Today's Short Story
woke up early this morning. Snow was on the ground but the sun was bursting through the sky with joy and a feeling of renewal. It's finally Spring. I made some green tea and put on a homemade oatmeal face mask and sat down to do some yoga and stretches while listening to soothing Indian music. It began very simply, just bending over and focusing on my form in the mirror. Then, without realizing it, I closed my eyes during a deep and slow leg stretch and began breathing again. Deep inhale, deep exhale. It was unconscious, but it became soon apparent that I haven't breathed like this in a while. Nor have I dedicated so much of myself into one stretch in a long time. For the first time in months, I was truly slowing down. My body was sinking deeper into meditation as I sank into what my body feels like. I released and pulled into another stretch on the other leg. As I really sank deeper into stillness and nothing but my own breath, I noticed tears were pouring down my face. As I allowed it with total openness, it not only helped my stretch maintain itself, but I heard the sobs coming from me with more love and tenderness than I've allowed again, in months. It was such a release and I felt my body forgiving itself all over, like little buttons lighting up chaotically but in harmony. I began caressing my legs with such gentleness. I was nurturing my body with something I look towards others to do for me. I was truly being soft and gentle and kind to Me. I stood up to stretch and, as if through total muscle memory, began initiating some Qi Gong moves I learned 4 years ago. I allowed myself to feel the rusty parts moving and finding sync again. I kept my eyes closed and dropped out of thinking and my energy was above myself. My body shifted itself back and forth until it found the old position again, the exact movements that help me feel the magnetic forces running through my limbs. I was dancing with my soul, and it felt light as a feather. Or was it dancing with me? I moved for some time and finally felt a calm wash over me. I didn't realize how warm and charged I had become. I stood in a prayer position and said a spontaneous prayer - thanking whatever presented itself to my mind at the time, just letting go and letting the cosmos find me, instead of seeking it. I thanked the Earth, I thanked my Soul. I was thankful for this feeling and my spark of discipline this morning. I thanked the big blank space and the color green and grass. Then I thanked wombats. It stopped me. What? Wombats? And I started to smile. Once I smiled I realized that was what this whole exercise was guiding me towards. That one little perfect, organic smile that is laughing with the jokes and magic of this existence. I was thankful wombats came to me to remind me that even though I can be thankful, I don't have to be so serious about it. So thank you wombats! My new day has now begun.