How to Live When a Loved One Dies: Healing Meditations for Grief and Loss | 
“When fireworks explode in the night sky, sparks shoot out like flowers in all directions. You are like fireworks. You do not continue in a straight line; you radiate in all directions, into your children, your friends, your society, and the whole world.”
“We are like candles. We send light out all around us, radiating in all directions. All our thoughts, words, and actions are our light. If we say something kind, our kind words will go out in many directions, and we go along with them.”
“On a beautiful sunny day, you may look up into the sky and see a nice, puffy cloud...You fall in love with this cloud. You want it to stay...But then its shape and color start to change. The sky becomes dark, and it begins to rain...You begin to cry for the return of your beloved cloud. But when the cloud transforms itself into rain, you can look deeply into the rain and see that your cloud is still there, laughing and smiling at you.”
“Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with wonders, such as the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. Life is not only suffering. We can learn to be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, anytime.”
#death #loss #forgiveness
“But the real question is not whether our loved ones can forgive us for our failings, but if we can forgive ourselves. Do we have enough compassion for ourselves? Can we see that we were doing the best we could with the conditions we had at the time?”
“We [can] also cultivate compassion for ourselves, forgive ourselves, and vow that from now on we will do better. If we know how to do better, we suffer less right away. We don't suffer the feeling of guilt anymore…This is an opportunity for us to learn to live differently. We can no longer help our loved ones who have died, but there are so many people alive we can help today.”
#grief #death #loss #sunsets
“...our loved ones live on in us and we can speak to them whenever we want. We can apologize for our unskillfulness and ask for forgiveness. We can smile to them and say the things we should have said but didn‘t have the chance to say. Say it right now and they will hear it. We can begin anew with our loved one even after they have died.”
#grief #loss #death
“Do not be afraid of your painful feelings and difficult emotions. If we try to repress our painful feelings, we create a lack of circulation in our psyche which can lead to depression or other psychological problems. Just as the body needs good circulation of the blood to remain healthy, we also need good psychological circulation.”
My cat Boots ❤️#catsoflitsy
“Identifying and naming our painful feelings reduces their power over us. It is important to know what we are feeling. Our peaceful breathing and compassionate embrace will calm these strong emotions and allow them to transform naturally.”
#mentalhealth #mindfulness #sunset
Peace Is Every Step
Peace is all around us, in the world and in nature. Peace is also within us, in our bodies and mind. The act of walking waters the seeds of peace that are already there inside us. Our mindful steps help us cultivate the habit of touching peace in each moment. The mind can go in a thousand directions.
But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.
With each step, a gentle wind blows.
With each step, a flower blooms.
“When life seems like a turbulent ocean, we can remember we have an island of peace inside.”
“Spending time walking in nature every day helps reconnect us with our body, the earth, and the wonders of life. Nature has the capacity to embrace our pain and transform it.” #cloudlibrary #mentalhealth #nature
