Floating down the Merced River, I’m overcome with a sense of peace.  The cold, clear river flows quiet and smooth.  Trout swim past.  The depth of the water changes with each stroke of the paddle. Sometimes I see the sandy bottom or smooth river rock in shades of brown, tan and beige.  Sometimes the river is shallow other times it is deep.  The silence and serenity fill me.

As I move along, I pass a lone boulder deposited from some long ago flood.  The sudden change in depth causes a ripple in the otherwise glass-like surface.  Branches and fallen trees lay on their sides, a reminder of the forces of nature.  Bird nests abound among the bushes and trees lining the river.  I blue jay swoops overhead.

In Yosemite Valley, I am surrounded by mighty granite cliffs, tall pines and cottonwoods shedding their seeds in a summer snow.  White wildflowers open to the glistening sun.  An occasional bridge and the sight of children frolicking near a sandbar remind me that I share this beautiful National Park with millions who come to visit each year.  I smile, happy to be among them.

As I exit the river, I leave nothing behind and take precious memories to last a lifetime.

What is your favorite National Park memory?

Posted: July 1st, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 2

I woke up early this morning with a feeling of gratitude.

I have so much to be thankful for, as a human being, as a woman, a wife and mother, an American.  I sit here sipping my tea, looking all around me.  As an American, I have my freedom and live in a beautiful country, free to vote, to wear what I want, to choose the food I want to eat, free to do what I want in life.  As a wife and mother, I have a family to love and family that loves me.  My immediate family is small, yet the number of my extended family and friends is large and grows with each passing day.  As a woman, I am grateful to have the ability to bear children.  As a human being, I am thankful for my compassion, kindness and love, for my ability to think and reason and make my own decisions.

My gratitude also extends to the material world.  I am grateful for the home that shelters me from the weather, clothes to cover my body, furniture to sit comfortably, food that is nourishing and plentiful.  I read the newspaper and listen to the news hearing reports of so many people living in poverty, without food and shelter.  Countries are at war, destroying what little these people have.  There are so many who are out of work and don’t have the money for basic staples.  I do what I can to help, but the need is so great.

I glance outside at the green leaves of the magnolia tree, the lilies, petunias, and ornamental grass.  The sky is overcast in early morning fog, yet I know that to the west is the ocean, to the east are mountains.  Down the road there are rivers and lakes, waterfalls and streams.  The sun will appear later today, the moon will rise later this evening and fill the sky with millions of stars.  I am so grateful for this beautiful planet and this wondrous universe.

What are you grateful for?

Posted: June 11th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 1

Chaos is swirling around me, sucking me into mental chatter and stress.  My walls will be opened in a few days.  The plastic pipes replaced with copper.  Wallboard dust will swirl throughout the house.  It’s also a good time to go one step further, remodel the guest bathroom.  The last time, and every other time in the past that we remodeled a part of our house, my body was consumed with stress.  But I have an opportunity to not repeat the patterns of the past.  I know how to be calm.  Stay in the present moment.  Even when my mind is filled with bathroom vanities, sinks, tile selection, and tub enclosures, I can be present with what I am doing.  I can make one decision and move on to the next.

I start my morning in peace.  Sitting on my patio, I gaze into the manmade stream that runs through our condo complex.  The water is clear.  The palm fronds reflect in the calm water.  A slight breeze passes and ripples the water, giving sound to the leaves on the surrounding bushes and trees.  A delicate petunia bloom sways.  The lavender offers up its scent.  I am present.

I hope every enjoyed their Mother’s Day.

Posted: May 12th, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 4

As I drink my cup of of sereni-tea, I’m reading more teabag wisdom.  Here are two to get you through the weekend.

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Gustav Jung

When I was younger, I dreamed a lot.  I dreamed about graduating college, dreamed of my ideal career, dreamed of marriage and having a family, dreamed of buying a home, and a car.  While I managed to accomplish most of my dreams, I found only temporary satisfaction in the accomplishments.  It felt like riding a rollercoaster, a series of ups and downs.  I’ve heard many say “That’s what life is all about.”  But for a long time, deep inside, I felt something missing.  When I finally began to look inside myself, to see and feel the essence of me, I found the dream that had always eluded me.  Peace.

“When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy.” Chinese Proverb

This second teabag saying goes hand-in-hand with Carl Jung.  As I went through life on my rollercoaster, I not only rushed through each day, but was filled with negative emotions – anxiety, depression, stress, anger.  At the same time, my body reacted with back pain, osteoporosis, arthritis, heartburn, heart disease, indigestion.  After looking inside myself, letting go of expectations, forgiving others and myself, my aches and pains diminished.  My body became healthier.  I no longer hold onto negative emotions.  I began living in the present moment.  I became mindful of my thoughts, my actions, my words.

So as you go about your day, I encourage you to find a quiet space.  Take some time.  Look within and see what happens.

Have a great day.

Posted: May 2nd, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 2

Today is Earth Day, and to honor our precious planet I’ve decided to be more mindful of what I can do for the earth, not only today, but always.  Even though I know that I won’t be able to totally eliminate my mark, I’m going to do my best to:

• walk or bike instead of drive
• reuse plastic water bottles
• use cloth napkins
• take cloth shopping bags to the store
• commune with nature as much as possible
• water potted plants with a watering can instead of a hose
• recycle paper, plastic, and glass
• recycle clothes and unwanted household items
• use earth friendly products

It’s the little things that count.  Live every moment to its fullest and be mindful of the earth.  So, what are you doing to honor our planet today?

Posted: April 22nd, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 2

My body is in a state of pain.  I overdid or overstretched this past weekend while rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park.  My spirit knew no bounds as I hiked, scrambled around rocks and boulders and clung to stone with my fingertips.  And now, my body is in pain.

A pulled muscle in my back revealed itself on Monday.  Tuesday, the muscle began to spasm, causing my vocal cords to cry out in agony.  My body is in pain, but I am at peace.

I’ve spent the last several days moving arms and legs as slow as a Tai Chi master.  Lifting one foot, moving one arm, turning ever so slowly, placing weight on my feet, letting my thighs tighten until my torso balanced in an upright position.  The doctor gave me medication for the pain.  The drugs dull my senses and allow me to sleep.

But an amazing awareness has come over me.  Being present, my body is not in pain.  Yes, occasionally I experience a sharp knife jabbing my back, but the pain is not consent.  I am observing the pain as it comes and goes.

I am not my body.  I am not my emotions.  I am the observer. 

Posted: April 18th, 2008 under exercise, meditation, mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 3

I spent this past weekend in Joshua Tree National Park communing with nature.  The sun was bright and the temperature in the low 80’s, perfect for outdoor yoga, hiking, rock climbing and rappelling.  It was wonderful to see the spring flowers in bloom, hear the crunch of gravel beneath my feet, and sit in the shade of a mound of boulders in quiet stillness.

I brought along my journal, thinking I would record the sights and sounds of the high desert, but found myself so absorbed in its beauty that to capture the experience on paper would take me out of the present moment.  Take me out of being one with the universe.

It is an awesome experience, leaving the world of the past and the future behind and just being present.  Feeling the heat of the mid-day sun.  Smelling the light scent of blooming Joshua trees.  Touching the smooth and rough texture of granite beneath my fingers and rappelling down a 300 foot boulder.

If you live in Southern California, this is the perfect time to drive out and visit the area.

Posted: April 14th, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 2

What is Creativity?

Julie Cameron in The Artist’s Way says that “Creativity is a spiritual experience.”

I’ve heard writers say, “When I’m in the zone, the prose flow from somewhere deep within me.”

I’m in the process of rereading Eckhart Tolle’s book The Power of Now.  On pp. 19-20, he writes, “All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.  The mind then gives form to the creative impulse or insight.”

I had to pause after reading that statement and really think about what it says.  I’ve been writing for many years and more recently I’ve channeled my creative energy into my stained glass art.  I definitely agree with all these quotes.  There is someplace beyond my mind, beyond my thoughts, where ideas form and I give birth to them either on the page or in my stained glass.

So the question for you is this.  How do you define creativity?

Posted: April 11th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment, writing.
Comments: 4

I was gazing at the clouds this morning.  There were solid light gray skies, cement gray cumulus puffs, and charcoal streaks stretching across the heavens.  As I stood rooted to the earth, the movement caught my eye and my mind began to wander.

Nature tells us how to live.  We have changing seasons, changing weather patterns, births and deaths of every living thing on this planet.  Nothing is static.  Not our bodies, not our breath.  Not even what seems to be a solid planet under our feet.

How many times do we cringe at the thought of change?  Changing jobs.  Changing life partners.  Moving from one home to another.  Change that occurs when a family grows or shrinks.

As we pause in the hustle and bustle of life, we begin to notice how even when we think our lives are the same from one day to the next, each day is different.  One day we can wake up happy and refreshed from a good night’s sleep and the next day we are crabby and nothing seems to go right.

So nature tells us that there is a natural rhythm to life.  Good and bad.  It ebbs and flows like the ocean tides.  And as humans, we need to learn to flow with change.  Accept it.  Embrace it.  If you are having a good day, enjoy it to the fullest.  If your day is dark and stormy, accept it for what it is and remember that tomorrow it will be different.

So what are you struggling with today?  Does it involve change?

Posted: April 8th, 2008 under Stained Glass, mindfulness, present moment, yoga.
Comments: 5

I was listening to the discussion between Oprah and Eckhart Tolle concerning Chapter 5 of “A New Earth.”  Several statements were mentioned that really resonated with me.

“Nothing in the past can ever prevent you from being in the present.”  How many times in our lives have we told ourselves we can’t do something because of the past.  For example: I can’t get a good job because I don’t have the proper education.  If we live in the present, we can take steps to get a good job.  We can take a class to improve our skills.  We can look in the classifieds for a better job than the one we now have.  There is always something we can do – in the present.

“Negativity feeds on negativity.”  How many times have we gotten into an argument with someone and couldn’t calm down for a long time afterwards?  One harsh word leads to another, then another until someone consciously walks away or tries to dissolve the conflict.

“What you resist – persists.”  How many times have we struggled with a problem?  The more we struggle, the longer the problem exists.  This is especially true for me when I come across a computer problem.  If I can’t fix it, I get frustrated.  The more frustrated I get, the less likely I am to solve the problem.  But once I’m aware of my frustration, I walk away and come back several hours later when I’m more relaxed.  Then, it’s as if a light bulb is lit and I can solve the problem easily.

If any of you are listening to “A New Earth” discussions – what messages resonate with you?  If you are interested in listening, go to the archives of “A New Earth” on Oprah’s website.

Posted: April 1st, 2008 under mindfulness, present moment.
Comments: 5