Say No To The Dustnado!

It was a clear, warm, fall afternoon, the perfect scenario for a dust devil sighting (which of course was the furthest thought from my mind). I’m hiking along the trail and a dust devil whips and twists about 20 feet ahead of me. I thought to myself, “I did not see that coming! Where on Earth did that come from?” I was in such a calm happy space, minding my own business, taking in the beauty, then suddenly my calmness was disturbed by this turbulent mini weather pattern that spins before me.

This can happen at any time during our day. We are going about our business, when suddenly in the midst of calm something triggers us. We are faced with mini dust devils - an irate customer, a child’s temper tantrum, an ungrateful boss, a road-rager, a political outburst. Watch as these dustnados move past you. You have a choice to join them in their wildly whips and twists, or you can stay in your place of calm, breathing and observing.   

"Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along." - Paramahansa Yogananda

It's All Downhill From Here

I was doing a training hike the other day with a friend, preparing for a Mt. Whitney climb. I was carrying a loaded backpack and chose a trail with long steep hills. We’re hiking along, chatting, catching up on life, having a splendid time. We reach our turnaround point and as we backtrack, we realize that there are more steep uphills to climb than we remember. Isn’t that true in life? We’re going along living our lives, then suddenly things get harder, more stressful, we are faced with fear and doubt. Suddenly the path of life doesn’t seem so smooth and joyful. We look for alternative, easier routes, yet we realize the only way is up. We continue putting one foot in front of the other. At last we reach the top of the hill. It doesn’t matter if we are greeted with another uphill climb or a downhill segment, there will always be ups and downs along the path. Meet those peaks and valleys with gusto and know that you are where you are supposed to be along your journey of life.

“Life has its ups and downs. When you are up, enjoy the scenery. When you are down, touch the soul of your being and feel the beauty.”  - Debasish Mridha

Good Morning Sunshine

I am always amazed at the little gifts that nature shares with us all. As I'm walking my dog around the block before heading to work, the sun rose and cast a pink hue on the fog that was rolling over the hills. That little dose of nature first thing in the morning set the tone for my entire day. The pink quickly faded away, but the vision lasted all day in my mind, leaving me with a warm feeling of gratitude. Start your morning off with a dose of nature and allow it to transform the rest of your day.

 "An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." — Henry David Thoreau

Our Mother Mourns

When Mother Nature experiences loss, she feels the pain all the way to her core. She retreats to the deep woods.  Her pain turns to anger and she moves the earth. She rains tears and grieves in the darkness. She feels helpless and vulnerable but moves toward the light. She is deeply saddened. The sun sets and rises, the stars dim and shine, the tides ebb and flow. The moon shines as her beacon light. She accepts the natural process to mourn, and she mourns deeply. Our Mother creates the space for healing.   

"At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of the summer, we remember them."

 - Sylvan Kamens & Rabbi Jack Reimer

Fight, Flight or Hide

When things get tough in nature, nature does what it knows best, stay and fight or take flight. Instincts take over and all that matters is survival. When things get tough for humans we can also choose fight or flight and we can also choose to hide. We can stay with it and fight or we can flee and let it be. If we choose to hide, mask, or numb then our troubles will keep lurking. It's not only about surviving, it's also about LIVING! 

"The only thing that can combat fear is action. And there's two actions. There's fight and flight." - Earl Sweatshirt

 Don't just survive, LIVE

Let Your Imagination Go WILD!

While biking with my son over the weekend we couldn’t help but notice how our rolling green mountain had turned to gold seemingly overnight. He said the mountain looked like a gold nugget covered in moss. His words sparked my memory of all the moments in nature when my imagination gave form and shape to the trees and rocks along my path. The rock that’s shaped like a bear’s head, the dead tree that takes form of a howling coyote, the heart shaped rock, the silhouette of a bull fighter taking on a bull, the hill that looks like a human fist. Notice the artistry of nature. Be open to your own creativity. When in nature, let your imagination go WILD! 

"Turn him into stars and form a constellation in his image. His face will make the heavens so beautiful that the world will fall in love with the night and forget about the garish sun." - William Shakespeare

Imagine

What Grounds You?

Is it the sunset, a mountainscape, a waterfall, the stars above, the grass below? What grounds you? Our friend the banana slug spends most of its time on the ground, exploring every nook and cranny that lies in its path. We can learn from this little mysterious creature. Slow down...and get grounded. 

“I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything.” – Kimya Dawson