Have you ever..?

Have you ever felt so alive it took your breath away?

Today, on a walk with my daughter and two dogs, I felt a surge of contentment, happiness, and strength. One moment I looked around me, my daughter jumping in mud puddles with such joy it made my heart so warm; I see our two dogs, mother and daughter, running full speed together when something happened, a feeling I've never felt before; strength in myself, contentment in my life, and happiness at just how beautiful simplicity is.

We live in the mountains. We are surrounded by nature at every turn. Today was, as some may describe, a gloomy day - foggy with some rain - but to me, today was one of the most beautiful days in the past few weeks. Walking as mothers and daughters (humans and pets) I felt powerful. I felt a connection to Mother Earth today and I embraced the fog and when it started to rain a little, I enjoyed the slight splash of the sprinkle on my face.

It's truly incredible what can happen when I come back to the breath and "just be" in the moment. I am so used to allowing my mind to wander and run through different scenarios; some that have happened and others that haven't. It feels wonderful to slowly start to release my prisoner mind and become one with myself, who I truly am, and not these demons who have run my life for quite some time.

I've been on this earth for 32 years and today I felt more alive then I ever have. Today I felt the result of my mindfulness practice. I felt what I have read about in books. I felt how I only dreamed of a year ago. I felt so alive it took my breath away.

Have you?