Renewal and Appreciating Beauty
It Felt Love by Hafiz
“How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being. Otherwise, we all remain too frightened”.
Śri Rām Jai Rām Jai Jai Rām
Breaking down some of the words in this mantra:
Ra is a direct and expanding energy like an arrow it brings expansion wherever it goes, just like Oṃ. When Ra combines with Ma, is like the energy of the sun, powerful solar energy, and all-pervading. Ja is the word that destroys mental and physical suffering, and Jai is a word for celebration. Ya, like Ai is the power of renewal. This mantra is for revival and renewal. (Spiritualtalks.com) Rām is the seed sound of fire in the solar plexus chakra, it brings action, creation, and yang quality of being, the presence of spring awakening winter.
As we shift from the chill of winter and the spring season emerges, the birds call to us with their song in the morning. Their sounds beckon us to walk toward the light that is shining forth from life. That symbolism of the light rising, the sprout growing, and the ground unthawing. It reminds us of the Beauty of all life. Beauty brings us into the heart. It awakens the place of gratitude and appreciation. To set our gaze on that which brings hope and inspiration. Beauty, defined by Wikipedia, is a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.
Beauty as a form of meditation in life can take many shapes. Connect to nature and practice expanding your periphery, as if breathing with your skin, taking in all the colors and sounds.
Indulging in something that feels pleasing through the senses. Soft feels like a fuzzy blanket, or warm feels like a bath or tea. Indulging in tastes and savoring them. In your morning routines, when applying items to your skin, slow down, breathe and feel the magnificence of your touch. In your Yoga practice, beauty is honoring where your body is and appreciating all aspects of you! Look for beauty in the unlikely places, whether that is within you or in the world. In your interactions and relationships, listen for the space in between the person’s words, gestures, and actions. Allow your awareness to shift to the subtleties, to me this is beautiful because it brings me into the moment and non-verbal communication. For me, poetry is essential to my beauty meditation practice, especially Sufi poetry. Sufism is the mystical tradition of Islam, and Sufis believe that beauty is the pathway to the heart to experience love. Love for oneself and inevitably a Divine Love.
Zia Inayat Khan says,
“Beauty is the key it leads onto further horizons of discovery because beauty is just beyond reach. It approaches you, it draws you forth, you pursue it, then it shows you something more it withdraws, and you are led on and on to the endlessness of the Divine beauty which is never exhausted.”
What I learned in the aftermath of the March 2022 intention. The theme was full of beautiful heart energy for me, my favorite. I loved chanting Śri Rām and imagining flowers blooming in my heart. I contemplated how I appreciate the beauty within- the easiest way for me is in the subtlety, the sensations, the space between, and the sweetness, all the S's! I wonder whether we appreciate the beauty within by honoring the parts of ourselves that are easy to love. Or do we appreciate the places that need more love? In Sufism, beauty is the pathway to loving oneself and experiencing love with another- human love. How do we do that? I learned that it expands my awareness like I do when I appreciate nature and listen/see beyond the five senses. I can sense what is being expressed or said beyond the context/content/story. It is like seeing or being present in the mystery and energy of ALL things.
May beauty be a full cup that never runs dry for you! I leave you with another one of my favorite poets and one of my own.
John O Donahue speaking on beauty:
“Beauty isn't all about just nice loveliness, like. Beauty is about more rounded, substantial becoming. So I think beauty, in that sense, is about an emerging fullness, a greater sense of grace and elegance, a deeper sense of depth, and also a kind of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life. What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation. When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real-life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace.”
Here is my own Haiku for the shift from winter to spring
Tendril emerges
Sunlight, warmth, brings expansion
Sprouts rise up- lightness
Spirit beckons growth
Transformation is action
Creative impulse
Potency in bloom
Balance-depth of roots-ground-rise
Potential toward sun
Remain malleable
Too much focus wood can break
Flexibility
Heart open to hope
Clarity in vision- Spring
Decide direction
