NEW

It’s a new place.

A new day.

A new life.

** warning: excess use of the word “new”**

Receiving sunlight, warmth of the “Rey Sol” (King Sun) in the Southern hemisphere. Another place on Earth, a different view, a new experience: sounds, smells, feelings.  A new place, where not only am I physically somewhere else, but facing fresh circumstances, situations and challenges.  I like the word “fresh”—just as much as “awareness” and “consciousness”—because it embraces the concept of life, being alive. Fresh, alive, growing, beating. 

Fresh like a crispy lettuce, fresh as grass bathed with morning dew, fresh as flowers oozing an exquisite mild sweet fragrance or ocean mist!

So, I like fresh.

Having said that, I know and I must be honest and acknowledge the challenges ahead of me.  I’ve just experienced a significant change in my life.  And I shall not disregard it. Living with mindfulness of what every new day offers is what I believe in, is my personal practice.  This new journey has begun and I will live it fully.  Fully with its up’s and down’s…full with every breath…full with moments of ease and moments of stress, full with awareness of my existence, alert and sensitive of my intentions and my actions. 

I feel proud of what I’ve accomplished.  I feel proud with what I have experienced and learned.  Grounded and strong of my beliefs and where I am today.  The more I reflect upon it, the more I feel reassured of the beauty of life—my life: what I have constructed to be where I am right now, my inner strength and my faith.  I thank my journeys, I thank the people that have walked my walk, I thank life for the opportunities… the key thing is, though, to acknowledge that and then breathe here, today.  It’s tempting to get stuck in the past: get trapped in comparisons, regrets or impatient/anxious in a non-existent future. 

Day to day, today. 

Step by step, today.

I have been absent for some days…missing writing terribly where I allow myself “momentitos” (little moments) of evaluation and space of connection with life, love and divinity.

Here I am now. With love. With surrender.

This morning, as I practiced yoga in my new space, I came across the concept of “samtosa” (samtosha): contentment.  As I was on my matt, inhaling and exhaling, I was able to encounter in a new deeper level the experience of being where I was: a little room, my space, the temperature, the morning, Santiago, Chile.

“Samtosa”, contentment.  The appreciation of what I have, where I am. 

Letting go of what I could have, what I should have, what I don’t have—again, letting go of comparisons, thoughts such as: this is better/worse than… if I only had… I can’t wait for…etc. 

“Samtosa” with myself, with my environment, with my breath, with my life, with life. 

And you see, contentment implies “containing”; hence sustaining that marvelous feeling of appreciation, gratitude, kindness, goodness. 

Contentment— “it is enough”. I’m blessed.

It’s not easy, that is where “tapah”—discipline, practice, sacrifice—plays its part.  Creating heat, for it is challenging. 

Practice, effort; surrendering to external results.  “Abhyasa”, inner practice with faith, just simple faith.

Today I breathed with samtosa…

Contentment, gratitude, kindness.  

** How wise were our fellows McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, Ringo: “Let it be”.