On this day of equal light and dark, we seek balance as the wheel of the year turns into fall (in the northern hemisphere) and spring (in the southern hemisphere).
How are you seeking balance today?
Seed Heads
In the late summer garden, the abundant, bright flowers have become dried, brown seed heads. What once fed buzzing bees of many kinds now provides food for the goldfinches, whose bright yellow plumage reminds me that even the dull brown garden is still a source of nourishment.
What or whom are you nourishing today?
With-ness
A reading to repeat a few times throughout your day:
To the refugee family seeking a safe place
For their children’s dreams, say:
I am with you in this.
To the trans teenager longing for a world
That accepts them for who they are, say:
I am with you in this.
To the black parents wondering when
Will the lives of their children truly matter, say:
I am with you in this.
To the lonely, the frightened, the dispossessed, say:
I am with you in this.
To the bullied, the battered, the broken down, say:
I am with you in this.
To the hungry and the homeless,
To the silenced and the shamed,
To the weary and the worried, say:
I am with you in this.
To all those for whom your
Disheveled heart is aching, say:
I am with you in this.
-Philip Lund
Peace
Today, a body meditation from Kathy Underwood, to the words of Gandhi. Do what of it you are able to do and what brings you peace and joy.
I offer you peace (arms outstretched in front of you with palms facing up)
I offer you friendship (arms outstretch in front of you with hands clasped)
I offer you love (arms crossed over chest)
I see your beauty (touch eyes)
I hear your needs (touch ears)
I feel your feelings (hands touch chest)
My wisdom comes from a higher source (arms reach up, palms facing up)
I honor that source in you (arms outstretched in front of you, palms facing up)
Let us work together (arms outstretched in front of you, hands clasped)
Music
“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” -Kahlil Gibran
However your body experiences music, spend some time with it today. Feel the rhythm, move your arms, sway in time, hum or sing, or listen to the words of a song that connects you to something beyond yourself.