My husband saw the explosion. He was up on a cell tower at the time, one of his many different jobs where he climbs way high up to work on and repair those towers that allow us to have great coverage on our cell phones.
He came home that evening and told me that as he looked out over the Pacific Columbia Gorge, one of the most beautiful and pristine wilderness areas I have ever seen, he saw the beginnings of what would become one of the worst forest fires in the world, burning over 35,000 acres and filling the skies with ash and smoke for days.
A Heartbreaking Loss
For me, and for many of us living here experiencing this disaster firsthand, it has been heartbreaking. The loss of our precious forest was personal – it was a place of healing and purity. Along with the oppressive smoke in the air, it became difficult to breathe on many levels.
It can feel like these are dark times. In many of my conversations with people we speak about how hard it is to witness what seems like huge suffering out there in the world. Even if we aren’t experiencing a disaster personally, reading about, hearing about and watching the images of hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, shootings, political unrest and unchecked hatred worldwide affects us deeply. We find ourselves unsettled inside, we wake sometimes with anxiety and worry and a feeling of darkness that can turn to depression if left unchecked.
“What can I do that will make a difference?” “It’s all feels so big, so overwhelming.” “I don’t know how to handle my own feelings of fear and anger about what is happening.” “It all feels so dark right now”.
Now is the time when it is so important to remember that we have our own inner light. No matter what is happening “out there”, we can turn within and find it, that light which gives us our life force, that light which gives us breath, that light which is our own pure awareness, that light which is always there. We can shine our light up every day, and we can shine it into the world.
An Exercise in Shining Your Light
Here is a very simple exercise to connect to and shine your light that can be done at any time for any length of time:
Close your eyes. Put your attention in the very middle of your forehead, then let the muscles in and around your eyes relax completely so there is no strain as you keep your focus in the very center of your forehead.
Now, at the same time, begin to consciously follow your breath, simply noticing the in and out flow. As you settle into the breath, begin to use your ability to visualize. With each breath in, see bright light come into your body.
Feel this light fill you from your head all the way down to your toes with the inbreath. With each breath out, let this light move from the toes to the head and then out into the world, filling the world with bright light. Continue until you feel shiny.
Such a simple action can make a huge difference! I’ll meet you here, in the light.
If you would like to know more about finding and working with your own light, then please get in touch.