The perfect loveliness of sow

I have been reading a beautiful book by Cyndi Lee about women's relationship with their bodies, which is not always that kind, in fact we really can be our own worst enemy at times.  It reminded me of the whole concept of embodied awakening  where we become present with the life that is given to us, respectful of what the Tibetans call "this precious human form".

There is a lovely quote from Tibetan master, Tsong Khapa, who says, "This human body is more precious than the rarest gem.  Cherish your body; it is yours for this one time only....a thing of beauty that passes away".  Indeed we should be embracing, respecting and blessing our bodies, exactly as they are, in this moment.  There is a beautiful blessing described by Galway Kinnell in "St Francis and the Sow":

The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don't flower,
for everything flowers, from within , of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on the brow
of the flower
and retell it in words, and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as Saint Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of the earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of her tail...
the long, perfect loveliness of sow".

Enjoy the sunshine

xx