Life Is A Roller Coaster - Mindful Moment Mondays

Hello, everyone and welcome to another Mindful Moment.

Life is an incredible journey.

Sometimes it feels like we're on a roller coaster and we're ready for the ride with a little bit of nervousness.

We strap ourselves in, excited.
As we rise to the top, we feel the anticipation building.
At the top of the crest, ready, and sometimes not ready for the drop.
Ready for the for the huge rush of momentum catapulting us into a phase of exhilaration.
Sometimes we throw our arms up in the air squealing with delight.

Other times, it's all we can do, but hang on for dear life.
And this is life.

Sometimes our journey is calm and with a little bit of excitement, maybe with some twists and turns, a little unexpected but we can smile through it.
Or at the very least not be so terrified.

It's all a part of the journey.

I invite you to find a comfortable position.
Eyes open or closed, whatever it feels good for you in this moment.
Feeling your breath,
Connecting to the inhale.
Feeling the rise of your chest and the expansion of your belly.
Feeling the softness of the exhale.

For today's practice, I'd like to read you a poem.

When I wrote this poem, I was in a very challenging part of life.
I was on the roller coaster and I was not prepared for the momentum it was about to thrust me into.
I was terrified.

Instead of resisting, I threw my arms in the air with my heart racing.
Life had taken my breath away, tears blowing in the wind.
Instead of resisting, I dove into the rush.

My heart bursting open.
First from pain.
And when I couldn't hold the pain any longer,
I let it explode.

Connecting to your breath.

My path is full of turns and bends through places unknown.
Down valleys and mountains to new sites unseen.

Visiting dark skies with dazzling stars.
Basking in Sunbeams, warming my face as it lifts towards the heavens.
A journey only I can take.
An experience of my own.

No wrong turns.
Only uncharted pathways.

Choosing the road less traveled.
Trusting the guide and faith in the process.
Breathing into the spaces less familiar.
Being always in the right place at the right time.

We are always in the right place at the right time.

Breathing, breathing, breathing.

Life is happening for us.
So often when we're on the roller coaster and we don't want to be, we feel like it's happening to us and it can feel scary and overwhelming.

And in these moments, if we can find our breath,
if we can find, our connection to life,
It is possible in this space to have faith and trust that there is a pearl of wisdom deep within our experience.

There are gems of wisdom and gems of knowledge all around us waiting to be discovered.

And this is why we come together to sit and breathe.

So we can practice connecting to ourselves and to the moment.
So when we are caught off guard, we can ground ourselves again.
It is called a practice because we show up every day.
And when we forget it's okay.

Feeling your chest rise,
Releasing the breath.

Often when we step off the roller coaster,
we feel invigorated,
alive,
vibrating,
grinning ear to ear,
eyes twinkling filled with energy,
ready to do it all over again.

And sometimes we get off the rollercoaster, it's all we can do to find the nearest place to sit down and catch our breath.
We may feel nauseated,
destabilized,
discombobulated.
We may think, “Oh my gosh, I don't ever want to do that again.”

Life is an incredible journey.

Some of the roller coasters are fun.
Some are scary.
Almost all of them take our breath away.
Some make us giggle.
Some may make us cry.

This too, is part of our human experience.

Feeling the laughter,
feeling the tears,
feeling into our breath.

As you go about your day, may you enjoy the ride.
And remember when we're on the roller coaster, we are buckled in.
We are safe and we are secure.
Even when it feels like it's too much.
We are still safely on the rollercoaster.

Hold on. Dear friends, hold on.

Let's take one more deep breath together.

And exhaling.

I wish you an amazing ride and amazing journey.

Be well, my friends be well.
May you have a beautiful day.
Wishing you the best from my heart to yours.