Six weeks to Savor

Succulents, photo credit Kirsten Akens 2015

Today I began Rachel Cole’s "Savor" program.

I'm excited.

And I'm nervous.

Committing to this program means listening to a different guided meditation every Monday through Friday for the next six weeks.

I'm not the best at these kinds of commitments. I get bored. Or tired. Or "busy."

Or it gets hard.

I miss a day. And then I miss another day. And then the easiest thing to do is give up.

But I knew when I first read Rachel's announcement about Savor that this practice was something I needed. Something I was craving, especially at this time of year. I really do want set opportunities to pause each day, as Rachel writes, to find "daily sanctuary amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season," and to "close out the year in a deeper relationship with yourself."

Along with each meditation comes a writing prompt for further exploration of that day's focus. Which got me thinking about my blog, and recommitting to it as well. I asked Rachel if I could bring the prompts and my responses to you all here.

Her response? "Go for it!"

So ... I'm going for it.

Each day, I'll do my meditation. I'll tackle the prompt. I'll share my answers. And I'll ask you to contemplate the same topics I'll be contemplating. Some days you'll get a lot from me. Some days, not as much. Some days prose. Some days, perhaps, poetry. And some days maybe just an image. Over the next six weeks, each Monday through Friday, you'll get something from me — my hope is that whatever that something is will help you pause and connect more deeply with yourself.

With that, today's prompt is:

I feel most alive when ...

I feel most alive when I'm dancing. Body moving, heart pumping, breath flowing, music pounding. I feel joy in this place. Pure and simple joy.

There aren't many places in my life where my brain turns off. Where the to-do list doesn't run rampant. Where my worries of the day, week or lifetime don't tap me on the shoulder.

But get me on a dance floor, or in my kitchen with some tunes turned up high, and I can shut it all down. I can connect, deeply, with my physical self, and let all the rest go.

That's when I feel most alive.

Now I ask you:

When do you feel most alive?