One

“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else” – Leonardo DaVinci

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.” — Albert Einstein

“I am he as you are he as you are me, and we are all together.” – John Lennon and Paul McCartney

I think you get the gist.

I confess that these troubled times have me, well … troubled. Troubled enough that I wound up in the ER with all my doctors thinking I had a serious heart condition. Severe chest pain and pressure, constriction across the rib cage, pain down the arm, couldn’t breathe, arrhythmia off the charts…. Some tests confirmed the fears (the stress test being one — that should have been a hint). The big one that shows what is really happening (the cardiac catheterization), however, found that there is nothing physically wrong with my heart or arteries. The final, though of course tentative, conclusion?

Stress.

So, I’m off medication but on helpful supplements. I’m exercising, with a gradual and careful rate of increase. I’ve knocked fatty and highly processed foods, and “bad carbs”, out of my diet. I have lost much of the weight I’d put on in the past year. I’m meditating daily.

I’m feeling a little better each day.

I find that meditation on that sense of interconnectedness has been very helpful. I truly do believe the wise ones who state that all life is part of one great Creative Force.

The plants, the earth, the air, the animals, all human beings on this planet (and possibly others) — even the ones that don’t think as I do — are One.

They are all a part of me.

That’s hard to grasp at times. However, my animal friends are always willing to help. Do animals always get along? Heck, no, of course not. Yet they are still more closely connected to the cycles of life than most humans. They follow the earth’s ley lines, they dance the dance of predator and prey. They know when the seasons will change, and when it is time to move to new quarters.

I freely admit that, much of the time (especially lately) I feel my connection to animals in ways that I cannot sense with other humans. When I feel separated, alone, cut off from the great life force that powers all beings, I reach for the connection with the animals around me. From there, it’s only one more step (and sometimes a giant leap, but doable) to remembering that human beings (myself, included) are animals, too.

Are you also responding to the division around us with anxiety? I encourage you to find a quiet space with some of your animal friends. Sit with a hand on your dog’s heartbeat, or your purring cat in your lap. Upturn a bucket in your horse’s stall, and just plop yourself down to be with her. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and step outside of yourself to focus solely on them. Feel the connection — the rhythm of their breath, the warmth of their bodies, the softness of their fur, the smell of their unique presence. Give yourself time, each day, to remember that they, and you, are part of the same Breath of Life that quickens us all.

It won’t fix the problems of the world, but it will fix that moment, right there, in your small corner of it.

“We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion year old carbon
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.”
—”Woodstock”, written by Joni Mitchell,
and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (et.al.)

 

News and Updates:

Again, I must apologize for missing a newsletter issue. The explanation, though it’s hardly an excuse, is above. So much for my New Year’s Resolution to get all 12 issues out on time!

I want to thank everyone who has so kindly sent me support, good thoughts, and healing while I’ve been working my way back to health. You are so very appreciated!

As always, please continue to visit my website for updates, changes of schedule, etc. I will always try to keep the Unavailable Times page current, and you can also follow my Twitter announcements in the sidebar.

Blessings and Light,