Celebrate rain

This morning I took a walk through the forest near my house. I imagine that I am one of the trees in this forest, wet with the new-fallen rain. My roots reach down into the damp soil and drink from the fresh water. I am sharing this water with the trees next to me.

All living things are connected through the same water. The water that flows in our oceans, the water that runs through the rivers, the water in the clouds above that rains down on the earth. The water that makes up most of my body.

The water that gives us all life.

I celebrate rain today.

Deepak on meditation

Really nice little post, check it out - http://www.care2.com/greenliving/finding-your-true-self-through-meditation.html

Sunrise Meditation

It was a crisp morning as I watched the sun rise. The trees in my yard are growing side by side, each reaching for the sun yet giving each other space to grow even though they are so close. I focused on the growth, feeling the roots going deep into the earth, seeking water. I imagine they are intertwined at spots, but branching out to either side so as to share the nourishment. I thought about the connectedness of everyone on earth, sharing the same source. I felt the life surging into my roots from the earth beneath me. I was grounded and connected.

I let the nourishment surge through me as I reached to the sun. The trees leave room for each other as they grow towards the light. I thought about this and felt the love that allows the other to grow in a different direction, side by side, sharing the same light. The love that sees that there is enough water and light for both and does not need to compete.

I felt peace as I waited for the light to soak in, as I drank the water from my roots, watched the leaves unfurl and the buds start to form.

Peace and patience is what I feel today.

I wouldn't want anyone to get a big head over this, or would I?

So whenever I stop at the co-op I pic up any pamphlets/newsletters that are free to take on your way out the door. I tend to find the most useful holistic living tips in them, and the best part is they are free. Anyhow one of the last pamphlets I picked up was the April/May, 2011 edition of This is Living Naturally, from the Valley Natural Foods co-op in Apple Valley MN. I highly recommend this co-op by the way; they even have a machine that crunches peanuts into fresh peanut butter with absolutely no additives, and it's so delicious.

The reason I was so excited about this month's edition of This is Living Naturally is because of the article "Thinking About What a Healthy Brain Needs". I never cease to be amazed at the little windows of insight we gain about the human brain. It seems we have only a tiny morsel of information on a subject of such vast unknowns. The article has only one paragraph dedicated to the benefits of meditation on the human brain, however, I was quite ecstatic over it. What it says is that Harvard, Yale, and Massachusetts General Hospital, have done research that show meditation increases gray matter in the brain and also slows the aging process.

I've always felt a bit short changed by psychology texts, it seems there aren't many definitive answers there. I often look for answers about the human mind where there has been factual evidence for the information presented. This article is a prime example of how powerful meditation really is for the human mind. It is amazing to me that meditation isn't common place to more Westerners, as the benefits to the brain are on a par with aerobic exercise.

Here is a link to the Harvard Gazette article that explains this research further.

Emotions

Today I am mediating on my emotions. I am an intensely sensitive and emotional soul, and when I feel anything it really affects me. I have learned that my spirit animal totem is the whale, a symbol of emotional depth. Like Jonah, I am retreating into the belly of my whale, meditating and thinking about why I feel the way I do. When I am ready, I will emerge from this whale with new-found enlightenment. I mediate on the difference between my feelings and other people's feelings. I meditate on how my soul and my ego connect with, and affect my feelings. I am on a long journey of trying to master them.

Morning Meditation

I am new to meditation. I have resisted it for many different reasons.

• I have "better" things to do with my time
• I have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet
• I am not an introspective person
• It's not something I am good at
• It's not exciting

Okay, they are not terrific excuses, they are just mine.

I decided this summer, while I am between semesters, I would take the time to learn more about meditation. I read in a study by Mawani (2010) that meditation can drastically reduce chronic pain. This is one good reason to meditate.

I am sitting in my living room, looking out at the morning sky with dark clouds, full of life-giving water. The tree in my yard is blowing in the wind. I am feeling the roots of the tree as I stand at my window, letting my feet move down into the earth, feeling the roots grow towards the source of water and nutrition in the earth. I am stretching my arms up into the air, reaching for what little sunlight is there, swaying with the wind, but aware that my roots are grounded and that I will still be there after the wind is through blowing me. I am finding peace in the strength of my roots. I am finding joy in the water that will soon come pouring down on me. I am letting all the cares of my life blow away with the wind this morning. I am letting go of every worry and every pain.

Namaste

reference:

Mawani, A. (2010). Reducing chronic pain using mindfulness meditation: An exploration of the role of spirituality. University of Manitoba (Canada)). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/853332231?accountid=35812

Welcome to our new meditation blog!

A space to grow and blossom.

Namaste.