branching

"Have you ever tried to enter the long black branches
of other lives...?

Who can open the door who does not reach for the latch?
Who can travel the miles who does not put one foot
in front of the other, all attentive to what presents itself
continually?

And who will care, who will chide you if you wander away
from wherever you are, to look for your soul?

To sit down, like a weed among weeds, and rustle in the wind!"

Mary Oliver

what i appreciate from my daily dance practice is being able to drop into the present moment wherever i am (often out in nature) and connect deeply with other be-ings who simply are being....

what a joy it would be to let go of my thoughts of ambition, of future plans, of my voice of diminishment - that incessant inner dialog in the mind, and be content with simply being present, letting the universe unfold around me while observing it all with wonder, astonishment and gratitude for the mystery of our existence on this most amazing earth .

walking in discovery park today i was moved by this tree whose dark, winter branches were reaching out towards the sea asking, it seemed to me, to - "come dance with me."

there is something about overhanging branches that invite me to hang from them, to stretch my limbs, to bend my backbone deeply, to see the world from a new perspective and to trust...

with gratitude to connect with this partner in the dance of life, this overhanging tree... thank you, tree!

music: yungchen lhamo "tara"

see my dance mentor's blog here: www.maureenfreehill.blogspot.com