Beauty, Body and Being

Let the beauty you love be what you do. ~ Rumi

I was recently at a retreat center with a circle of women up north nestled in the wonderful Minnesota woods. This quote was on the chalkboard by the door to the dining room. It excites me, it soothes me, it celebrates me and it challenges me.

The topic of bodies also came up in a number of ways even though our intent for the weekend was quite spiritual in nature. It is inescapable that we are body, mind, and spirit...that we can't just be, that we must also do. It is inescapable that our body responds to our choices...sometimes with pain, sometimes with energy, sometimes with illness and fatigue.  In this culture the definition of the word beauty is tied so closely to our the word body but not all kinds of bodies...just one kind, that of a young slender female. So it is no surprise that in our one small group we had women struggling with body image, with health issues and with longing for touch. As the weekend went, the circle grew smaller because we kept moving closer to each other physically. we needed to be together, to feel the closeness of other. Lots of hugs were offered and received. Healing touch was given. Healing words were said. Love and beauty joined forces to bring laughter and joy. While we don't often talk about it, the experience of spirituality is experienced within these solid and sometimes flabby bodies of ours. The concept of Spirit or God is also experienced through beauty; the beauty we see around us in nature and the beauty we see of ourselves in one another.

So given all these definitions of beauty and body and spirituality, what does it mean to "let the beauty you love, be what you do?" Good question. It is a question that begets more questions. Where do I find beauty? What do I find beautiful? And what is that makes the passion for life rise up in me? How does that passion manifest itself in what I do or don't do? in what I say or don't say? And even if I can answer all these questions with certainty, do I have the courage to explore the frontiers of beauty and truth? Will my body have the strength to live into my glorious passion?

What about you? 

Perhaps we can hold hands, hold the mirror up for each other and wallow in the beauty of the Spirit together. Perhaps with your help, I will have the courage to let the beauty I love, be what I do.

hugs,

jules