Sun warming
Breeze cooling
Skin.
Eyes scanning
Unripened green to apple rose’
Locking in
The prized deep purply blue.
Wind chimes whisper
Somewhere nearby
Cars whoosh
Momentarily
Here and there.
Children laugh
And ring the bell.
Sun warming
Breeze cooling
Skin.
Eyes scanning
Each ripened berry
In view.
Totally in the moment
There’s no other place I’d rather be.
The past and the future
Do not exist
In the berry patch.
Raised in an anxiety-ridden home, it was stressful to live in the “now.” Far better to prepare for “what’s next,” I thought, even with its own undercurrent of anxiety.
A friend recently invited me to a year-long meditation but the voluminous information and instant marketing hype quickly drove me away. Unsettling. Like when I attempted meditation years ago in the standard seated position. Arduous. As soaking in a tub. Has this happened to you? Meditation offers many benefits but feeling stressed is not the goal.
Far more agreeable to me, are movement meditations such as hand drumming, walking, or being in the moment with Mother Nature. Fixed on berry picking, the smell of sun-ripening tomatoes and basil brushing my arm, or the infinite colors and textures of nature are far more relaxing and in-the-moment experiences for me.
One size doesn’t fit all. In many things, but meditation too. Giving myself permission to discover what works for me is key. Don’t know where to begin? Try leaving the cell phone behind and taking a walk outside. You may be pleasantly surprised by the calm in connecting with Mother Nature.
Feature photo by Jens Böhm from Pixabay
