Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty four brand new hours

are before me.

I vow to live fully in each moment

and to look at all beings

with the eyes of compassion.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

somehow I have skirted the end of despair….

inquiry for today~ maybe moving through your day is special…..

never leaving anyone behind

Choosing to engage wholeheartedly in this complex and hurting world is a profound spiritual path. You learn to turn toward your own pain and wounds while simultaneously recognizing that the events of your past do not need to define your future. Navigating the complexities of human relationships, you learn to relate to the pain that others carry without becoming overwhelmed.

This requires recognizing that you are not responsible for their pain. You do not need to protect others from their difficult feelings or yours. You develop the capacity to connect to others without losing a connection to yourself. Even the most carefully chosen and well-intentioned loved ones will sometimes hurt your feelings. You too, will sometimes hurt them.

Yet, you can remain open-hearted as you navigate these conflicts. This is yoga. It is the wisdom that comes with being able to sit with polarities and contradictions as they exist in and around you. Your breath becomes an ally to help you navigate the stormy seas of life. You develop a greater capacity to compassionately relate to pain while preserving hope that this can provide fertile ground for growth.

~Dr. Arielle Schwartz