and energy

to dig deep

to help

emotional wounds heal.

We can

heal

only if we

know

what the wounds are.

Our bodies hold

emotional hurts,

sometimes for years.

There are many ways

to help

the healing process-

prayer,

meditation,

yoga,

reiki,

 therapy,

asking for forgiveness

and forgiving-

that strengthen

the body

along

with

the mind

and the soul.

Are you ready

to begin,

slowly,

with awareness.?

Living Lines

Recovery

It is important

to take things

slowly

and allow

recovery to happen

at its own rate.

There are no

magic formulas

for healing

physical,

emotional,

and spiritual wounds.

Healing occurs

on

its own schedule.

Sometimes

recovery

can be traced

in measurable milestones,

and other times,

it occurs

quietly

in the dark.

Black or White

Be relieved

that there is

something

that

can be

done about it.

When there is a problem,

health issue

or another difficult challenge,

be grateful

for the availability

of remedies,

even if

they

are not

magic cures.

Many problems

cannot

be solved

completely

but can be

alleviated

in some way.

Life

is not

usually

black or white,

but

it may

seem

that way.

There

are many

shades

of gray.

More Manageable

When you feel

life is

too intense,

imagine it as a

TV soap opera.

Turn the

sound down

until

it seems manageable

or mute

the sound.

Sometimes

we can’t

eliminate

the drama

in our lives,

but

we can

turn

the volume

down.

Living Lines    livinglinesreflections.com

Spirit Storage

Spirit Storage is the name of

an acupuncture point

on the upper chest.

At a time

When I was challenged

on many fronts

to share my energy,

this acupuncture term

reminded me

to pay attention

to my reserves

of spirit.

My personal image of

Spirit Storage

took a new form

when a dear friend gave me

a gold, beaded journal.

This beautiful book

is a reminder

that my store of spirit energy

is a

precious resource.

The best way

of keeping track

of my

store of spiritual energy

is meditation.

In the quiet,

I ask myself

if I need to

replenish my spirit supply.

Sometimes,

I realize that

I have not been aware

that my

spirit energy

is low.

Living Lines           livinglinesreflections.com

A Grief Observed

C.S. Lewis

In grief

nothing ‘stays put.’

One

keeps

emerging

from a phase,

but

it always

recurs.

Round and round.

Everything repeats.

Am I

going in circles,

or

dare

I hope

I am

on a

spiral?

But

if a spiral,

am I

going

up

or

down it?

Bouquet

Each

friend

represents

a world

in us,

a world

possibly

not born

until

he or she

arrives.

I have a bouquet

of friends,

each one

different.

I find

myself

revealing-

sometimes

discovering-

different

aspects

of myself

with each

of them.

livinglinesreflections.com

Filling Up With Moments In-Between

Artists know that

negative space

defines

a composition.

Musicians know that

the silence

between

the notes

is as much

a part of the

experience

of the music

as the notes.

Think of

space

and

silence

when you

breathe,

knowing

that

the pause

between

the

in-breath

and the

out-breath

fills you.

Paying attention

to one’s breath

is a

reminder of

how full of life

we are.

Imagine

soothing

oxygen,

filling

your body,

reaching

every cell.

It is a way

to stay

in the moment.

livinglinesreflections.com

More Understanding

Soul and body,

I suggest,

react

sympathetically

upon each other;

a change

in the state of the

soul produces

a change

in the shape

of the body,

and conversely:

a change in the

shape of the body

produces

a change in

the state of the soul.

Surprise!

Aristotle,

Physiognomics, c.350 B.C.E.

Aristotle’s theory is

much quoted today.

It is humbling

to think

that the

ancient Greeks

framed questions

that still preoccupy us

more than 23 centuries later.

It is exciting too,

because over the

past two decades,

scientists

have acquired

powerful

new imaging tools

that are

revolutionizing

our understanding

of the connection

between

body and mind.