Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath
My favorite scholar of religion is former-nun Karen Armstrong. I love her writings about how religion is more about practice than creed. This week’s passage comes from her book The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness.
In most traditions, faith [is] not about belief but about practice. Religion is … about doing things that change you. It is a moral aesthetic, an ethical alchemy. If you behave in a certain way, you will be transformed. The myths and laws of religion are not true because they conform to some metaphysical, scientific, or historical reality but because they are life enhancing. They tell you how human nature functions, but you will not discover their truth unless you apply these myths and doctrines to your own life and put them into practice. … [T]he religious quest is not about discovering ‘the truth’ or ‘the meaning of life’ but about living as intensely as possible in the here and now. The idea is … to discover how to be fully human – hence the images of the perfect or enlightened man, or the deified human being…. Men and women have a potential for the divine, and are not complete unless they realize it within themselves.
{emphases added}
Highlights from the Smile File
My daughter will finish Kindergarten on Wednesday, and I am so amazed at how much she has learned this year! She knew a few sight words at the beginning of the year, and on Friday, at the end-of-the-year celebration, she read aloud the book she wrote. I am so thankful for her teachers, and so proud of all she has done. Most of all, I love that she loves school. Here are some images from her book “Adventures of Me”:
Reading her book in front of an audience!
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My three-year-old also loves learning and reading. This weekend, he sat at the desk with me while I worked, reading his book about one of his favorite topics – belly buttons!
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I love love love to dance, and this weekend was a huge celebration of dance ~ my daughter and I both performed in our recital. We got to watch amazing dancing and choreography, and experience the joy of movement and music with hundreds of other people!
Abby and me before the show!
Little Brother as Groom/Superhero
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Have you started a Smile File yet? What made you smile last week? I’d love to hear from you!
Have a great week!
Peace ~
Sarah
{Left Brain Buddha is reclaiming Mondays! Not manic, but mindful. Each Monday I share a short passage or mantra for a moment with the breath. I share highlights from my Smile File for the week ~ and I hope you’ll take time to reflect on your smiles from the past week. Breathe, smile, and move into your Monday with mindfulness.}
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
