We’ll begin with the compass point at the same place yoga instructors begin their classes and meditation teachers begin their meditations—grounding before lifting.

South

South is the body, this physical animal that carries us through life. The question to check our south direction is: Am I physically energized?

East

East is the mind, that part of us that thinks. Question to ask: Am I mentally focused?

West

West is the soul, that part of us that feels. It connects us to ourselves and to other beings. (You get to define “other beings.” I include Roxie and all my relations.) Question to ask: Am I emotionally connected?

North

North is the spirit, that part of us that inspires us to feel, think, and act on behalf of something beyond ourselves… the ineffable, unknowable, [insert name of deity here], the Universe, Source, all that is. If, like my mother, you don’t believe such a force exists, then simply call it “inspiration,” or if you’re an artist, “the Muse.”

Today, this is as far as we’ll go with the Human Compass. It’s an opportunity to consider your compass points, to come to your own conclusions about their nature and well-being.

Chewing the Cud of Good

Thankful for the teeniest, tiniest little blue flowers, lilliputian violets.