Isn't "nourish" a nourishing word? I just want to wrap up in it! Or stick a spoon in it. Or... you get the idea. Nourish for me is all about self-care. As someone who has spent a lot of time caring for others, nourishing myself has sometimes been a challenge. But I am learning how taking care of ME really is the key to good relationships. Some of the things I do for self-care are:
write poems
read poems
walk
drink tea
treat myself (Zaxby's birthday cake shake, anyone?)
play cello
nap
Crazy, right?
I don't think Paul would have blinked, but I wanted to be perfect, and in that moment, perfect did not include needing a nap!
Fast forward a few years, and naps are a staple in our lives. I'm a lot better at nourishing myself than I once was. This extends to my spiritual life as well.
Deepak Chopra says "the spirit is nourished with equanimity and self-awareness." He also suggests that we are nourished by light: light foods, lightheartedness, letting our light shine.
Today I will think LIGHT. And laughter. And touch. All of these are ways to nourish and be nourished.
Another thing this brings to my mind is a prophecy you've probably read that's attributed to unnamed Hopi leaders -- which has caused some to question its origins and authenticity. I don't know where the prayer comes from, but I know I am drawn particularly to this line:
Where is your water?
Very often, my water is words. Also, these days, my water is... water! As in time spent at the lake. I am fed by love and time and silence and creating and simple ways of moving the body. And isn't all of this somehow related to my 2017 One Little Word "Abundance"? There is something for everyone. You are enough. God is everywhere. Every moment is a poem.
Nourished by light! I love that idea. And so many ways to experience light in our lives. "And where is your water?" Now that's something to contemplate. Love how your water is words . . . and water! I love thinking of you enjoying water at the lake house. I'm sure that you spend some time there creating and reveling in words too! BTW, I took a nap yesterday when Jack did! I love the portable monitor so I can crank up the sound, knowing that I will hear him when he wakes up.
ReplyDeleteYes, ma'am. Light, water, quiet, words. And naps! I'm sitting on my sun porch watching the light catch ripples of water splashing over the rocks in my creek. Birdsong and rustling leaves, occasionally a popping as the tin roof expands with the sunshine. Reading your words. I need a nap!
ReplyDeleteThose basic elements, light and water, can be so nourishing. Nothing calms my soul more than a bath by candlelight. Thanks for keeping us reflecting on our spiritual journeys. The posts feed my soul and nourish me.
ReplyDeleteIrene, your post is a vehicle of peace for me right now. It is soothing and poetic in its deliverance. It nourishes my soul and lets me relax (speaking of naps-it's bedtime). What stands out are these lines: Banish the word struggle from you attitude and your vocabulary. (from the Hopi leader), Every moment is a poem (that is whom you are - a poet with an artistic eye), your water image takes me back to summer moments. I love this shot so much that I want to place it in my summer gallery. Can you please either sign your name and location of the lake or just send me the location and I will add it?
ReplyDeleteWow Irene, you've taken us in so many lovely directions here. A line of your post that I particularly like is:
ReplyDelete" I am fed by love and time and silence and creating and simple ways of moving the body."
It reminds me of days I set aside to cook--perhaps prepare for company coming or stocking up the freezer for surprise visitors. I love being in my kitchen on those days--thinking about the people who will eat the food, the quiet space (which I'll probably fill with music), trying to make each movement efficient as I swoop from cupboard to fridge to check on the oven, the wonderful smells that soon fill the house from my creations, the sight of the cooling rack lined with cookies or holding pans of brownies or lemon bars... Thanks for creating the ambience that jogged a nourishing memory!