Open Your Peace of
Heart
peace.
It does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.
It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. (unknown)
Where is your heart at peace?
Meditation, nature, music, art?
Our heart is at peace in certain
states or places, such as meditation, nature or music because we are a part of
that place where peace is found. It is who we are. We are peace.
We cannot look for, find or encounter peace. The peace we search for is who we are if we
“open our peace of heart” that is ourselves.
The most
peaceful place to me is the woods.
Almost every morning this summer (now fall) I would sneak away before
the girls were out of bed to engage in a stroll through the woods. Seeing the early morning sunrise pop up above
the trees, listening to the gentle melodies of the cardinal and occasionally
encountering a bunny or even a doe would set the tone for the day; opening my “peace
of heart.”
Recently we
went on a family vacation Up North to Mackinac Island. This is a special, even sacred place or space
for our family. We love it. Since our
daughter from Guatemala has been home over five years I think we have been
there at least five times. To us,
Mackinac Island is a place of peace.
From the clip clopping of the horse drawn carriages, to the sweet smells
of the Lake, to the gentle breeze blowing and the array of flowers Mackinac
Island is a place of peace.
Although
upon arriving, you might not think so.
The “main” street is busy with activity as the day tourists unload from
the ferries, the delivery carts pile up their goods and the bicycle riders
begin their journeys. Yet this is only a
small part of what the island actually encompasses. Just around the corner on the next street
over the pace is quieter. Head towards
the Grand Hotel and things begin to settle down even more. Around 6PM as the day tourists leave Mackinac
Island can transport you back in time to when life was simple, slow, quiet, and
peaceful. This is what opens my “peace
of heart.”
During the
early hours on Mackinac, prior to 10AM, the energy is serene. This is the time we bike around the island
after a slow stroll on the Pontiac Trail as the sun rises up. Like the movie Somewhere in Time, our time on
the island is magical, mystical. It
halts the chaos of our daily schedule and brings us back to ourselves, to
Mother Earth, to Creator. Here within
the Oneness of Life peace again is in my heart.
There is a
deep concern in the world today with the heart.
The heart is not at peace. Heart
disease is the number one cause of death in the western world. Over a decade ago my Dad transitioned after
having a heart attack. Heart disease
which can lead to a stroke or heart attack is caused by a blockage of blood and
oxygen to the heart. Oxygen, which makes
me think of breath or the Holy Spirit, is blocked from our heart. Blood, the Life Force or Creator, which
supplies all the nutrients needed, is shut off from our heart. When this occurs we suffer greatly and even
die a physical death. By connecting back
to the Holy Spirit through breath and ultimately to our Creator we can open our
“peace of heart”.
Breathing
Exercise:
1. Place your hand on your heart
2. Take a deep breath in and release
3. Take a second breath in and release
4. Take a third breath in and release
5. I AM a Heart of Peace(repeat three
times)
As many of
you know, this year we lost two members of our family, Max, our 21 year old cat
and Nick, our fourteen year old Persian.
It would have been very easy after their crossing to not invest another
decade plus financially and emotionally into new pets. In other words, I could have closed off my
heart in order to not experience the pain of the “perceived loss”. Yet, in closing off my heart I would miss out
on the joys, the happiness, the love and the peace, animal family members can
offer us.
My two
girls, ages eight and ten were insistent in finding kittens soon after Nick’s
crossing. After a friend informed us of
a litter nearby we waited patiently for the day we could bring them home. After “selecting” them in the barn, we toted
them home. Soon after it was apparent,
based on their behavior what their names would be, Licorice, who is black and likes
to lick and Pearl, who is a tabby and loves to purr. Love was in our home once again (although I
am not sure about peace). Our hearts
were open to the possibilities of this new love. Yet as we settled into our new routines and
life with kittens a peace did settled into my heart. I had opened my “peace of heart” to the
kittens and they had returned that peace generously.
Begin today
to find and open your “peace of heart.”
For me it is the woods, Mackinac Island and our new kittens that open my
Peace of Heart, what opens yours? What
brings your peace? Is it the ocean,
flowers, cooking, physical activity, mediation?
We each have a unique path and a unique path to peace. Honor it and “open your peace of heart.”
“If, within
the depths of our hearts, we want peace, we must do the things that belong to
peace.” –Hamid Bey
“So listen
to what the heart tells you for by doing so you will find the heart gives you
peace…” –Hamid Bey
Love, “with a
heart of peace”,
Susan J.
McFarland
09/23/13
