A Present Heart Makes A Happy Heart

Calligrapy by Thich Nhat Hanh

Maybe this is a stretch, but I love these two images.  I love the roof lines of the simple, tiny houses above. I love how they mimic the shelter atop the calligraphy to the left.

The image to the left is Chinese calligraphy of the word "mindfulness."  The top character, the shelter, is "now" or "present" and below is the character for "heart".  The literal translation would be "bringing the heart into the present"

How appropriate.  The only place and time we can experience life is in the present moment. When our heart takes refuge in the present moment we are home.  As Sharon Salzberg puts it in Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness "By practicing meditation we establish love, compassion, and sympathetic joy as our home."

As you head into this week, keep in mind that your practice doesn't have to be confined to your formal sitting (although that IS important!)  No matter how crazy life gets, you can always come home to your breath.

I'm holding you in the light.