In silence and stillness nature is giving birth to the first signs of spring

The Dawn of Spring is unfolding naturally

In silence and stillness nature gave birth to the first signs of spring. Nature reminds us that we need moments of simply ‘being’ for things to unfold. As the Tao Te Ching teaches:

“Less and less is done until nothing is done,
when nothing is done, nothing is left undone”.

So how can we bring these values within our culture’s emphasis on ‘doing’?  Well it doesn’t mean that we renounce our work, our families, sell our house and go to the forest, sitting there forever. It means that there are plenty of opportunities during the day where we can stop our activity, our ‘doing’ mode and become aware of the present moment, of our body, our breath, the surroundings; with openness and curiosity.

In stopping, breathing, being, we allow the constant flow of thoughts to settle, we let go of past worries and planning. We give our mind a break, allowing it to rest, to be refreshed and renewed. After a pause we can resume our activity or move to the next one, with more calm and clarity of mind.

For instance we may pause before picking up the children. This will allow us to be more present with them, genuinely listening to their stories of the day.
When walking the dog we may stop and pause; using our senses to see the landscape, hear a bird song or feel the wind, the sun or the rain touching us.
While drinking tea or eating a meal we may stop our autopilot mode to truly taste our food or drink, and perhaps appreciate all the people involved behind this food.

So there are many ways to incorporate mindfulness in our daily life for our own sanity. Remembering that it is our sanity, calm and happiness which will benefit others and create harmony in the family and workplace.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our constant activities and struggles that we may forget to practice and pause. We may think ‘I don’t have time for this’ and yet research has shown that meditation prevents us from wasting time and improves our efficiency.
When we loose touch with our practice, we may need extra support. Seeking support is not a weakness, it’s a strength of compassion and self-care. We all need to ‘recharge our batteries’ from time to time, even after many years of practice. Retreats, refreshers sessions, group meditation are a great source of support, inspiration and encouragement.

As a friend Gino said: “The forces of darkness and of light are lining up against each other, taking place each moment inside of us. In every breath we take, we make a choice”.