Breathing and mastery

I just attended a mini-workshop on breath and vision led by my wonderful friend Ken Oakley. He always starts with exercises which get me out of my head, get me grounded, reintegrate my mind, body, emotions, spirit; get me present. Only then does he move forward to explore whatever the workshop is officially about. He always begins any meeting or workshop with something that serves this purpose and it always takes me by surprise. Or at least it takes my mind by surprise. And then my vision clears, the noisiness in my head quiets, well-being wells up; I've gotten a good chunk of the value of the workshop by being returned to my integrity, and I'm ready to engage in the workshop.

From this great place Ken guided us in an open-ended exploration of our dreams of the future. With the long slow slog of my new business and all my other grand plans feeling like great burdens lately, I really needed this inquiry. While Ken was "guiding us" (carefully avoiding any actual direction), I saw myself pretending that I'm not in charge of my life. And suffering about not meeting "my standards". What a joke! But the suffering is not so funny. This is not a new insight. The power is being present to the mechanism of it in the moment - really getting a good look at my personal version of this distortion while it's fresh. And then it dissolves.

I declare that I am master of my life which I share with other powerful masters. I am responsible for and competent to restore peace and clarity in myself when I get diminished in reaction to stress or events. My community abounds with wisdom in this area and is available to me anytime I get stuck.