Living Deeply- Living well. An Accidental Songwriter and Moors, Music and Meditation.

So much of life these days is about speed, the gloss of instant attention and superficial actions that seemingly bring results. We see it in quick fix political measures that cut corners but on the surface say the right things. Politicians lie with impunity almost as if saying something louder or many times makes it true. Social media is all gloss and echo chambers and the instant dopamine hit of a few likes. Our western world is in a spiral of speed, instant connection yet no connection.

In this blog I want to question what “living deeply “might mean. I chose this phrase from a novel I recently read ( North Star by Katherine Genet). ( We both admire each others work and our place of creation I think comes from a similar wish to bring transformative light to the world).

Living deeply is a both a philosophical stance and a way of being, I think. It means – in terms of thinking- that one looks for and finds the interconnection between things. Life is like a giant cobweb or like mycelium under the ground. Each action, speech , thought connects to something else. I really felt this the other day when I was doing a gratitude meditation on three different things ( something I like, something neutral and something I find difficult). Whilst I was contemplating the neutral object- I chose a plate – it lead my mind to all sorts of things ! Eg I was grateful for all the many suppers we have eaten off those plates which lead me to be grateful for my husbands awesome roast dinners and the food the farmers grow for us etc. It is impossible not to link things up if we look.

I have watched someone I love unravel recently and I can trace their state to so many things. Their recovery will also equally be linked to a myriad of actions and things and new mindsets. It is a responsibility for each of us in this world (that has also unravelled and become out of balance in many ways ) for us to look deeply into things – to see how every thought, action and deed can be linked in a positive or negative way to something else. It is a brave and different way of looking at ourselves and at life. It means we do not hide from responsibility, we consider cause and effect, we live with kindness and thoughtfulness so we try to make the ” energetic mycelium” that we generate to be healthful, healing, kind, balancing.

By living deeply and living well- for the two are synonamous- we bring light to wherever we are, hope, creativity, kindness and a little wisdom. Everything and everyone benefits . It is a brave, slower and essentially loving way of looking at life …..a far cry from social media, lying politicians and a capitalistic profit led world. It is in many ways the absolute opposite. It is a challenge which requires us to step into bravery, through the shadows of our doubts and weaknesses and to constantly align with positivity in all its forms.

I have many things on my plate at the moment so I have written a poem about this rather than a song …….

Shadows and Light

The way is always changing

A journey of shadow and light

The rocks are for our making

As we walk through mud and light.

May I be a chalice

That is filled with joy and light

A reminder that shadows

Once walked and worked through

Will become an orb of light.

I see us all stumble

In a misty maze of shrouded sight.

The wisdom is in the doing

The connection of being in breath and light.

We each hold a well of shadows

But also the chalice of light

Will we gift ourselves the sunshine

So our shadows become our might?

The answer to the riddle

Is in a life that is bravely met

Where we forge our sword of wisdom

And a heart that never forgets.

And, as Easter is a time of renewal and rebirth…..this feels very appropriate. Live deeply and live well……