Make Room for Ahhhh….

“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.”   
– Spanish proverb

 

 

Take a moment to notice your response to this thought.  Can you recall such a time?  What was it like?  How often do you allow yourself to rest deeply?

 

 

Our industrialized, mechanistic society has often betrayed our innate desire to simply be.   Without an agenda.   You’ve heard the expression, “Human-Doing”?

 

 

I often blaze through my day ticking off as many items from my checklist and multiple calendars as possible, and should I get “distracted”, I have alarms that go off on my devices to remind me that I have more to do.  Perhaps some chocolate or another cup of coffee would help power through the afternoon.   Sound familiar?

 

Hmmm….. 

 

I have to ask, does all this busy-ness actually help us feel the quality of life that we are hoping to gain from all of that activity?  I know, we all have things we need to do and bills to pay, so we try our best to get through the day.  However, it’s worth asking, how tied am I to the Tyranny of my To-Do List, and at what cost?  I confess, I have an app that categorizes my To-Do’s into multiple lists. Each has a reminder alarm that can be set.   While I like the convenience of seeing calendar appointments, the alarm thing became a bit of an anxiety trigger.  “BRRRING!”   “What NOW? Oh, a reminder to breathe.”  Wow.

 

I’m reminded of times, before these devices, when I felt more in sync with nature.  How can we journey closer to that ever-present possibility of being in the moment called NOW?  Just asking the question has been transformative for me.

 

I practice giving voice and listening to my deep longing for joy, contentment, and peace. I’ve turned off the unnecessary alarms. I gift myself several mini-vacations  throughout each day to “do nothing, and then rest”.  Even for just a few minutes.   

 

I wake up with the rising sun, meander outside with my tea or coffee and watch the light from the pond dance on the maple leaves and then onto the fence and later onto the cedar tree. I contemplate the many gifts and opportunities of being a human and how I get in my own way.  I know I’m not alone in this endeavor to be happy; we’re hard-wired that way. But are our methods liberating us or sinking us?  It’s worth pondering. 

 

 

This morning while leisurely strolling through our garden listening to a Black-headed Grosbeak singing, I spied a beautiful luminous blue-green beetle with long antennae and orange and black-striped legs work inside a calla lily.  I noticed several different types of bugs in the lilies. The soft cushion of fragrant Corsican Mint under my feet invited another timeless moment of appreciation.  Looking up, a hillside of colorful roses called to me.  I strolled up the path and sniffed their many offerings – clove, pineapple, tea, butter, and sweet fragrances for which I have no words.  They remind me that our time here is brief. Be in joy. 

 

I encourage you to carve out some time for more mini-vacations…timeless awareness:  No appointments, no have-to’s… a quality of unhurriedness.  Stare out a window, if you can’t get outside, and feel your connection to the rhythms of the natural world.   Most certainly, such resting is not a waste of time. But don’t take my word, discover for yourself again and again. Each moment is completely new.   As one of my teachers, Mingyur Rinpoche says, “Short moments, many times.”     Like anything, it’s a practice… one in which we could all find some benefit.   

 

My journey will culminate in a week-long yoga and meditation retreat on an oceanside hill of Costa Rica for more extensive explorations next February 22-29, 2020.  You’re welcome and invited to join me.  

 

For more details about this adventure, click here… https://tri.ps/da72p

 

Blessings,
Julia

Nature Blooms

 

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