We first experienced the magic of Sanctuary Retreat in Bingil Bay, Queensland, Australia in 2009. We have visited all but one year since then largely because it's one of those places in the world that literally feeds my soul. Not to mention, I love running a yoga retreat situated in the pulsing heart of the rain forest with a nearly secluded beach at the base of the hill. I sense it to be a powerful healing vortex on the planet...a true slice of paradise.
It is also the inspiration behind this week's teaching theme. During the retreat, participants have the option of joining in for a morning sunrise meditation. We meet in silence at the top of the trailhead just before the sun rises and take a 10-minute walk downhill through the rain forest and onto Garner's Beach. Everyone goes their own way and when the bell rings, we come together and go back up the hill for our morning yoga practice.
This past August, it struck me that although I've arrived onto this beach every morning during the retreats over the past 10-years, each morning it looks a bit different. It was as if the universe was shouting at us to pay attention to what’s new and fresh each and every morning by showing how each day the beach has been "reset" by the natural changing tides and weather conditions. The sand might look different, shells and rocks have either been washed up or washed away, the cloud formations present an ever-changing canvas of light for the rising sun. The waves may be foamy and loud or a quieter swoosh in and out. The wind might be a slightly blowing, pushing the palm fronds around or barely present. Each day is a clean slate.
It's an important message from Mother Nature, to remind us that each day we awaken to a new possibility. Each of us has the potential to tap into the best version of who we are if only we recognize that we too have a daily reset called sleep. It's during rest and sleep that our brain re-calibrates itself and "dumps" what no longer serves us. Think of how "crazed" we get with sleep deprivation, how everything seems a bit off-kilter and our connection to highest self fades into the background as we are simply trying to "make it through the day". So often we awaken and launch into a daily pattern without pausing to ask ourselves, "What do I want to paint on my blank canvas today?".
Many things in our daily lives are out of our control (weather, traffic, other people's behavior, to name just a few), but they can influence how we feel and how we set the tone for the rest of the day. Yet, if we give ourselves some morning check-in time, we can set the barometer of our day which is in alignment with our highest and deepest intentions. It supports the connection to living a purposeful life, one with conscious choices as to how we wish to be in the world. And if this day doesn't quite unfold as we had hoped, it might be just like the stormy day at the beach...disruptive, messy, and not particularly peaceful. Yet we can trust that this is an impermanent state and tomorrow will be a new day.
Yes...today is the opportunity to create and live the life you wish to create and live. And if stormy weather arises, this too shall pass and tomorrow will be a clean slate. What would you like to paint on your empty canvas today?
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