To begin is bold.

It is no small thing.

The beginning of things takes time too — which is why we spend our whole first 10 days gradually arriving in practice.

If we’ve begun things together before (classes, training, retreats, an earlier round of 40 Early Mornings, lunch :), you’ve heard me share these borrowed words before.

I shared them yesterday in our first group live (recording is here in the archive page! thank you SO much to those of you who made it live :))

And I will share them again and again and again.

From Irish poet John O’Donohue’s To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, for all of us today: 

For a New Beginning —

“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the grey promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plentitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at once with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be at home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”

You have begun.

I’d love to hear from you — leave a comment below: how does beginning feel to you today? What line in the poem jumped out at you?

(For me it’s “Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning.” Grace, yes, grace.)

(AND THANK YOU to those of you who commented on yesterday’s post! Let’s keep the convo going today!)

for beginning again each day of these 40 together,

Cath

p.s. Day 2 practice is below — another invitation to arrive and settle in.

If you have more time today, check out the archive page with yesterday’s recording, our “conversation” about the themes of arrival, and the yoga videos for these first 10 days.

I’lll start assigning buddies today, if you’d still like one and haven’t yet, please fill out the form below!