ice cream cone
July 27, 2022

Finding joy embodying the moment

“You keep worrying you’re taking up too much space. I wish you’d let yourself be the Milky Way.” — Andrea Gibson

A little while ago I was sitting in front of my computer, thinking about how to write about our ability to embody the moment. Coming up with a lot of ideas but no real direction, I decided to take a break. It’s a beautiful day and I ended up in my backyard, where I sat in the grass and ate an ice cream cone. As I savored my tiny treat, I became enchanted by the deep blue of the cloudless sky and the sweet bird song coming from the trees around me. The birds and the trees reminded me of my husband Michael, who has created the equivalent of a 5-star resort for birds in our backyard. I didn’t know he was a bird person when I married him and yet his care for the birds and his interest in them reminds me of the values we share. As I took the moment in, I thought about him and wondered “have I ever loved you more my dear?” And, like the birds, I sang to the moment “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

To touch life and hold it close just as it is—this is how I define an embodied experience. Within these moments we find profound joy.

In January, I held my sister as she took her last breath. She had lived for 10 years with Alzheimer’s, each year a little more of what made her my sister disappearing. Those were hard days, and too late I realized how much my resistance was creating my pain. In the end, I had five days to be with her as she died. As I let go of my resistance to feeling the pain of losing her, my attention moved away from the pain and what followed was an experience of profound joy. I played her our songs, whispered our memories in her ear, and felt the fullness of the love we shared. I found, through embodiment, that I could hold my love and grief equally, seeing them as intertwined, one not being possible without the other.

While finding joy is not hard, directing our attention toward joy can be. Experience and science have taught me it takes intention and effort to move from worry and fear to presence and love. When we focus on embodying our experience, we expand into life. Instead of shrinking back, playing small, or resisting what’s in us, we can experience ourselves, like the poet Andrea Gibson wishes, as the Milky Way—knowing we capable of holding all of life and that we are the light within our darkness.

So today, I invite you to join me in the practice of embodiment. Let’s slow down our breath, quiet our minds, and listen to our life and each other with kindness. And if your practice begins with ice cream? Perfect. It is summer, after all. Yes.

xo – Sherrie

Leave a Reply

  1. An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment.
    I do think that you ought to write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but usually folks don’t
    discuss these subjects. To the next! Best wishes!!

    1. Thank you for reading my post and commenting! I feel inspired by your encouragement to write more about the topics in this post. All the best to you. – s

  2. You are so beautiful! And so is ice cream! Even in the winter! Yes!
    Sherrie, I also got to be with my mom in her last days and today, I consider it one of my life’s greatest gifts. I wish with all my being she was still here, but being a witness and making her transition be full of love and comfort, that Is one of my greatest treasures. I am so happy reading how you were able to give that to Robbie. May it be one of your greatest treasures too. Love you sister!

  3. Hi Sherie
    Thank you for this great reminder to embody all of life. Sometimes my own resistance to parts of my life, keeps me from the joy and peace that comes when I let it all in.
    Miss sharing meditation with you.
    Hopefully I will be accepted for the Integrate Assist team in November. If so, I’d love to see you.
    Love
    Bob Dersé

    1. Hello my friend… Oh to spend a week with you in Integrate, what a gift. I am thinking of attending as a participant and there is a good chance you’ll see me there if the stars stay aligned in that direction!

      Thanks for your comments on my article. I am reminded of some of the conversations we’ve shared on aging and my mind is captivated by the idea of embodied aging. Time to develop a new workshop! Take care… s

    1. Thank you for your comment Jim. I took a breath as I read your words, leaning into the sweetness of our human connection.