Today is the Autumn Equinox, my favorite day of the year, since it ushers in my favorite season. Today was stunningly beautiful here on the Olympic Peninsula in the far northwest—blue skies, vivid colors of turning leaves and late dahlias, distant puffy clouds, crisp temps and a steady breeze. I celebrated by making an altar in the middle of a stream in the woods near here. I love to watch leaves float down a little stream—probably because it’s a classic meditation brought to life. In fact, it is the very meditation I did this morning—before I knew I’d do my equinox ritual at a stream.
Continue reading...17. September 2008
I visited my favorite maple tree today to read its timetable. And even though big leaf maples have long ago turned yellow, this stalwart cousin gives not a hint of the season change in progress. This tall slender tree looks as fresh as it did in May or June or any of the green-leafed months. But this will be my fourth autumn with this maple, so I know the glorious orange ideas it harbors in its veins. Waiting perhaps until all others have put on their pallid shows, this maple will then dazzle with a flabbergasting display of audacity. If I lived with this tree I’d make a point to study it day by day, looking for the first tinge of change—the first note of the overture, perhaps from the lower register of a flute.
Continue reading...16. September 2008
I heed the weather forecasts that warn these may be the last summery days here in the far northwest. I drive west before dawn and follow the setting full moon down the road to a magnificent beach along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I’m the first one there and have to bundle up in the cool twilight air. An hour before low tide, I’m rewarded with a wide expanse of pristine sand, marked only by bird tracks and the delights of the high drift line. Screeching gulls try to hurry the sunrise from the cool gray shadows of the beach at Crescent Bay. There is a small island there just offshore, and I’ve never seen it so accessible. The day dawns blissfully fog-free and I revel in being the only person on this entire beach.
Continue reading...12. September 2008
I’ll never forget my first sight of the ocean at age six. I was immediately enthralled—with the expanse of the sea, the tang of the air, the clarity of the water and the feel of sand between my toes. Expanding my lungs with the glorious salty air, I was certain the ocean would always be a magical place for me. And I was right. As I waded through shallow pools, edging closer to the waves crashing onto the far side of Haystack Rock, I was lured by the sound, by the hypnotic rhythm, by the immense unharnessed power I felt vibrating in the soles of my feet. But I was not afraid. I somehow sensed I would always know how to respect that power, and perhaps even one day how to infuse it into my own body.
Continue reading...12. September 2008
Now that the sun is becoming more gentle, I was able to do an early morning meditation today sitting in the full sunlight. It felt like a warm embrace after the stronger glare of August light. If the sun isn’t shining, you might also try listening to the audio version below while looking at a photo of the sun. Then when you feel you have entered virtual sunlight, you can close your eyes. Try it for yourself.
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Click on any of the following links for more information:
What Is Meditation?
How To Meditate in 5 Easy Steps
Setting the Mood to Meditate
Benefits of Meditation
Expanding Your Current Meditation Practice
Why I Meditate and How It Affects Me
22. September 2008
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