Stargazing

I was somewhere between 3 and 4 years old.  Our parents had gone out. My older sister Asoki snuck me out of bed to go stargazing on the lawn.  I had never seen the night sky before. I was blown away!
I could count to 10, so started counting the stars. Wow! There were waaaay more than 10 stars!!!

Decades later, when I developed the Creative Holistic integration (CHI) system of self-care and self transformation, at the center was the Wholeness Exercise.  I visualize that I am at the center of a black circle - a Mandala. I breathe slowly and deeply few times. On the last breath I exhale a burst in light from my heart into the black circle. It's the big bang! I create my universe of suns and planets. I see it like a giant night sky that I consciously create. I recognize myself as all of who I am that includes earth, sun and universe. 

For my doctoral dissertation I studied the effect of doing this. I found it to be a quick, easy and highly effective form of stress management. I now teach this to others who wish to learn,  I can see that doing this  helps them too.

Interestingly, about 10 years ago I discovered that I am descended from astrologers who were also Ayurvedic physicians. I guess we've come full circle.