New Beginnings

Hello and welcome! As I launch this new website and new blog, I see a clear pattern of rebirth and renewal in my own life as well as continually in nature around me. There is birth and decay everywhere. Just last week we all experienced the New Moon (the beginning of a new lunar cycle) and the Autumnal Equinox (the beginning of a new season)! Certainly, there's a cyclic nature to this world we live in. The theme of new beginnings isn't a new one, of course. Its literally as old as time itself! In human culture, perhaps the most obvious new beginning might be the New Year, when people everywhere celebrate a fresh start, taking time to recommit to their goals with renewed fervor. Yet new beginnings take their forms in all manner of ways if we are only open to them. What if we could access that energetic strength of newness any time we wanted rather than waiting for the New Year? Well we can, because every moment is a new moment. Our goal in practicing mindfulness is to stay anchored in the present moment, letting go of our thoughts of a past that's only a memory trace and a future that's only an imagined outcome. Inevitably, though, the mind wanders, and when we come back to the present moment, we start again. This fresh start is available to us in any moment we choose to take it. And when we take that fresh start, time and time again, we often find that we can keep to our goals a little easier.

Sometimes it seems as though this cycle of new beginnings is like repeating a loop over and over. Yet when we observe closely, we notice that it is never quite the same. With each new beginning,
we take with us the energy of the last cycle, re-birthing to a new beginning that is somehow a reinvented version of ourselves. Taking in a deep breath, we know that no two breaths are ever the same, even when they generally feel that way when we aren't watching. This is a place for inspiration and encouragement! We know that those things that seem to repeat are here to help us learn and grow. With a spacious perspective of objectivity, we give room to those places that feel tight or stuck, allowing them to be just as they are. Letting go of our judgments of ourselves, we can listen intently through each cycle for what is new, what is learned, what is asking for acceptance, and what will grow into the next cycle.

Starting a blog has been a goal of mine for awhile, and here I am! I bring to this new beginning all the up-cycled energy of my previous cycles: the lessons I have learned, the insights I have discovered, and the healing I have received. Please join me in this journey of learning and growth and let us share in it together. Engage if you like, share if you like, send me feedback if you like! I'm extremely grateful for you in these early steps of this new beginning. May you be mindful of your own new beginnings, and have the strength to start fresh, however that might look for you.

If you haven't been there yet, check out my new website! Its been a long time coming, but its finally here and I'm absolutely thrilled!