Even in the middle of a hurricane, the bottom of the sea is calm. As the storm rages and the winds howl, the deep waters sway in gentle rhythm, a light movement of fish and plant life. Below there is no storm.

If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath— our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us.

Can it then be that what we call the 'self' is fluid and elastic? It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath.

As Gandhi wisely points out, even as we serve others we are working on ourselves; every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion naturally nourishes our own hearts as well. It is not a question of who is healed first. When we attend to ourselves with compassion and mercy, more healing is made available for others. And when we serve others with an open and generous heart, great healing comes to us.

When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open. And in that breaking open, we uncover our true nature.

With every breath, the possibility of a new aspect of self arises.

The last place we tend to look for healing is within ourselves.