Tag: meditation

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Surrender 124: Garden Meditation

Today I was intentional about spending time in my garden this evening. As I moved through the day, working this morning and visiting with my mom at the hospital, I considered how to best savor those moments. I was excited about planting and hanging the vintage cone colanders and creating a permanent space for the minnow bucket candle holder. 


I set that intention this morning and surrendered to it. During the day, as I was in the flow of possibilities, two other elements clicked into place, creating an amazing opportunity. I learned about gathas. And I looked at the online holiday site, curious about what unique celebration might be available today. 

Gathas (pronounced gattas) are short poems or verses that are recited during routine activities throughout the day. They are designed to return us to the present moment, helping us to be mindful and aware. In his book Peace is Every Breath, Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “When we settle into the present moment, we can see beauties and wonders right before our eyes. Reciting gathas is one way to help us dwell in the present moment.” In his book, Hanh includes gathas for many ordinary tasks, including gardening. 


When I looked up the unique holidays for today, I discovered that May 3 is Garden Meditation Day. It all came together…my desire to be in the garden this evening, the use of gathas to practice mindfulness in the present moment, and a celebration focused on meditating in the garden. Isn’t life beautiful?

Meditation doesn’t have to be practiced sitting in a lotus position with eyes closed. Meditation is the awareness of what’s going on, right now, in my body, in my breathing, in my feelings, in my world. Garden meditation is the act of focusing on what I am doing, moment by moment…digging, planting, creating, watering and even pulling weeds. As I garden, I don’t dwell on the garden of the past or project toward a garden of the future. I remain right here, in the garden of right now, enjoying each task. 


As I mindfully dwelled in my garden, I created little flower containers from the two vintage cone colanders. Greg secured the colanders to the wood fence, using heavy duty staples. I cut a 14″ round coco fiber liner in two and formed each half into a cone shape, which I then slipped inside each colander. I filled the containers with potting soil and tucked in white impatiens and trailing dichondra. I LOVE the finished look. These are so adorable and they were so easy to create. 

I filled two battered metal buckets with flowers, setting the containers on and near an old wooden chair. The colander planters are secured on either side of the chair. Above the chair, the minnow bucket hangs from a sturdy hook, completing that garden vignette. 


As I meditatively planted and watered, I mindfully recited gathas: 

Planting

I entrust myself to Earth/Earth entrusts herself to me/I entrust myself to the Divine/The Divine entrusts itself to me. 

Watering

Water and sun/green these plants/When the rain of compassion falls/even the desert becomes a vast fertile plain. 

Lighting the candle within the minnow bucket

Lighting this candle/offering the light to the Divine/the peace and joy I feel/brightens the face of the Earth


I am refreshed by my meditative time in the garden this evening. The gathas were simple and beautiful reminders that kept my awareness on what I was doing. And my creativity was fully engaged, free to play. It was the perfect end to the day. I look forward to writing my own gathas. However this one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s resonates:

Ending the Day

The day is ending/my life is one day shorter/Let me look carefully at what I have done/Let me practice diligently/putting my whole heart into the path of meditation/Let me live deeply each moment in freedom/so time does not slip away meaninglessly. 


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Day 136: Deep Relaxation

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My planned first for the day was a line dancing lesson. As I wrapped up the day close to 7:00 pm, finishing up a showing with a delightful young couple, I knew that wasn’t going to happen! Deciding to save line dancing for another time, I now had to come up with a first, relatively late in the day. At home, browsing through possibilities, I realized my body was drawn toward deep rest. One thing I’ve learned during my journey these past few years is to listen to what my body is telling me. For my first today, I practiced intentional deep relaxation.

I regularly practice meditation and frequently include relaxation as a part of that practice. It is very easy to allow stress to build up in the body and settle into the muscles, creating tension and pain. When I’ve been overly busy, or have had too many long days and short nights, stress and tension accumulate in my neck and shoulder muscles. A painful stiff neck or shoulder is my signal to relax and meditate. Taking 15 to 20 minutes to consciously relax the muscles and allow stress to drain away restores and refreshes me physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Tonight I tried a deep relaxation technique suggested by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who writes and teaches about mindful living. He says that deep relaxation is an opportunity for our bodies to rest, heal and be restored. As we relax, we send love and care to each part of our bodies, holding that part in our awareness as we breathe in and out.

I wanted to be very intentional about relaxing, so I created an environment to support and encourage it. Candles were lit throughout my darkened bedroom. I combined dried lavender, white sage, sweet grass and a bay leaf to create a soothing and cleansing potpourri to burn on a small piece of charcoal. And I had 40 minutes of soft, meditative music playing on my phone. I was ready to relax!

I don’t normally lie down to meditate, as I will too easily slip beyond relaxation and into sleep. I decided this evening to get comfortable lying down and that if deep relaxation took me into slumber it was because my body needed that rest. Lying on my bed, snuggled beneath a heavy blanket, candlelight flickering and music playing, I closed my eyes and focused on taking long slow deep breaths. Beginning with my toes, I held them in my awareness and said, as breathed in and out:

Breathing in, I am aware of my toes

Breathing out, I smile to my toes

This is mindfulness. This is bringing my attention to myself and willing myself to relax my muscles. I moved my awareness up my body, mentally cradling each part, repeating the above statement about my knees, my liver, my arms, my heart, my shoulders, all the way to the top of my head. Sending love and care and gratitude to each part of me, smiling, spending a little extra time being mindful of any sore spot, I relaxed so deeply. Muscles unknotted, my breathing grew deeper and I felt myself sinking into sleep. I let go.

I didn’t sleep long, and waking slowly, I felt wonderful. I could have rolled over and slept until morning and will return to pick up where I left off shortly. Thich Nhat Hanh says, “When you direct the energy of your mindfulness to the part of your body that you are embracing with love and tenderness, you are doing exactly what your body needs.” This was exactly what I needed tonight and I’m grateful that I listened to my body. This was self care at a high level.

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Day 116: World Tai Chi Day

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Tai chi is called meditation in motion. I love moving through the beautiful forms. Being intentional about the movements slows the stream of thought racing through my mind while increasing the energy flow throughout my body. I’ve had the privilege of taking tai chi lessons from instructor Becky Browne. Joining the class twice weekly, in the evenings, I learned the Yang 16 form, the Yang 24 form and attended another class that I think we called, simply, The Scoops. Tai chi is not only beautiful and centering, it also improves my flexibility, core strength and balance.

My very busy schedule this year has prevented me from taking part in tai chi classes this spring. However, I was thrilled to be invited to take part in World Tai Chi Day, held locally at the Center Creek Park in Carl Junction, MO. Officially called World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, this is an annual event held toward the end of April. The special day began in 1999 and is held in 80 countries and hundreds of cities around the world, commencing in each location at 10:00 am. The goal of World Tai Chi Day is to bring people across racial, economic, religious and geo-political boundaries to join together for the purpose of health and healing, providing an example to the world. Last year, millions of people around the globe joined together in demonstrations of tai chi.

This year, I got to be one of those people. Becky began the day with meditation at 9:15. In spite of rain and the rumble of thunder, a small group of us gathered under a pavilion in the park to practice a standing meditation. I have to say, that 30 minute meditation was the most powerful one I have ever experienced! As we breathed and centered ourselves, focusing inward, mother nature provided the background music, at first with a soothing, gentle rain, and birdsong, and then a full blown thunderstorm, with lightning, thunder, torrential rain and hail. What an amazing and startling contrast, the quiet and peace pooling within as a tempest raged without. We all completed the meditation and marveled at the experience.

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Becky Browne, amazing  tai chi instructor

More and more people gathered as 10:00 approached and the rain ceased. We all moved out onto a grassy area in the park. Becky led us through warm up exercises and Qigong to loosen muscles and joints. After a few photos by a local photographer, we moved slowly and in unison through the Yang 16 form. This is the power and beauty of tai chi, individuals shifting together, focusing on each movement, stepping, dipping, arms and hands flowing, the group moving as one. We then moved through the Yang 24 and The Scoops. Most of us watched as Becky and an advanced group moved through the kung fu form called the Chung-I-Chaun and a beautiful Wu form. I sat entranced, watching. Tai chi truly is meditation in motion and grace in motion as well.

I so enjoyed a morning of meditation and tai chi.  What a wonderful first, really two firsts, for the day: participating in World Tai Chi Day and practicing tai chi outside in the park. I feel centered and energized. And I think I could count another first for the day as well. I’ll never forget doing a standing meditation outdoors during a thunderstorm!

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Day 33: DIY Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub

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Today’s first, making my own sugar scrub, wasn’t difficult. This new experience was more about connecting with who I am and what brings me joy, and finding an outward creative expression for that joy.

The warm vanilla sugar scrub was so easy and satisfying to create. It is my signature scent and this scrub smells wonderful. I tried a small scoop on my hands and arms and my skin is soft and delicately scented. The scrub sits now in a small glass jar in the shower, awaiting use.

I loved this do it yourself beauty project. The simplicity of combining basic, natural ingredients to create a pretty, useful product, aligns with my desire for beauty and a simpler life. It is a form of meditation for me. Doing the task at hand, concentrating on mixing ingredients, slows me down and therefore slows down my mind and my world.  My soul expands and the space around me becomes a warm and peaceful atmosphere that I thrive in. I look forward to growing herbs in my backyard garden this year and drying them for use in creating more products. Bliss!