A Belated (Borrowed) Beltane Meditation.

I subscribe to an e-newsletter, called Nourishing the Teacher, about living on a yogic path. On Sunday, I received the latest newsletter with a story written by Anjali Budreski and Danny Arguetty. I really enjoyed reading their thoughts and wanted to share them with you. I feel that the best way to share them is simply to offer you their full story, rather than my interpretation of it. Here it is. Enjoy…

"And the day came, when the risk to remain tight in the bud, was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
-Anaiis Nin

may.2010.the choice to blossom

May 1, May Day, or Beltane as it is called in the British Isles, is a sacred cross-quarter holiday that marks the time between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It is the time of the blossoming. Beltane is a celebration of the return of the light and green plants, abundance, blossoms, the first flowers, fertility, frivolity and sensuality. It is also a time to celebrate the return of the Sun God, Bel, signified by large bonfires lit on the hillsides in Ireland.

At this sacred holiday we each have the opportunity to reflect on what is ripe to blossom and unfurl in the rich, warm soil of our souls. We can choose to stay tight in the bud, or we can choose to bravely begin exploring, pushing and opening toward the warm light of spring. The choice is really ours so there is no judgment around our own ability to blossom. It is important to recognize that most of us, all the time, are in various stages of blossoming, just like the spring ephemerals in the forest. This compassionate approach to opening is how we might approach a delicate new wildflower in the woods. Patiently we wait, through days of sun and cold, only to go out one day and see that our favorite flower is in full bloom. We offer gratitude and appreciation, but we could not have forced this unfolding. There is a mystery to divine timing, and we can only assist things through self-inquiry, patience, and faith in others and ourselves.

The time of the bud holds such beauty and promise, but at some point, the bud needs an inner impulse to reveal more of what is inside. The other day, as I was hiking up my favorite mountain path, I felt deeply awed and touched by each flower's willingness to open, despite the fact that it had been a really cold night the night before and that a late spring snowstorm was in the forecast (not uncommon in Vermont). I feel this same awe and appreciation when someone I love demonstrates courage and takes the risk to reveal more of their authentic selves. This might come in the form of sharing their truth, even if it’s painful, a change of life’s direction even at the risk of other’s not understanding, or showing a part of themselves that is wanting to be seen and to ‘come out’ into the light of day like a new hobby, passion or pursuit. What the flowers taught me, and as Anaiis Nin points out, is that there is inherent risk in the blossoming. The flower can’t go back into the bud once it has opened. It is undefended and unprotected, yet for that short time that it is blooming, it offers as a gift its outrageous beauty, sweetness, and intoxication. Invite the blossoms of spring to inspire you to open up to more of who you are. And, if you are anything like me and the courageous little flowers, you might just find that it’s worth the risk.

Joy!

Anjali Budreski (& Danny)

How will you choose to blossom this spring?  What, for you, is worth the risk?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Be Authentic.