No Mud, No Lotus

The theme of our first Monday Morning Spiritual Espresso class was No Mud, No Lotus. The theme was inspired by a package of Mississippi Mud Pie Cookies that Michiko sent me for my birthday. They arrived in divine timing (as her wisdom tends to do) and reminded me that the challenges I encounter in daily life are there to help me dig a little deeper and grow spiritually.

“Daily life is spiritual weight training.”

With this perspective, my relationship to challenges shifts from one of frustration to one of appreciation. Every perceived challenge or obstacle becomes an opportunity for a lesson.

So how do we activate this wisdom in the moment?

With our posture and breath. And a dose of gratitude.

Gratitude is the key that helps us turn the light on in a dark moment. I am SO GRATEFUL this is happening for me (not to me!) because it gives me the opportunity to practice using my tools, activate this wisdom, and grow stronger because of it. This is wisdom from one of my coaching sessions with Michiko that has stayed with me over the years. I always come back to it.

When we are centered and breathing deeply, we become like the eye of the hurricane. The winds of life may be turbulent around us, blowing every which way, yet we can choose to remain centered and calm.

The more I practice this, the more I notice that challenges and adversity often dissolve on their own. We neutralize situations when we practice non-reactivity. This works especially well with my children! When they are having a challenging moment, I check in with myself first. How am I feeling? How is my posture? Am I breathing? Am I smiling?

I pause, come back to my center, and gain the spiritual perspective needed to respond to the situation rather than react and become part of the problem. Best of all, I am modeling how to regulate in the moment and move in the direction of love.

And when I mess up—which I do!—I have the opportunity to apologize and repair. It's a win-win. :)

Let's activate this FunZen saying together:

“I am centered and free like a deeply rooted wisdom tree.”