let go
My friend Paul and I, both posting daily in 2011, decided to challenge each other once a month to keep things spicy. In his words, “we want to push ourselves to do something more interesting than we might otherwise.” I will put his challenge to me at the bottom of this post — it’s your choice to read the challenge first or not.
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Occasionally the stars align and the time becomes right to have a nap. Picture a balmy afternoon, an expanse of time, a gentle breeze, an inviting bed with just-laundered sheets. When this beautiful moment comes, I begin my ritual, one that I’ve had for years.
If it’s handy, I cover myself in the quilt my sister made for me in 1978; it’s the perfect size and warmth for some shuteye; many college friends still know it as the “napping blanket.”
I lie on my back and revel in how good it feels to be there and how lucky I am to be in this place — in bed, in this town, on this earth. The euphoria spreads out from my heart center, out into my extremities.
I concentrate on my breathing. In, out. I recall my old Jivamukti instructor, who urged us to think “LET” on the inhale … “GO” on the exhale.
Let go. Let go. My breathing slows.
This next part is a little hard to describe. I imagine that the shape of my breath changes; instead of my chest and diaphragm rising up and lowering down, I feel it spread towards my head and down towards my feet, much like I’m a liquid being pressed and stretched under a clear glass slide, ready for the microscope. But pressed gently, towards sleep.
Often at this point, I visualize that I’m underwater, under a clear, shallow running stream. Sometimes I imagine I’m some kind of small, amphibious creature, breathing underwater and letting the cool, clear water wash over me as I let go, let go.
My breath sounds like flowing water. Over me, in me. Let go.
I turn to my side just before I drift away, drawing up into a comma as I finally let go.
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This post was in response to Paul’s Fourth Friday Challenge to me, January 2011:
I want you to blog about something that gives you deep sense of inner peace and relaxation. I should feel more peaceful after reading it.
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Oooh.. that was really good! And I felt so relaxed after reading it!
I LOVE your fourth friday challenge idea! Brilliant!
Are you really posting everyday for a whole year? This is good news for me & I love the challenge idea and I wish you good luck.