“If the whole Universe has co-conspired to give you a difficult situation, then this difficult situation is where you are going to find your diamond.” ~~Acharya Shunya

Last Friday, I was home alone for the first time in a year.

It was eerie at first. I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I was a little overwhelmed with emotion, so I just sat with it. What followed felt a bit like time traveling as I reflected on the events of the past year, and thought ahead to what it means for my future.

It was a hard year. The pandemic has impacted us all in many ways, and on many levels. We are grieving and traumatized. My hope is that as we ease towards that light at the end of the tunnel, we are bringing at least one diamond with us.

Is it in the way you work? Is it in the way you love? Is it in the way you eat? Sleep? Exercise? Is it in your orientation to gratitude? Your clarity about your priorities?

Not sure? You could take a little trip through time to see.

• Find a comfortable place to sit. Set a timer for 5 minutes (or longer) and let your mind travel back through the past year. Reflect on your experiences. Seek the diamonds.
• When the timer goes off, place your left hand on your belly and your right hand on your heart. Breathe deeply. Bridge the past and the future in the potency of the present. Stay with your breath for 1-2 minutes.
• Gently place your left hand atop your right. Connect to the heart space and to your diamond, whatever it may be.
• Release your hands. Place them palms up in your lap. Travel into the future and see how this gem will inform the way you live. Let a vision of your future unfold.
• When you are ready to return, turn your hands palms down. Find your breath once more. Follow the cycle for a few rounds.

May this simple meditation bring you clarity and peace. Aho (and so it is)!

Shanti, P