Breathe in peace and love while listening to this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Folding Alter", by James Crews.

Folding Altar, by James Crews

I carry my church with me

wherever I go, unfolding the altar

of a moment while out walking

with my husband, pausing to pick

a few dandelions gone to seed,

taking a deep breath, then blowing,

sending those silver messengers

into the air above a field,

each one the seed of a prayer

I say every day I’m alive:

Please let me give up all hope

for a better past, and just be here

by the side of the driveway,

watching wisps of clouds turning

pink with evening, then purple,

and listening to the complex solo

of a catbird perched in a maple

as we say goodbye to the light

which may leave the sky tonight

but will stay with us, flickering

for years to come.

—James Crews

(Explanation from James Crews: I love the concept of a folding altar, one that we can carry with us wherever we go, no matter the circumstances, opening in each new moment. This early summer time feels so poignant to me, with things already going to seed even as so much has yet to bloom, reminding us of the never-ending cycles of life and renewal in the natural world.)

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.

Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.com

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