calm – Site Title

A Gorgeous Morning

I made it early to the fields this morning and the sun was already high up in the sky after hiding for several days. We’ve had rain, wind, and more rain. I decided to take advantage of the nice weather before everybody else had the same idea. Unfortunately, there were people already there with the same idea in mind!

The fields were like they used to be but only this time it looked a little untidy. What happened to the regimented way of caring for nature? The farmers around here keep it in tip-top form but it seems like they’ve let go for a little while. The Rapeseed plants are still there reaching to the skies, no longer pretty but dull and brown. The pathway I was on was narrow and on both sides the plants stood unrelenting and covering my view. A feeling of claustrophobia knocked at my door but I took a deep breath and kept on walking. I needed to be outside today and I needed nature to do its thing of calming me.

I was told to watch out for deer among the plants. It seems they sit crouched within the plants with only their brown backs showing. “Be careful,” was the message because they do jump out at times and if you’re in the way, well you know. So I kept my eyes peeled but nothing seemed to spell trouble. It was quiet out and the air was crisp and fresh, the way I like it. I decided to go by the forest way just for a change and although it is not my favorite route, I decided that the quiet and calm would do me good. It did. There was something soothing about the birds chirping in the trees and a lone Woody Woodpecker knocking at some tree trunk. I couldn’t see it but it was there and although it was loud, I took it in stride. Anything to keep my mind from thinking!

Then I saw it, a lone blue Heron standing all by itself in the middle of the field like a lone sentinel keeping watch. A sign of a good omen? Certain cultures swear that a heron sighting brings good luck. Fingers crossed! As I passed it, I sensed it watching me but it made no move to leave and I left it there to enjoy the morning as I was doing. Walks in nature are a great way to refresh the soul, to put a different perspective on things and to calm an agitated mind. It was doing all that this morning and then I noticed the dark clouds in the distance. I guess we’re not over the rain yet. Oh well, it’s time for another cup of coffee and to be thankful for all that I have especially the gorgeous fields that give me so much pleasure and peace.

Have an amazing day.

The Benefits of Meditation

“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

An important quote that speaks to the importance of quieting the mental chatter that runs rampant in our daily lives. Meditation takes us back to the quiet within. It is a practice that tames the mind and one that gives us access to deeper wisdom and intuition.

In Buddhism, “meditation is a core practice that involves training the mind to achieve a state of calmness, clarity, and insight, ultimately leading towards enlightenment and liberation from suffering.”

It has been said that the Buddha meditated for 49 days under the Bodhi tree to gain enlightenment, however, we don’t have to take it to that extreme to reap the benefits. Starting out with 10 minutes a day helps to quiet some of the chatter. I do 30 minutes a day. Find a quiet space, sit down with legs crossed, if that is next to impossible, you can sit with legs outstretched. Close your eyes and go within. Concentrating on the Third Eye Chakra helps to keep unwanted thoughts at bay. They will enter, it’s only normal, acknowledge and let go. Where’s the Third Eye Chakra? It is located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. It is said to regulate sleep and some say it has “the ability to see beyond the physical realm and access deeper levels of consciousness.”

All fine and good but my goal is to quiet the mind, give it respite from the constant chatter and to smack it down from the constant negative self-talk as well. Meditation has helped me to do just that. Combine meditation with deep breathing and you have a sleep-inducer of the highest order! Take a deep breath to the count of four and release to the count of six or eight. It works wonders. Don’t get agitated if your mind does hoops and refuses to settle down, given time it will. Patience is required so don’t give up too quickly. I started out with 10 minutes of meditation and have worked my way to 30 minutes a day. It is doable.

“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there.” Deepak Chopra

AND

“The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you.” Unknown

Have an amazing day

Simply Beautiful!

My safe space…..

is in the wild open,

where there’s growing space……

and soul-searching space,

and where my fire is bright,

and my wings are wide,

and my breathing is all its own…..

and where I can always feel the way

my heart beats on its own. (butterflies rising)

I usually don’t go walking this early in the morning but my cat alarm clock, Chachi, the cat, and my other alarm clock set to wake me at 5:30 rang at the same time! Why so early? It is Chachi’s normal wake up time and my son who has his first job wanted to make sure he wouldn’t oversleep and since he is a responsible human, showing up for work is now his new normal even if he feels like he has “zero” life right now!

Coming back to the topic at hand. The sun is shining and it looks like a perfect morning for a walk. The air is crisp and fresh and the sun had found its nook in certain places while others remain steeped in shadow. It’s only a matter of time before the whole place is bathed in sunshine and the rabbits and the deer will come out to play.

My usual path feels rocky today or it just seems that way. On both sides, the rapeseed plants are knee-high and soon they will put forth their beauty and the whole landscape will be a striking yellow and simply beautiful to behold. Just another aspect of spring but a breathtaking one nonetheless. In the distance, the pear trees are in bloom their pink and white blossoms adding color to the scene before me.

Suddenly I realize “beautiful” doesn’t even begin to cover it. It is gorgeous, breathtaking, mesmerizing and solace can be found in its midst. As I stand here, one lone human being against the majesty of nature, I feel the power that nature has to soothe a ruffled soul, to calm a frazzled nerve, to whisper sweet nothings with a promise of more to come and to surround you with unadulterated peace.

I am grateful for all that I see and feel. It is going to be a wonderful day.

Have an amazing day.