Returning to the Nest

Here is the link to a site where you can watch, in real time, bald eagle parents raising their young. www.ustream.tv/channel/decorah-eagles. Dad brings home the prey: rabbits, rodents and fish. Mom plucks out the innards to feed to the kids. And at any given time there may be as many as 150,000 humans watching. I'm intrigued by this whole thing for two reasons.

1. This mom and dad act with such purpose, preparing the nest, creating eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch, and then nurturing and nourishing their offspring. They are vigilant but not fearful. They are protective but not stressed. They snatch prey with efficiency and cunning, sacrificing the prey so the predator can live. There is no drama; there is simply a purpose-filled life. I'm curious...what would our lives be like without the stress, anger, regret and revenge that lies below the surface of all our personal and collective dramas. Would we live with the same efficiency, clarity and purpose as these magnificent creatures? Are they teaching us how we can live more fulfilling lives? Take a look and let me know what you think.

2. When you tune in to watch, you will be join by 90,000 to 160,000 other humans. It's amazing to me that, in real time, we are all sharing this common experience, wanting to see babies take their first tentative steps across the nest, eat yummy fish innards, and topple over each other as they settle in for a nap. How hopeful and refreshing that we have left behind the insanity of our man-made world for a glimpse into the wonder of the natural world. And, better yet, we are not alone.

Eagle's Eye View

My New Year's Resolution is to hone an eagle's eye view of my life. When I feel annoyed,irritated or stressed, I plan to fly up into the nearest tree or to soar over the landscape of my life to get a broader perspective. This week, I'm getting ready for a trip (as many of you know, that happens fairly often). This time I am going out of the country, and there are more details than usual to consider. From my familiar place on the ground, it looks like a lot of scrambling for here to there, collecting and organizing what I need. But from my perch high above, I clearly see a network, all connected for my behalf. The man at the diving shop who sold me my new snorkel mask is linked to the neighbor who is taking in the mail, who is linked to the pilot of my plane, who is linked to the sea turtle with whom I plan to swim. It's like one big living organism, all in cahoots to support me and guide me on my journey. From up here it is awesome to behold.

In the Dark

The power went out in our neighborhood the other night. I had so many things planned for the evening and there I was in total darkness. At first every step was uncertain; what would I bump into? I kept thinking it would end any minute and there would be light again. Then I got it...why try to navigate when I could just relax and soak up the darkness? Instead of being uncertain; I decided to be curious and open to the "mystery." I found that as I became more present in the darkness, the more light there seemed to be. The moonless sky was brilliant with stars stretching into space. I began to recall memories of starry nights long ago; my imagination began to play and the night became magical. Who needs the electric grid?!?!!? We really do have the power to create our own light.

New Moon Meditation

The Moon is in the darkest part of her cycle today, the New Moon, when the light dies away and we linger and await its renewal. During this time, from the depths of the darkness our deepest emotions can swim to the surface. We all know the dark emotions of fear, anger and grief and can recognize their effects in our everyday lives. On an energetic level, these emotions can short-circuit our loving nature. They can muddy our relationships, cloud our judgment and even clog our organs and cells.

In the darkness of the new moon, take a few moments in meditation to sit quietly with your emotions. Pick one…fear, anger or grief. Acknowledge the thoughts or the story that is attached to that feeling. Then let it go and sit with just the emotion. Don’t resist it. In fact, acknowledge it, give it the respect it deserves! Just let it become detached from you. Be an observer of it. You may discover that the emotion does not seem so dark and troubling. In fact, as the light of the moon returns you may step into that light and find it shining through to your more truly creative and joyful nature.