Dancer in Stillness

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. ~ Lao Tsu

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Stillness
And the faint echo
Of chimes
Fills the open 
Space.
A dancer rests
En air
Supported, open
Quiet and content.

Breath Meditation
Wave after wave 
Joyously crashes on the shore
Of my body.
Exhalation penetrates,
Dissolving the holding of
So many things. 
Letting go,
I am filled
Unified
Once again connected.
Each 
Cell inside is touched
By life
Grateful, receiving,
Smiling.

Full Bloom

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. ~Martha Graham

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Full Bloom
Reaching outward delicately
And abundantly,
Opening in full
Expression
For a brief moment
Of glory
Of joy.

Breath Meditation
My breath flow
Like ocean waves
Nourishing the shore
Of my body.
Every cell receives
Joyously.
Tension and 
Tasks of the day
Surrender.
Resting,
Trusting the silence
I find clarity.

Morning Light Caresses a Tree

In deep self-acceptance grows a compassionate understanding. ~ Jack Kornfield

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Morning light caresses
A tree
Warming the bare trunk 
And branches 
After being in the
Cold night 
Air.

Breath Meditation
Tension that encloses
Me,
And cuts off
The wondrous world
Where all beings
Breathe,
Melts away.
There is no 
Above and below
My heart opens
Wide.

Plum Blossoms in the Rain

Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. - Chinese proverb

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Plum blossoms light
Up
A dark gray sky,
While a gently rain
Falls,
Tickling my face.
A rainbow crosses
The sky somewhere.

Breath Meditation
Closing my eyes,
My face softens
Like a rose
Opening,
Taking in the soft air 
Through every petal.
On the exhale, my body
dances,
Flowing with nourishment.
Letting go of demands
And expectations,
I rest in the momentary
Pause.

A Bridge

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. ~Etty Hillesum

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Two branches 
Light up 
Like a bridge.
Sculpted and carried
By the morning
Sun,
The path is illuminated
For morning
Travelers

Breath Meditation
MyBreath opens
Me
To the vast 
Unknown,
To the paths
Not traveled.
Fears that contract my body
And make the world 
Small
Release
As air flows
Outward.
In the momentary silence,
I am being held.
Spacious and without
Limit,
There is the creative 
Spark of all life 
As breath gently
Fills me.

The Face of Winter

Smile, breathe, and go slowly. ~ Thich Nat Hahn

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Winter blooms.
Papery thin petals
Open
Facing the day
Taking in the light
Softly looking
Outward
With a smile.

Breath Meditation
My face softens
To receive
Life.
Breath streams in.
Muscles effortlessly 
Open my ribcage and
Free my lungs.
Shoulders melt downward
As I give back
This flowing velvet 
Air 
From deep inside.
Nothing exists right now,
But this.

A Bird in Balance

 When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. ~ Lao Tsu

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
A Robin Balances
Feet perched on the of
The highest branches.
Listening to the early morning
Symphony,
Soon, she will fly off
And join the others.

Breath Meditation
MyBreath flows and
Is never confused
Calling out,
Trust me, trust you.
Tension releases.
MyBreath unites
Left and right
Letting go of 
Difference.
There are no boundaries,
Only the constant cosmic
Interchange
Of life.

Morning Sky

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. ~ L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Clouds,
Painted in hues of 
Pink and orange.
Somewhere, 
The morning sun,
Peeks over the horizon,
Spreading light and color 
Everywhere.

Breath Meditation
Cool air
Awakens my torso.
My ribcage expands,

A deep breath fills me,
And then, my whole body
Releases into
Contentment,
Letting go,
While jumping
For joy.

Last Leaves of Autumn

 Breath connects the universe with our innermost processes and vice-versa. ~ Ilse Middendorf

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
The last leaves 
of Autumn
Sit 
On bare branches,
Resting for a while
On the way home
To Mother
Earth.

Breath Meditation
Waves of cool moist air
Flow into me.
Birds shout for joy
From every direction.
Every cell 
Joins in the celebration
Of another day.

Gathering and Dispersing

 "Relaxation means releasing all concern and tension, and letting the natural order of life through one's being." ~ Donald Curtis

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Yellow.
Tiny birds dart
Left, right, up, down,
Gathering and dispersing.
Leaves surrender
Falling to the ground
A symphony of chatter
Against a soft gray
Morning.

Breath Meditation
Breath opens and fills me,
Reaching up and down
My spine,
Into my feet, hands 
And head.
I settle back into
Nature
Where everything is happening
In the present moment.

Leaves carried by Mother Earth

To be sensitive is to be alive. Vanda Scaravelli

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Autumn leaves
Poised like scuplture
Each in their own gesture
Carried by 
Mother Earth.

Breath Meditation
Breath grows 
From its seed,
The center of existence
Of humanity
Of me.
A new power
Awakens,
Peaceful and effortless.
My body surrenders
To the constant rhythm
Of filling and emptying,
Life's energetic 
Essence expands in the moments of 
Resting silence.

Fiery Orange Leaves

Since the heart and breath are mutually dependent, the circulation of light must be united with rhythm of breathing. The Secret of the Golden Flower

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Golden sun turns
Dark red and yellow leaves
Into fiery orange brilliance
Against the blue
Serene morning sky.













Breath Meditation
Mind and breath join
Resting inward.
The looming tasks 
Of the day
Dissolve
Like pieces of paper
Falling away.
Breath by breath
Each cell begins to
Dance
In quiet and joyful
Freedom.

Early Autumn

 The breath is the intelligence of the body. ~ T.K.V. Desikachar

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Leaves turning red
Slender fingerlits take 
The autumn sun
Downward
Slowly transforming
Shimmering
Into a new
Season.

Breath Meditation
Coming home to my breath
Thoughts, concerns
And self-discipline
Yield into
Just Breathe.
Breath ripples like 
A river of velvet
Melting tension.
Bracing softens into
Joyful space.

August is Ripe

The universe provides nourishment and breathing is our way of absorbing it ~ Heiner Fruehauf

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
August is ripe 
Tomatoes
From seed to flower to
Fruit
Nourished by summer heat
Day after day
Every cell is sweet, full
And juicy.

Breath Meditation
Sun glimmmering on 
Closed eyelids,
MyBreath awakens in
Anticipation
Readied for the
Tasks of the day.
Resting in that millisecond
In between breaths,
Head and heart settle back 
Connecting to my pelvis, legs
And roots.
I become a rich and full
Cell 
Held with together with life 
By mother earth.

Oleander

True Breathing is like a flower blooming. If we hold our breath, the bud never opens. ~ Chungliang Al Huang

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Oleander
Each summer reach
A little higher.
Season after season
Bright red flowers
Bloom.
An offering to sky
whether it is dark or grey
Or blue.

Breath Meditation
My breath large and full
Seeps inward during the rest.
I feel a layer of tension
Holding me in, like a chrysalis.
MyBreath, smaller and soft now
Meanders like a river.
Neck, jaw, shoulders release
My body ponders how to grow and be free.
Feet extend. 
Legs reach like roots
Into the earth. 
My center is released and free to grow.
I extend upward
To flower,
Like an Oleander.

Green Tomatoes

When the body and mind are free of tension, inhalation creates an expansion of inner space throughout the whole body, as the lungs expand to take in air. On a psycho-spiritual level, inhalation creates a space to exist.


Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Green tomatoes,
Glistening in the morning
Sun.
Ripening
Growing
Maturing and
Enjoying every
Moment.

Breath Meditation
Lungs dance
Warming Up
Taking up space
Slowly, hesitantly.
Jaw and shoulders release
Mind surrenders.
A breath
Gaining permission
Expands
Matures.
Leading with
No mind
Becoming part of
Every mind
True leadership
is born.

Rustling Leaves

"Breath for health happens in the here and now. To breathe for health, you must be right here, right now." Robert Fried, PhD

Three Deep Breaths
Something Beautiful
Rustling leaves
The sound of 
A cool summer breeze
Leaves refreshed and vitalized are
Joyfully dancing.

  

Breath Meditation
Cool air brushes 
Across my arms 
And face
Breath enters 
Every pore
I feel a desire
To awaken
Beyond limiting thoughts
Into infinite 
Being.

Abundant Lillies

"By using conscious breathing in all your pursuits, you will improve nearly every aspect of your life. "
Perfect Breathing by Don Cambell and Al Lee
 
Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Abundant Lilies
Fertile
Flowing
What once was one
Is now many.

Breath Meditation
Muscles ready to achieve
My breath listens
Awake to a new season.
Planning dissolves
Into connection with
A gentle breeze
And a deep and resonant tone.
Inhaling and Exhaling,
My heart can open
To true purpose.

Single White Flower

There is a momentary still point after exhalation. This is a place of basic trust. Nothing has to be willed or controlled. One is carried by the earth and the universe, open to the air that naturally nourishes us.

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
A single white flower
Opens
Into the morning wind
And rain.
A confident resilience
Infuses
Delicate soft petals.














Breath Meditation
Skin moves with
Inhale
Expanding, making
Space,
And then floating
back to center
As my breath releases
Outward into the universe.
What is true 
Remains
In the silence.

Smooth Amber

A study found evidence that the daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain's cerebral cortex responsible for decision making, attention, and memory. See Article: http://bit.ly/9CFUU6

Three Deep Breaths

Something Beautiful
Soft morning light
Gives
A sheen
to smooth amber bark.
An owl hoots in
Low tones 
While small birds chatter
Above

Breath Meditation
Cool moist air
Inspires.
I stand on 
Mother earth
Alive.
My mind yields
To the joy of
breathing.
Letting go of
Effort,
I join
With the trees, birds,
And others awakening
on this day.