Last year, I embarked on a long-distance hike along the English coast. The South West Coast Path is the longest waymarked footpath in England. It gained instant fame through Raynor Winn’s book The Salt Path. For me, it was a magnificent experience to walk along sandy beaches, secluded bays, and breathtaking cliff tops. My journey was not the grueling ordeal described in the book, but rather an adventure filled with magic and deep connection to nature.

As a ‘master of idling,’ I thoroughly enjoyed taking a nap on top of a cliff with a view over the blue sea. How wonderful it was to move in harmony with the rhythm of nature. I had no strict schedule to reach a destination. Instead, I followed my own slow walking pace—no rush, just the pleasure of slowing down and attuning myself to the beauty of nature.

One particular experience in nature brought me immense joy: the spectacular song flight of the skylark. Singing, the skylark ascends vertically into the sky, soaring to great heights while continuing its song before hovering in the air for a while. Every time I saw a skylark rise, I felt so happy! My heart resonated with its jubilant song!

To me, this song flight symbolizes transcendence. When we, as humans, sing our song of joy, we rise above the heaviness of everyday life. We elevate our consciousness. By raising our own vibrational frequency, we transcend the lower vibrations of the collective consciousness.

When consciousness rises in this way, perception becomes crystal clear. We literally rise above the dualistic field, allowing our awareness to expand. These are the moments when we fully connect with our essence of joy, love, and peace. It feels like coming home to our true self.

In such moments of connection, we often wish to remain in that blissful state of love and joy. We don’t want to descend back into ordinary life, which can sometimes feel heavy. However, I believe the true purpose is to embody this pure energy of joy and love in our daily lives. What we discover through transcendence must be integrated and expressed in our everyday activities.

Such peak experiences mean little if they don’t make us better people in daily life. The goal is not just to sit like a ‘bliss bunny’ on a meditation cushion. Bring your joy and love into everything you think, do, and say. In embodying these qualities, you reveal your true mastery. In other words, you choose to simply be your true, authentic self.

If you start your day by aligning yourself with joy and love, you can embody this state of being throughout all your activities and interactions. This makes you stand powerfully in life. The storms of life will have less power to throw you off balance.

I see this human incarnation as a training ground where we can learn to embody love and joy. Sometimes, it feels like a tremendous challenge. Life presents many pitfalls that can distract us from our true essence of joy and love. That’s why it’s essential to realign yourself every morning when you wake up.

Here’s an example from my own life to illustrate this. If I’m not mindful, I can easily clash with certain family members. It’s all too easy to lose my alignment and get caught up in a game of mutual blame. Throwing verbal bombs at each other and passing judgment is far from a pleasant experience. If I’m not careful, I can be quickly pulled into conflict energy, which grows rapidly—like a snowball rolling down a mountain, gaining size and momentum.

However, if I align myself with peace, joy, and love, I rise above the battlefield—just like the skylark. The verbal bombs and grenades of others can no longer reach me. I also gain a clear understanding of where their pain and my own wounds originate. From this clarity, I can shake off irritation and negative thoughts. I then choose to respond with kindness, set a boundary, or simply withdraw for a moment if necessary. When I return to a harmonious energy, I forgive myself and others. Forgiveness restores balance.

This is how I now move through life. In every present moment, I align myself and try to embody this state of being. This leads to a life of greater balance and more peak experiences. The more I practice this in challenging situations, the stronger I become. By now, I am quite stable in my joy.

Thank you, beautiful skylark! I deeply appreciate you! Your song flight inspires me to rise above life’s challenges and sing my song of joy! You bring out the best in me. Your example encourages me to live up to my full potential.

Does this story resonate with you? Do you also want to rise above life’s challenges like a skylark? Then focus on joy and love. Align yourself with these energies and embody them throughout your day. In short: align and embody. It works!