" If you want to learn you practice"
Seven Sacred Pauses
Macrina Wiederkehr
In high school and a bit in college I ran track and cross country. Most everyday, I would practice. I would practice gaining endurance and strength. I would practice breathing deeply and gaining power. Each practice added to my training. Without practicing I would have never improved my running skills. Some days, I practiced poorly. In high school I remember a few days we took a short cut and ending up in the local Dairy Queen for ice cream. Other days, my practice was almost spiritual in its power to transform. Having quality days of practice was good but it was the daily practicing that made the most difference. Showing up for practice was the key. My body, mind and spirit would often dictate the "quality of practice". Maybe ice cream was indeed the perfect practice for the day.
I don't always know what I really need. My days start to blend together, my to-do lists take priority in my brain and sometimes I just forget what is truly important in life. This is why I practice. I practice pausing and coming back to center. I practice writing as a gift to myself. I practice smiling to see the gift of each day. I practice running to be honest.
These practices keep me humble and awake. The curiosity of what will happen after 1000 days of practice keeps me motivated.
Macrina reminds me, "I believe that the word practice is one of the most important words in the spiritual life... If you want to be a dancer, a pianist, a singer, a figure skater, you practice...Why should the spiritual life be any different? We practice pausing to remember the sacredness of our names, who we are, and what we plan on doing with the incredible gift of our lives - and how we can learn to be in the midst of so much doing." pg 13 Seven Sacred Pauses
Washing dishes and smiling- a deep- deep practice for sure!!!!
Wishing you a day of practice that tastes like ice cream,
Denise
