Participating in Life

What does it mean to participate in life? Introducing children to their senses and environment can renew our everyday joy in life, when we slow down and rediscover it with them.

Sometimes morning routines can feel lifeless and flat, or pressurized. The breath and curiosity of looking at your tongue in the mirror, or the awareness of the first sounds of daybreak or the anticipation of a warming breakfast can become moments that we rush through.

Ayurvedic practices can be a source of daily renewal of intention in our lives. It only takes a few moments to feel ourselves in contact with the earth beneath us, to open to our senses, to reconnect our breath to all living things around us, and reminding ourselves what an incredible gift it is to be alive. This simple act is a beautiful starting point for any activity throughout the day, too.

What stirs when you ask yourself if you are participating in Life? Sometimes to ask the question is all we need, and we readily acknowledge what little shift is needed to revitalize ourselves. Maybe we need a break, to lighten up, to go outside. Maybe playtime has been delayed or absent from our adult routine for too long. Maybe it’s time to bask in the sunlight for a few minutes before whatever task is waiting for our attention.

What if we don’t feel gratitude? Then as any caring parent would do, perhaps we need to ask ourselves what unmet need is there, asking for our attention and support. A state of wonder can be the moment we realize how much we are being supported by life itself. We are bombarded by a lifetime of messages that we are not enough. A lifetime of pausing to acknowledge how we are here as living and breathing expressions of life on this planet, even if just in the first or last moments of the day, can make a difference.