Day 14: Meditation Challenge ~ Letting Nature Lead

Welcome, to my 28-Meditation Challenge.

If you have joined us late, that is just fine. If you'd like to "officially" join in, simply leave a comment here that says, "I'm in!" and I will add you to the Challenge Roster. Or, send me an e-mail through the Contact Box at my website: awakenedliving.com. You may want to catch up by reading the previous posts. We are glad you are here! 


Each day we come here, even if we have not meditated as we'd hoped, we begin again.
Start where you are ... 

It's the Sabbath once again. And in honor of this special time to stop, let go, and surrender to a gentler rhythm, I'd like to offer you a meditation. It's a nature meditation based upon one that spontaneously took me over the other day. On Wednesday this week I meditated with three mourning doves.

I spied them sitting on a barren oak tree across the road from my house. We've had many winter birds here—cardinals, chickadees, jays and juncos. But the doves had been a bit scarce. They sat so still, continuously still. So still, in fact, that I thought for a moment they were brown leaves, clinging since fall.

Their stillness enraptured me and drew me into my own. I imagined myself sitting up there with them, safe and secure in my own little spot on the branch. I sat beside them and breathed.

I felt the wind ruffle my feathers. I heard the sound of the waves below. I spied gulls in the distance. All from my vantage point on the branch, and no matter what I saw or felt, nothing disturbed me. And there we sat, the four of us. Deep stillness was mine.

What a blessing it was, to meditate with the doves.

I've often wondered what it is about nature that brings us into silence. Is it its sheer beauty, so stunning sometimes that we are overcome with emotion, bathed in awe? Or is it its natural stillness? A mountain range, a forest, a sandy beach, a canyon, a meadow, whatever the landscape might be—each seems to possess an innate stillness that invites us inward. Deeper. Into a place of quiet and calm within us.

Nature does not seem to strive. It does not work at its beauty, its magnificence. It just "is." For this very reason, nature may invite us into our own "is-ness," as well. We resonate with its energy. Like a tuning fork we attune ourselves to its cadence and rhythm.

Today, perhaps you might enjoy meditating with nature as your guide and companion. 

Go outside and do this physically or, as I did, from afar, through a window. Or even through the windows of your pure imagination. Immerse yourself in a scene and select an object of contemplation. Take on the identity of a mountain, a stately tree, a blooming rose, a bird. You may choose to be it, or simply sit beside it and enjoy its company.

Whichever way you choose, allow nature's stillness to captivate you. Embrace it. Breathe it in. Keep your senses attuned as best you can. Breathe deeply and evenly, relishing this present moment. Feel the soothing effects of Mother Nature in all her glory wash over you, releasing tension, bringing you, once more, to an inner landscape of peace. Stillness can be yours.


Enjoy the day. Be kind to yourself. Believe, breathe, and be well!
And, as always, I welcome your thoughts ...

Blessings,

Jan

Read on ...

From Where I Sit — Day 13,  My Meditation Experience

Yesterday I did metta. I tried it another time and I fell asleep!  I listened to Day 5 of the Sit-a-Long with Jundo.  I also "sat" after that for an additional 5 minutes.
   
Recommended Resources:
Are you interested in helping kids become more mindful? Check this out: Mindfulness Together is "a social network for adults dedicated to nurturing the inner lives of kids and those who love them." I love the concept and have even considered getting "officially" trained in mindfulness as it pertains to children, especially within an educational framework. But, alas, there is only so much time. :-)

I appreciate what they call "The New ABCs of Learning" —attention + balance = compassion. Learn more at http://www.mindfulnesstogether.net/

And FYI, they define "mindfulness" this way. "It is both a way of being in the world and a largely introspective process of actively attending to life experience from a perspective of kindness and compassion for self and others."

Inspiration:
Speaking on mindfulness: "How does this practice help us in everyday life? As we do it, we begin to glimpse our own richness, which is peace and equanimity. This experience gradually makes us less aggressive. Our senses take on a richer quality, with a strong sense of appreciation. We have mindfulness of our feelings. We begin to feel how we feel. Then we are able to make intelligent decisions about what to do with our emotions.

Sometimes people ask, "What do I do when I feel jealous?" or "How do I get less angry?" With consistent daily practice, we calm the waves of our mind at a very deep level. Then when a tsunami of emotion arises during the day, we can do what I call "situational contemplation" —looking at the arising emotion and slowly unraveling it, rather than throwing a tantrum or having another drink. Having learned to engage in mindfulness, we no longer struggle against the world so much. We can accomplish our activity fluidly, with ease."

~Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, from "How to Be a Peacemaker," from the March issue of Shambhala Sun 

(Image of Mt. Kailash courtesy of www.pkttours.com/images)

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Congratulations to Rochelle of Getting There! She is the winner of the Book/Cd giveaway offering by Diana Lang. Enjoy your copy of Opening to Meditation. May it bring you peace.