“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.”
Nothing happens without the breath. Simply turning our attention to breathing changes its pace. It begins to slow. We discover its natural rhythm.
When tension and stress begin to build in the body, taking a moment to sit in a relaxed posture, inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly, can lower stress levels. In anxious moments, being able to reduce internal stress responses allows our minds space and energy for discovery of solutions, and bring us back into a relaxed state. Stress is all around us. We do not have to carry it within. Breathe.
BLESSINGS
Keep scrolling for more reflections.
ALSO… maybe, pause and reflect
I wonder whatever made that little ant believe he could move a rubber tree plant.
Do you know that song, High Hopes? The ditty lauds the efforts of a tiny little ant struggling to move something much bigger, and the ant’s belief that a rubber tree plant could be moved by its efforts.
When I was younger, I heard a story about a little engine, too! Do you know that one? A little train trying to get up a hill and encouraging itself by saying, “I think I can!” then later saying, “I know I can!”
My granddaughter received a book as a gift recently titled, “She Persisted.” It’s about amazing women in our history that defied the odds and naysayers to effect change for themselves or their communities.
Now you may be asking yourself, “What does an ant, a little train, and stories in a child’s book have to do with me?” I can’t tell you that. If you find a connection, it is your own; though if you do, i hope it’s something that lifts you.
As for me, I take them as wisdom. Wisdom that reminds me of the power of thought. How being convinced of personal success and committed to the process, we can affect change much bigger than ourselves; we can go places that seemed only possible in our imaginations, and we can perform above and beyond any ceiling placed over us.
BLESSINGS
I’m not sure when it developed, my fascination and fondness of trees. I find their colorings so beautiful as they age from shades of green to warmer fall tones of golds, reds, and oranges. The background this week is a close up of a leaf, presumably from a tree.
I’m drawn to the lines and striations, how each contributes to the life and health of the tree that supports its life. They need each other. Many trees live through winter without leaves, but eventually spring and summer comes and the leaves are needed to collect the sun for energy. Leaves remain alive the longest when they’re connected to the tree. We are all connected similarly. In small ways and large, we are all connected and draw strength and support from one another. It’s that connectedness that brought you to this page.
There’s a new blog post in the Writings section. Check it out and thanks for reading.
BLESSINGS
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
I love this saying. In my mind it sounds both like a warning and an invitation.
How do you receive it?
Can you see yourself in this space? Can you smell the morning?
Can you feel the sun on your face where you stand on this path?
Does it invite you forward?
Does the darkness in the nearby trees distract you? Perhaps the unknown things in the shadows or around the bend, give you pause.
It’s okay to pause when things seem uncertain. Pause and find your breath.
We are all sunflowers inside. We are naturally drawn to light. Even if we find ourselves in darkness, we still search for the light. We make room for the light to be revealed when we pause in uncertainty to find our breath and our direction.
BLESSINGS
I enjoy the rain. I enjoy the way it sounds on windows and the roof of my car. I enjoy the way it feels on my skin when the weather is warm.
I notice these droplets on the leaf, presumably from a tree, and I appreciate the different ways the many parts of the tree interact with the water. Leaves with open surface receive energy from the sun; they’re coating prevents them from absorbing too much water. The roots beneath the soil patiently wait to receive their portion of the rain as it filters through the surface to them below. The inner parts of the tree, nourished by the water and sun, lovingly and securely protected by the bark. The fit together neatly in form and function.
We, as trees, are absorbers of our environments.
What about your environment energizes you?
What about your environment feeds you and gives you strength?
What about your environment contributes to your growth?
BLESSINGS
I wonder if trees have favorite seasons? Do they feel more young and spry again in the spring when new leaves bud upon the branches? Do they feel strong and confident as leaves change to deeper, yet more vibrant, shades of green? Do they wait all season for the autumn when they know that we’ll be watching to see the the dazzling array of warm fall tones of gold, orange, red, then finally brown? Do trees become contemplative as winter approaches? Do they mourn the loss of leaves and outward beauty or do they take comfort that their deep roots will still be yet nourished during the colder and often drier winters? Do trees look for the return of spring like we look for the return of joy and new mercies each morning?
I’m learning to notice and appreciate the seasons of my life. Walking meditation has been a beautiful tool of transformation and healing for me. As spring approaches and the temperatures inch higher on the thermostat, I grow eager to see my friends along the river. While I may be in the “autumn” years of my life, there is newness everywhere that makes me feel new and alive just like the approaching spring.
What changes are you noticing this season in your life? I hope winter was a time of rest, reflection, and restoration for you. I hope that you are also noticing and nurturing the new beginnings around you.
BLESSINGS
This week I’m focusing on being lifted by love.
The events of any given news cycle can leave us with a sinking feeling. That heaviness doesn’t include the stress that comes with daily life. Through it all, however, there is a 3-strand lifeline.
PEACE, JOY, & LOVE
Take a few moments and find the rhythm in your breath.
Inhale slowly and deeply, Exhale slowly and fully. Repeat.
Imagine yourself being filled with light as if it were air.
Imagine that light and its warmth.
Imagine with each respiration,
a little light lingers behind and builds.
When you find yourself full of light
and glowing,
you’ll know you’ve fully collected yourself.
You are full of Peace.
Peace is in you.
Now you have peace to share.
You are full of joy.
Joy is in you.
Now you have joy to share.
You are full of love.
Love is in you.
You now have love to share.