This past summer, I spent five days wrapped in a glorious cocoon of beauty and love. In a community with brilliant souls, I delved into the profound yogic practices of Tantra and enjoyed divine vegetarian goddess lunches as the Colorado summer sun danced across the fields and mountains.
In the evenings, the sounds of steamy hot springs emerged, flowing from the belly of the earth and cascaded across the rocks soothing my soul as the warm water softened tension from my body. In the mornings I awoke at “the bird house,” aptly named, as it was a veritable hummingbird mecca.
One of the most vibrant messages of that week was, simply, start with love.
In your work + business, in relationships, in your self-care practices, whether they be meditation or some other discipline, and in all you do in life, start with love.
Amidst THE BUSY of life – as a so(u)le mama of two young ones, a college professor, curriculum designer and online course specialist, yogi, and owner of two small businesses working to expand the healing pulse in the world – I came to see how I had turned my beloved practice + work-life passions into things on my to-do and get-done list.
And while daily commitment to self-care and dedication to my work and relationships was without a doubt, strong, without the vibrant infusion of starting with LOVE, even the most dedicated practice, and high quality work and invested relationships can yield a subtle dullness that no DOing can resolve.
Starting with love, with reverence and gratitude is like priming the pump of our own inner vitality. And it literally changes everything.
When we start with love, we connect to that divine source of infinite calm and playfulness. The world appears more beautiful, more vibrant and more calm and really it’s a reflection of our own inner state.
When we clear out the muck, we can appreciate more deeply and fully all of the blessings couched oftentimes in unrelenting challenge and struggle, that shows up in big and small ways.
So amidst all the busy, all of the hustle and bustle, today, six months later, my heart is continuously full of gratitude and mind focused on love and service.
Starting with love literally resets our inner GPS.
So if there is any aspect of your life + work or self that is covered with a subtle dullness or lack of clarity, take a moment, observe the breath, and choose to start again, right now, with love.
And to all of my Curriculum Create-tresses out there- remember to start with love when you are brainstorming and working on your course and/or program design, and notice how it changes everything!