There is so much to take in. To receive. Moments to cherish. Fulfillment from life. Nature’s beauty. A rose. The toddler barely visible within the puffy snow suit. The animals. Our beloved companions. Love of family and friends. The endearing stranger we meet on the street. There is so much. The littered street. Plastic. Excess. Earthquakes. War. Suffering. There is so little. Time. I can’t possibly take in all that life has to offer. All the love. All the suffering. So, I turn my gaze towards the small things. These I can receive. Fully. These I can share. Moments of awareness. Discovery. Awe. Time stops. I can pick up the trash that is before me. I can be a listening ear. And when the smallest glimmer of light radiates and shines before me, In the most unexpected places, I can share this with you. A reminder to stop and smell […]
Category Archives: Meditation & Mindfulness
Moments in Time
I get a break in my work day. It’s not a lunch break, for I stay with the students and eat my sun butter and jelly sandwich right alongside them. My break comes later. Thirty minutes. Enough time for a moment to myself, but not so much time that I become engaged in other matters. I sit with my back against the building and begin to observe my surroundings. Cars parked in the lot. Garbage dumpsters in view. A pebble in the crack of a sidewalk. I am pleased to observe life, typically overlooked in the hustle of a day. I have this moment. I see life growing out of weathered cement. Colorful pebbles and peeling paint become my companions. Nearby, the railroad tracks call to me. A bug becomes my friend. I am thankful for these moments and feel at peace.
You Are Your Sunshine, Your Golden Sunshine
It is springtime in the Northern Hemisphere. In Minnesota, we have seen proof! The grass is green. Tulips have sprouted. Leaves grace the tips of branches. It is a time of new growth and beginnings. Spring is also the time in which the sun draws nearer, bringing with it longer days of warmth and light. As we welcome the spring sun that heats the earth and warms our faces, I’d like to share with you how Golden Sunshine can become a part of your daily life, even during tumultuous spring thunderstorms or in the darkest hours and seasons on life’s journey. Life experiences may be challenging. At times, it can be difficult to see the silver lining around clouds of pain, illness, despair or uncertainty. Within our Mindfulness/Spiritual Tool Kit,* we find tools for Grounding, Clearing Space and Finding Neutrality. These are important first steps in healing. Even if we experience situations beyond our […]
Grounding: A Foundational Tool for Life’s Experiences
It’s a fast paced world, these days. Often it may seem there’s not enough time in the day to accomplish tasks at hand. We are faced with daily distractions, an influx of information to dissect, an array of people with varying beliefs, ideas and propaganda. People experience unease, fear and anxiety. Some feel discomfort in their own body, among crowds, or in the whole of society as they see it. Yet, others may have difficulty managing anger, excitement or experiences from the past or projected future. How can one find ample space to BE, to discover, express and live by their own Truths in joy and peace? Luckily for us, a plethora of tools exist to assist us in life, the most foundational being that of Grounding. With mindful awareness focused on Grounding, we begin to experience more clarity, peace, joy, and security. If you don’t already have Grounding as one of your tools, it’s […]
Roses – What’s with All the Roses?
By referencing roses in the month of February, one might anticipate a post about love, friendship, and appreciation for others. Nope. Not here! Though, I will speak about roses as they relate to personal development. Roses are known to be symbols of love, friendship, purity, all depending upon the color of the rose. Some traditions find that when gifting roses to another, one must send an appropriate color associated with personal intent and feelings. Simply based on color alone, there’s potential for miscommunication. Oh, my, it’s so complicated! I am proposing another use for the beautiful rose, in which color does not matter. In past blogs, “Cloudy with A Chance of Sunshine” and “Glitter Money & Anxiety,” I mentioned how we can get stuck on pictures, ideas, thoughts, emotions that no longer serve us well. I spoke about our ability to find neutrality and simply release our hold on […]
