what's life got to do with it?

My daily missive from The Universe today: “It's (Life’s) got everything to do with being yourself, trusting the magic, following your heart, dreaming big, and having fun.

Hell yes! Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? But maybe you’re wondering how to get there?

Maybe you’ve been searching for the map, the book, the guru to lead the way? I have good news and bad news.

First, the bad news; there is no map or book or guru who can teach you how to live a delicious, embodied life. The good news; you don’t need a map or book or guru.

Your wild, creative, pleasure-filled life is all around you. It’s right there, pulsing, filled with your biggest desires, yours to step into whenever you are ready. You’ve been holding yourself in, holding yourself back, buried under pressures and expectations and a belief that there is one right way to do and be. But there is only your way. As the poet Mary Oliver says, “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”

Breathe in. Breathe out. Let yourself go, just a little. Dip a toe into the magic that surrounds you, and let yourself feel it. When you’re ready for more, wade in to your ankles. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take some time to discover what you prefer, what you like, what you want, and allow yourself to feel the power and pleasure of your longing.

There’s no rush. This is your life. It can only be claimed by you. It’s yours to discover and celebrate and live in your own way, in your own time. Baby steps, my precious.

You start by coming home to your body, your glorious, magnificent human body home that allows you to experience life through all your physical senses. Notice how it is to be in your body, present with your breath and your sensations, your thoughts and emotions.

Move your body in ways that feel good to you. Gentle stretches or ecstatic dances, cartwheels or twirls, lifting weights, running, or swimming. Feel your strength and your heat.

Take in the pleasures of your skin; the perfect temperature of the water as it streams down your body in the shower, the softness of your t-shirt as it settles over your shoulders, the satisfaction of scratching the itch on your neck.

Listen, and feed your body what it really wants; ripe juicy plums, a square of milky chocolate, avocado on toasted French bread, or cinnamon-dusted oatmeal. Eat greedily, noisily, joyfully.

Close your eyes, and use your hands to trace your body. Be playful, and curious as you explore. Notice each curve and crease. Appreciate the varied textures of your skin, feel fat and muscle and bone. Celebrate the elegant design of your human body, and all the things this body can do. Feel your hands on your body, and your body under your hands.

Place a hand over your heart and feel your breath, your aliveness. Feel yourself in your body. Notice yourself being.

Being, trusting, following, being, and having. You got this.