Tag: being in the moment

Gratitude is the Answer to Your Question

How do I stay positive during trying times? Gratitude is the answer. This small watercolor painting of the swan always fills my heart with gratitude. It reminds me of the time with my family when I was twelve at Busch Gardens in Tampa, where I took the photo of a swan with my Polaroid Swinger. I chose that moment for my reference at age thirty-seven as I experimented with a gesso and watercolor technique. Every time I look at this painting, my heart fills with gratitude that spans over decades.

You can feel the same with practice.

Give Me Examples

Being home with my children is driving me crazy.

  • First, ensure your children are safe
  • Then go to a quiet place
  • Close your eyes
  • Take 3 deep cleansing breaths
  • Imagine you are at away at work, wondering how your child is feeling away from you
  • Feel the sadness, the longing to be together
  • Now shift back to now
  • I’m so grateful they are right here with me
  • Come out and give your child a comforting hug
  • Repeat as needed
  • Gratitude is the answer

I miss being with my best friend.

  • First, move to a quiet place, where you are alone
  • Take 3 deep cleansing breaths
  • Call  your friend
  • Close your eyes and imagine they are right there with you
  • Enjoy your conversation
  • Tell them how grateful you are they are in your life
  • Repeat as needed
  • Gratitude is the answer

The Mind Shift

Dealing with fear, sadness, disgust or anger is possible. All these emotions are choices we make. Instead, using breathing techniques and being in the moment, choose joy, peace, trust and love.

How Do I Shift My Emotions?

  • First, go to a quiet place, where you are alone
  • Close your eyes
  • Take 3 deep cleansing breaths into your heart space
  • Imagine your favorite place
  • Listen to the sounds
  • Breathe in the fragrance
  • Continue to bask in this beautiful space
  • Slowly open your eyes
  • Repeat as needed
  • You have experienced gratitude in this exercise

How Can I Find Gratitude ____?

Fill in the blanks with your current situation. After you have performed at least one of the exercises above, go through this list. And always look for the positive.

  • I have time to enjoy _____
  • Explore the world virtually
  • See the small delights in your surroundings, right now
  • Be gentle with yourself
  • Be gentle with others
  • Smile
  • Gratitude is the answer

This Seems Too Simple

That’s the beauty of it. We become accustomed to rushing, stress and overwhelm. By the simple act of mindful breathing, we reset our minds and emotions. It’s very simple and how wonderful to have found the space to do that now. I’m taking advantage of this more quiet time at home to reconnect with the love and peace within.

Won’t you join me?

With Love and Caring,
Dawn

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When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

Eleven days ago I found out what it’s like when life throws you a curve ball.

Sometimes planning doesn’t pan out

I was poised to leave for a 7 day trip to Australia. Months earlier I had registered for a Women’s Retreat hosted by my Reiki Teacher, Bronwen, in the Blue Mountains north of Sidney. This was my second trip to the same location and I was planning smarter this time. I bought noise reduction headphones to better enjoy the 16 hour trip from San Francisco to Sidney.

I had acquired an international driving license to try my hand at English style driving. All my clothes were gathered together in my closet, carefully planned to deal with the Spring Down Under.

Then the email notification pops up

Less than 24 hours before my drive to the airport, I received an email that the Women’s Retreat had been cancelled.

“Oh no!” I gasped.

The email also offered personal instruction if I still wanted to travel across the globe. My first reaction was absolutely, I’m still going. The next morning when I awoke with a start at 3 am, I realized it was foolish to stay the course. At precisely 3:33 am, I sent an email to Bronwen that I wasn’t coming after all.

What now?

An entire week lay before me with no appointments, no obligations, totally available for spontaneity. What did I do?

Everyday I spent time in solitude and meditation. I also called my trainer to include healthy exercise. I walked at Bok Tower Gardens every other day. The result was a realization how much I’d been neglecting my own needs.

Lessons Learned

Next time when life throws you a curve ball, embrace the possibilities that have just opened up for you. Go with the flow. Practice gratitude every morning and every evening. And always buy travel insurance.

The Pull of the Moon

I woke up just before 4:00 am and almost immediately started crying, even sitting up gasping between sobs. The release of emotion had a calming effect as I laid back down and thought of my husband. Today I’d be spreading his ashes. I wiped away the tears from my cheeks, and sat up on the edge of the bed meant for two.

As every morning, I walked to the kitchen sink and drew water to drink, 24 ounces, and then an equal amount in a pitcher for the coffeemaker. I noticed a brightness on the dark landscape outside the kitchen window. Then I remembered the full moon was just two nights away. As I leaned closer to the glass, I saw a slightly ovoid bright moon in the western sky, and thought, “That’s cool. I wonder if the coyotes and mule deer are noticing the same scene.”

I returned my attention to making coffee and gathered my writing materials for my daily journaling. As I sat in the semi-dark, writing my thoughts on the emotional start to my day, something caught my attention in the picture window to my left across the house. The moon was starting to set in earnest. My curiosity stirred. I turned off the reading lamp and waited for my eyes to adjust. I felt drawn to the moonlight like a Luna moth drawn to a porch light.

The brightness of the moon was so intense, I shielded my eyes to better adjust to the winter landscape outside. A warm few days had melted most of the snow, revealing the dead stalks of native grasses. No animals materialized in the moonlit landscape, but I felt their presence, the rabbits like statues hoping to escape a predawn meal for a coyote or owl.

My attention turned back to the rapid setting of the moon. The shadowy surface mesmerized me as the unseen energy filled my heart with joy. A smile spread across my face.

I continued to watch the moon gain momentum as it drifted downward toward the rocky ridge of Carnero Canyon. At the connection between the heavens and earth advanced I saw the outline of a pinon pine branch backlit by the moon. I imagined a giant magnifying glass between my eyes and the tree half a mile away. As I watched the final seconds of the moon’s descent, my chest felt warm in the beauty of the moment, grief banished. The bright orb slipped out of sight, leaving behind a glow in the dark sky.

The simple act of being in the moment granted my soul peace and love. I was no longer a prisoner of my feelings. What had started as a very sad day had turned into the promise of happier times.