Greetings Sunny Optimists,
As many of you may know, David and I have studied an ancient body of Earth Wisdom for the last 25 years. These Origin Teachings of the Delicate Lodge awakened my appreciation of the majesty and the mystery of the Wisdom of Earth. It has been a loving embrace from the outset, and I knew I had come home. I am now an elder in this tradition, and it brings me so much joy to share this ever-unfolding Wisdom with others.
If you would like to read about my first meeting with WindEagle and RainbowHawk in a stone circle at Balquidder Scotland, please click here.
The Tsalgi Prayer Dance
One of the earliest practices introduced during our training was a meditative prayer dance called Tsalgi. It is like Tai Chi with a series of movements that brings alignment and balance. You dance to each of the four cardinal directions and welcome in and give away energy as you move. It centers and connects me to the beauty of the natural world around me. I love it, and 25 years on the Tsalagi is still part of my daily practice.
If you would like to see this dance in action, please click here or on the image below.
In Praise of the Earth
As I was dancing the Tslagi this morning, I was aware of the gentle wind, the clear blue sky, and the changing nature of the daylight. It has been such a blessed relief to go outside to a more gentle temperature than we have had of late. I could feel an expansion in my chest as I recognised that I was feeling happy. Simply connecting with the Earth expanded my optimism there and then. As I moved to the gentle rhythm of the dance, the words of one of my favourite poems came into my mind. It is called 'In Praise of Earth' by John Donohue. I decided that this would be the focus of our time together today.
This poem is a most beautiful and evocative appreciation of the evolutionary creation story. It weaves together the miracles of life that arise from the seeds of all potential. John’s words open our hearts to all the colors and nuances of being alive. It askes for the Earth’s forgiveness for the harm we do. Then he calls us into a deeper relationship and responsibility for our legacy and lineage with Earth. So much beauty there to savour. Enjoy:)
I have recorded the poem for you to listen to a meditative space. I hope the words and imagery open your optimism today.
Click here or on the photo to access the meditation.
Questions for today
So my questions for you today are ;
What aspects of your relationship with Earth opens up your optimism?
What daily practices of connecting with the natural world do you have?
As always I would love to hear from you.
Ann
In Praise of the Earth
by John O’Donohue
Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth,
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.
And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.
When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.
Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.
Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.
The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed’s self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.
The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.
The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.
Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.
That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.
Reminds me of the song-symphony Das Lied von der Erde. The Song of the Earth by Gustav Mahler. Written about 1908. A setting of Chinese poems
Always great when The Sunny Optimism comes into my email inbox. I’m sorry for a slightly slow reply. Optimism has reached my heart more and more. Even in the last hour. After an edgy morning I am convinced of my gratitude for everything more and more and more. And one of the loveliest things to feel is the Earth softly touching my feet beneath my tread. Our great home. Our wonderful home. It really is like a colossal mother to all of us and to all of life. She holds us here delicately by gravity. Even allows us to visit her friend the moon. The optimism she brings us through her warmth of her own life bringer the Sun is infinite
Let’s all be grateful. Let’s look after her and ourselves more and more. Life can be blissful. And it will be. Cheers Richard 😀