Day 4... boundaries

“peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

— anonymous

wall at Sumbrugh, Shetland, UK

Boundaries…

Creating spaces to protect oneself…

                                                         From others…

                                                                                                     Their demands, the push for more.

Physical boundaries,

Invisible ones too.

Keep out, stay away, leave me alone.

                                                          Boundaries from the unknown,

                                                          Create fear

                                                                                                     What’s outside?

                                                                                                     What’s lurking?

                                                                                                     Who’s there?

To separate what’s mine from yours.

It is my right to create my space.

                                                          Self:

                                                          in the center protected by the wall from all intruders.

wall at Sumbrugh, Shetland, UK

                                                                                                     Yet, what if I’m not the center?

                                                                                                     I’m on the outside looking in?

                                                                                                     Longing to be part of your center…

                                                          Let me in.

                                                          Let me be part of your space.

Won’t you share your space with me?

                                                                                                     Open up your walls

                                                                                                     Dissolve the fortress.

                                                                                                     Welcome others with open arms

                                                                                                     To create a community.

When will we break down the personal and country divides?

When will we honor the people and the land and move freely about the Earth?

                                                                                                     When will all be free to choose peace in place?

Reawick, Shetland, UK

Peace tip #4

I wrote this poem this summer during a writing course focused on “Sense of Place.” More to come on this later… I’ve been asked “what was I thinking?” I suppose the more important question is “what does this make you feel?”

We are in a time of building walls in the name of protection, some real and perhaps some fabricated. We wear masks, we stay inside, we create large personal bubbles (e.g. social distancing), we close out others, we build physical walls around our property, our countries…

Today, I ask you to reflect on what boundaries are there, self-imposed or built by others that keep you from a sense of peace?

What if you are on the outside looking in?

Looking forward to reading your thoughts…

St Ninians’ Isle, Shetland, UK

Updates.

Oh my, your experiences with the trees from Day 3 was inspiring. I love the connection that so many of you have with the trees whether it’s in your house, garden, forest, or even a memory.

As a reminder, I’ll be providing an extra special give-away at the end of the 21 days. If you submit a meaningful comment (or email it to me), you’ll be eligible to have your name in a drawing. I’m doing this because it truly helps us build community, a vital component of peace. Also, your ideas and suggestions may be just what sparks and idea for someone else. Plus this encourages you to stay engaged on a daily basis, an additional aspect of peacebuilding.

It’s never too late to participate in the knit-along. Knowing that 100’s of others are knitting the same project as you around the world in the name of peace is a powerful thing. The pattern is available on Ravelry and The Healthy Knitter website.

abandoned croft hoose, outside of Reawick, Shetland, UK

Day 3... the great exchange

With an inhale, the most vital of elements enters,

most often without even a thought…

we breathe,

tiny molecules of oxygen fill our lungs to assure our ability to repeat this cycle.

Deep in the lungs, the pressure higher than the next stop, the oxygen moves across a border in exchange for another…

for one molecule of oxygen in,

one molecule of carbon dioxide leaves…

it’s a train station if you will , called the RBC express.

This tiny vessel transports the precious cargo to the next transfer station…

higher in pressure than the next destination

with the ultimate arrival, the powerhouse of the cell….

it is here that life is sustained.

This continuum persists only with exchange,

From breath, to lung, to red blood cell, to mitochondria and back again, there’s an elegant system of reciprocity sustaining us from breath to breath…

Yet, maybe there’s a greater exchange that precedes the human breath;

the source of our inhale.

Standing before the trees,

seeking wisdom from the magnificent beings that demonstrate a true acceptance of peace in place,

rooted to the place they will spend all their days…

I gaze…

a breath in, followed by a shallow exhale…

I ponder…

a breath in, followed by an exhale…

I feel…

the inhale lengthens, the exhale slows…

I connect…

the exhale is for the trees…

the inhale is from the trees.

Connecting with the trees in breath… finding peace in place.

Peace tip #3

Step outside today, if able go on a walk, not a walk with a step goal but with the goal of finding a tree. If you can’t get outside, perhaps do this from inside with your focus on a tree. Any tree that speaks to you, stop and gaze at the tree. Determine if this is the right tree. Say hello.

pause:

inhale, from what the tree has provided;

with the inhale say or think “thank you for your gift”

exhale, to give back to the tree;

with the exhale say or think “and in return, I give to you.”

repeat this exchange as many times as you like,

begin to visualize the connection, the circle of breath between you and the tree.

notice your breath begins to slow down

ponder the relationship between you and the tree...

ponder this place.

in peace.

Thank the tree and say good-bye until next time.

Some updates:

I loved reading everyone’s posts from Day 2 “peace opener.” Keep in mind that any way in which you choose to open your day with a focus on peace is perfect! It need not be complicated… it can be as simple as “hello day, I welcome peace.” No matter your morning ritual, remember to name “peace” as part of your process.

As a reminder, I’ll be providing an extra special give-away at the end of the 21 days. If you submit a meaningful comment (or email it to me), you’ll be eligible to have your name in a drawing. I’m doing this because it truly helps us build community, a vital component of peace. Also, your ideas and suggestions may be just what sparks and idea for someone else. Plus this encourages you to stay engaged on a daily basis, an additional aspect of peacebuilding.

It’s never too late to participate in the knit-along. Knowing that 100’s of others are knitting the same project as you around the world in the name of peace is a powerful thing. The pattern is available on Ravelry and The Healthy Knitter website.

Looking forward to reading everyone’s experience focusing on breath and the tree.

Day 2... peace opener

Hello day.

Welcome.

As the darkness gives way to the light of the new day, the moon fades away and the sun peeks it’s bright shining face just over the horizon.

There is no sudden switch from dark to light…

just a gradual transition…

yet only noticeable if one pauses

to witness the shift from night to day.

And as the sun slowly starts a new day, so should we…

Slowly climbing higher and higher until it finally bursts onto the scene.

Photos are of Prairie Horizon, Starbuck, MN

A morning peace opener to start each day with peace clearly on the horizon in our sights and within reach.

A morning cup of coffee…

Prepped

Placed on the stove top with care,

Water to boil,

Milk to warm…

Stillness persists while the coffee percolates…

there is no rushing.

The mingling of the three,

coffee, water, and milk in unknown proportions…

contained within the perfect cup.

Hands cupped on either side, holding this vessel near to my heart…

Warming from the outside, in.

To breathe deeply, all encompassing,

Followed by an exhale.

The first sip,

The best one…

Savored for a moment

Now travels deep within, warming from the inside out

And just as the sun inches into the new day, so too, my day now begins…

“morning coffee” by Christina

Peace tip #2

Create a morning ritual that allows you to intentionally allow peace to be at the forefront of the new day. Perhaps it’s a cup of coffee, lighting a candle, a walk in your neighborhood, reading, sitting quietly for a few moments, journaling, meditation, or knitting while you watch the night give-way to the day.

Ideally, your morning opener would be something you could practice regardless of location… allowing you to find “peace in place” regardless of where you happen to be.

What’s your morning peace opener?

Some updates:

Let me say, I was completely moved yesterday (and this morning) with the amazing, thoughtful, moving, inspiring, honest reflections that all of you posted. Please know that I read all of them and many others do as well. As a reminder, I’ll be providing an extra special give-away at the end of the 21 days. If you submit a meaningful comment (or email it to me), you’ll be eligible to have your name in a drawing. I’m doing this because it truly helps us build community, a vital component of peace. Plus this encourages you to stay engaged on a daily basis, an additional aspect of peacebuilding.

It’s never too late to participate in the knit-along. Knowing that 100’s of others are knitting the same project as you around the world in the name of peace is a powerful thing. The pattern is available on Ravelry and The Healthy Knitter website.

Looking forward to reading everyone’s daily peace opener!

peace,

Christina

Day 1... ease

“Difficulties are opportunities for inner growth, and the greater the difficulty, the greater the opportunity for growth.”

— Peace Pilgrim

Here we are… on the threshold of our next adventure. Knowing with all my being that what’s needed most is to bring attention to that which we want to cultivate in our lives… to make space for peace.

There is no doubt that this has been one of the most challenging and heartbreaking years that many of us have ever experienced… for some that is loss of a loved one, a home, a job, or perhaps a disruption to your “normal” routine. Finding a new normal in the midst of tragedy and turmoil… finding a path of peace.

Last March, I set out on my daily walk to visit the trees. I began photographing these trees in November of 2019 with the intention of taking one photo a month. As the pandemic closed in on all of us, the trees became a destination with great importance… a place of refuge but also a school of sorts. I knew that I had been called to listen to the wisdom of these great beings.

Yet on this cold spring day, I looked up at the trees in wonder and was struck by the fact that a jet stream was present in the backdrop… others were traveling to far off places. My heart crumbled. I, too was to be on a plane headed to Shetland.

It wasn’t really the fact that I couldn’t go to Shetland it was the reality that I had to stay put…

remain in place…

a place I do not call home.

And that’s when I knew that during this pandemic, I needed to find a way to connect with this place where I live. I needed to find ‘peace in place.’

So with my pandemic-induced anxiety and fears, i shifted my attention to the trees, to connect with this place. And as I walked through the woods, my definition of place began to change. I came to be at ease with the place where I live and found new meaning to the word “place.” And my outlook began to shift…

Last night, was the most magnificent full moon… marking the end of November. As the moon begins her next cycle, we enter into a phase of “letting go.” The perfect symbol for our journey with peace… what is it that we need to let go of in order to find great growth during these difficult times?

Peace tip #1

Peace in place… what does this mean? Let’s take a moment to reflect on what this means to you.

Pull out a piece of paper or a journal and answer the following questions:

• what does peace mean to me?

• when I think of “peace in place”, what place comes to mind?

Don’t forget, that I’ll be putting together an extremely special give-away for one person at the end of Project Peace. All you have to do to be entered into the drawing is to post one meaningful every day during the 21 days based on the day’s topic. If, for some reason you can’t post a comment, you can send me a daily email: thehealthyknitter at gmail dot com

If you’d like to knit the 2020 Project Peace pattern, you can find it on Ravelry or The Healthy Knitter website.