Journey of the Heart

Even a Little Bit of Light Some of us have a hefty share  of trying times. For the most part, there’s no real  rhyme or reason to that. It just is as it is. Loss and times of grief are simply part of being human. And, when you live and love deeply, there are just so very many feels betwixt and between. As I’ve worked my way in and around and through the effects of my own dark times, I can recognize  that I have this amazing way  of finding the good, orienting to hope,  eventually finding even a little bit of light no matter how dark it may be. I feel so very grateful that I know this about me. It’s an essential part of my inner embers that I need to kindle right now. I can do that for me.   Sarah Carlson   has many pieces to her whole, as most of us do. Those pieces include: mother, teacher, daughter, friend, widow, sister, skier, bicyclist, hiker, coach, drummer, and poet. Sarah lives in the western foothills of Maine where opportunities to make connections amid the splendor of the ri

On a Clear Day Sliding once again into  restorative, silky waters she lays back, allows natural buoyancy to  hold her steady and balanced. So many beautiful  words have flowed through her  and into the world.  She knows they represent the truth of healing. With a profound realization  that she had to fully trust  her own memories   of the wound in order to deeply embody   those truths, she again feels something  novel and familiar. She feels herself. All the way in, all the way out.  No need to apologize or try so very hard. That's what's happening now - unlearning the constant sense that there must be effort  in order to earn the right  to be who she is.  Letting go the habit of  waiting with bated breath to see if she made a mistake or failed. Trusting the clarity that's present  on a clear day, while knowing clouds will come and go, but that she didn't cause the clouds. They are simply there and will pass.  She can and will continue to settle more and more   into the

Illustrious for Brief Moments   Today is another chance             to be fully alive,             present in the What             Is —                the light and dark embodied,                                     the movement from dreaming                                     to waking dreams — all of it the same mysterious fabric.   Sunrise — Juncos feast at the feeder cheerful in the chill white,  light lands on feathers and drifts,                                     on me at my writing desk,                                     on you, somewhere —   Webs of distance I won’t write about longing ever again. I have already wandered that endless path, followed it to the distant most planets.                                      I am here, not there, not anywhere else. I exist inside the silk lining             of pockets of snow, softly elevating me and the winter birds far far from our summer selves,                                     stillness, seeds and scattered  words become   d

  The Puzzle   My teacher believes we are each a piece of the puzzle.   Alone, we cannot resolve the chaos erupting on this planet.   Yet we can  unearth and foster  our rare true gifts  to satisfy our share  of what is vital for this world to become a kinder, more loving  home to live in. . Carolyn Chilton Casas   is a Reiki practitioner and teacher, as well as student of metaphysics and philosophy.  Her favorite themes for writing are healing, wellness, awareness, and the spiritual journey.  Carolyn's stories and poems have appeared in  Energy, Odyssey, Reiki News Magazine,   The Art of Healing , and  The Edge  and in other publications.  You can read more of her work on Instagram at mindfulpoet_.    *For submission guidelines,  click here

Comfort Instead of avoiding your discomfort, pour it a cup of green jasmine tea, offer it a cushion, and sit with it in a half lotus position.   Breathe in deeply and release your exhale with a sigh before asking it what it fears most.   It'll more than likely tell you "the unknown", but it's in that uncertainty where dreams erupt from the ground like gigantic bean stalks and mingle with the infinitude of sky. Ravyn Ark (Rei)   is a creative soul to her core. She penned her first poem in middle school and drew her first drawing when she was a toddler. Creating is not only her go-to mode of self-expression, it’s also an invaluable tool for healing from past trauma and ultimately overcoming it. When she isn’t writing or reading poetry, Ravyn is editing and critiquing it as a freelance poetry book editor. During her free time, she enjoys taking long walks in the forest, watching anime, practicing Zen meditation, or spending quality time with her husband and Siamese cat.