Words

I love words.  I love reading them; I love understanding them; I love speaking them.  Weaving words together is probably one of the top five things that I love to do.

So when I woke up this morning, I tried to find my favorite word.  So far it hasn’t worked.  I have found a few words I love more than any other.  What makes me laugh is that the first words I thought of weren’t even in English.  The top choice wasn’t even in a language that I know.  🙂

~~~~~~

Namaste – The Spirit in me honors the spirit in you.  – This one Sanskrit word fills me with inner peace; it illustrates how I walk in the world.  My interactions with the world around me can be seen in the this one word.  When one says the word Namaste, s/he consciously acknowledges that the life-force that exists within the spirit that is front of them.  I love the universe and the spirit of nearly each and every living and dead being.

While the saying might be Sanskit, the teaching can also be found in Perek Shirah, the Chapter of Song (or better known as the Song of the Universe).  In Perek Shirah, all of creation is given a place of honor.

I say Namaste when I see a dead animal on the road or an ambulance rushing past.  By saying Namaste, I am actively acknowledging the life-force that surrounds not only me but every living spirit.  When I hear wisdom from a teacher or from any beautiful soul or when I am leaving a beloved friend, my hands go to prayer pose and with a little bow I say Namaste.  Saying Namaste means that I am valuing the life in front of me.

 ~~~~~

Shalom – peace, hello, good-bye – While Shalom has many meanings in Hebrew; the meaning that touches me in the most poignant of ways is peace.  In order to best understand this word, you have to understand the make-up of the Hebrew language.  Each word in the Hebrew language has a three-letter root.  In this case, the root refers to wholeness and completion.  Peace exists when people feel a sense of wholeness, when we reach a sense that our work is done.

If our hearts and souls do not have a sense of wholeness, there is no peace.  In truth, shalom comes in so many different shapes and sizes.  Each of us has moments of shalom; the work towards finding peace is constant.  A good way to approach peace is to realize that you might only be able to find peace in a small area of your life; finding peace is a challenge, so parceling it out will help peace feel more attainable.

Each step towards peace leads to more opportunity for a healthier rhythm within life.

 ~~~~~

Breathe – to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.  Breathing means that the life-force is within me.  With each breath, I am actively engaged in life, in living.  When I breathe deeply I am not only taking in life, I am giving in return.  Without breathing, my life is nothing.

With each breath, I am reminded that the life that surrounds me and all of us takes many different forms.  I have had the gift of watching my son be intubated and then watching him take a breath on his own when the machines were removed.  Anyone that has watched a baby take their first breath knows what that feels like.  I never take breathing for granted; it isn’t always a given.  The key is that most of us can breathe deeply and take control of our breathing.

~~~~~

Each of us has the power to take control of our lives by living life to it’s fullest.  I find it fascinating that each of my favorite words is about living life consciously.  Blessings come in so many forms.  Walking through life is not always easy; sometimes it is really tough even painful.  The good news is that I do have some control, I can decide to walk gently or to leap with gusto.  I can choose to find peace within the storm or fight every step.  There is a time for walking with a heavy step and walking with a softer step; but there is no choice for moving forward.

With each step I take, I pray that I have the strength to breathe deeply, to walk thoughtfully in peace, and to remember that I am part of a much larger universe.

May we each find our footing to walk in the world.

Namaste (The Spirit in me honors the Spirit in you),

With blessings and light,

Chava

PS-To see a picture that I created for this post, but can’t figure out how to post, go to http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3783264/Life-Force