"Instead of dwindling to a point, Santa Claus has grown larger and larger in my life until he fills almost the whole of it. It happened in this way. As a child I was faced with a phenomenon requiring explanation. I hung up at the end of my bed an empty stocking, which in the morning became a full stocking. I had done nothing to produce the things that filled it. I had not worked for them, or made them or helped to make them. I had not even been good--far from it. And the explanation was that a certain being whom people called Santa Claus was benevolently disposed toward me...what we believed was that a certain benevolent agency did give us those toys for nothing. And, as I say, I believe it still. I have merely extended the idea. THEN I only wondered who put the toys in the stocking; NOW I wonder who put the stocking by the bed, the bed in the room, the room in the house, and the house on the planet, and the great planet in the void. Once I only thanked Santa Claus for a few dolls and crackers, now, I thank him for stars and street faces and wine and the great sea. Once I thought it delightful and astonishing to find a present so big that it only went halfway into the stocking. Now I am delighted and astonished every morning to find a present so big that it takes two stockings to hold it, and then leaves a great deal outside; it is the large and preposterous present of myself, as to the origin of which I can offer no suggestion except that Santa Claus gave it to me in a fit of perculiarly fantastic goodwill."
By G. K. Chesteron in The Tablet 2
From the book "Spiritual Literacy"
Sara asked me to post my Savasana from last night... so... here you go:
Take a deep breath into your heart—feel your lungs—breathe in deeply—invite your heart to enlarge into the space that you have made—bring in an image of someone you love—who is it? hear their voice—see their face—remember their touch—can you allow your heart to be touched and opened?
Breathe into the LEFT UPPER CHAMBER of your heart—feel your heart space—this is the FULL HEART—when we are in abundance—when we are full of energy—in this space we have something to share—where everything we touch turns to gold—what do you have to share, to give—who do you direct this fullness to, unconditionally? Do you spread it around or are you selective? Do you have likes and dislikes in your full heart or can you just shine? The opposite of the full heart is coming to a relationship, half-heartedly, without a sense of your own presence or capacity to give—breathe into the left upper chamber of your heart, your full heart and see what it needs from you—let full heart whisper into your ear what it needs.
Now bring your attention to the LEFT LOWER CHAMBER of your heart—this is the OPEN HEART—a child’s heart—a five year old’s heart which has incredibly sensitive antenna—open heart has no prejudice, no idea of right or wrong doing, no judgment—How open is your heart? The opposite of an open heart is being closed, shielded, embittered, hard hearted—this can be the black heart, hurting others deliberately as a way of getting even—breathe into the left lower chamber of your heart—How open do you dare allow your heart to be?
Now bring awareness to the RIGHT UPPER CHAMBER of your heart—this is the CLEAR HEART—with diamond clarity—like a still pool of water that simply reflects—seeing and knowing everything because there is perfect clarity—this is part of the heart that knows instinctively when someone is sick—when something is wrong—clear heart approaches life without guile, palms open to life—communicating with clarity the love you feel—the opposite of clear heart is the cloudy heart—indecisive, not knowing, being obsessed with your own “stuff”—getting hooked into fear, greed and need—fold your energy around your clear heart—wish the fullness of crystal clarity into your heart.
Bring awareness to the RIGHT LOWER CHAMBER of your heart—this is the STRONG HEART—feel your heart as big as a lion, afraid of nothing, looking at everything with equanimity because you have nothing and nobody to fear. Let your strong heart find your dreams, your strengths—this is what I stand for, this is what I am ready to die for—without this my heart can live, but cannot fly—the opposite of the strong heart is yellow-bellied, lily-livered, indecisive, tentative, diffident, compliant before the will of others, then saying “why did I do that?” Breathe into your strong heart and see what it needs from you.
Now hold your space and breathe into all four chambers of your heart at once—the full, the open, the clear, the strong—this is me—my true self.
Adapted from the book: The heart of listening: a visionary approach to craniosacral work by Hugh Milne
I appreciate all of you who continue to support my yoga classes at the Cultivate Center. I am blessed, for sure!!
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