Contributing Writer
Robin Griffiths
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Moving through life
I hope you have had the experience of being out in the wilderness or in a place so isolated and quiet that there is no noise, no city lights, just peace and stillness. A place where you can appreciate nature in all its glory.
If you have experienced this type of setting, you know how it feels. Everything seems enhanced—more colorful, intense, vivid, and powerful. I have been blessed to experience many of these special moments throughout my life.
While hiking in the mountains, I sat quietly and watched the forest move with all the life that lives within it. I have been on a boat at night, looking up at the stars and watching a meteor shower. I have stood in wonder as a desert transformed before my eyes into an incredible painting of color.
These experiences have taught me to look for opportunities to sit quietly and notice the beauty around me—beauty that is often just waiting to be discovered.
All we need to do is stop once in a while and look.
In a yoga practice, we move through a sequence of poses, and between those poses are transitions. Yoga students are often focused on the pose itself rather than the movement that takes them there. But an experienced yogi does not rush from one pose to the next.
The movement between the poses is just as important. The shift of weight, the rising up, or the lowering down is not rushed simply to get to the next posture. These transitions teach us how to move through uncertainty. It is often when we are slightly off balance that our control, breath, and awareness are truly tested.
Think about this: Are you rushing through your transitions?
What about those moments in between, when we are so busy moving forward that we forget to stop and notice the beauty around us?
Life is full of transitions. Between jobs. Between relationships. Beginning a career. Raising a family. Retirement. Starting over. Letting go and beginning again.
How are you treating these moments?
I would dare to say that most of us want to rush through them. We want to get on with the next part of life without fully living in the moment of transition. We do not always appreciate the process. Instead, we focus on getting to the other side without recognizing that the transition itself is also part of the journey.
Just as yoga teaches us to move with awareness through the transitions between poses, meditation can help us move through life's transitions with greater presence and flexibility.
Meditation can help us navigate life's transitions by building mental flexibility and anchoring us in the present moment, especially when everything around us feels uncertain. Meditation can also be practiced in nature, using the sights, sounds, and physical sensations of the outdoors to increase our awareness and deepen our sense of peace.
To practice, find a quiet place where you feel safe, a park, your backyard, or a garden. You can sit on a bench, lie on the grass, stand quietly, or take a slow walk.
Begin by noticing your breath. Pay attention to the natural rise and fall of your chest or the sensation of air moving through your nose. Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go, much like clouds passing across the sky.
Engage your senses. Notice the smell of the earth. Feel the texture and support of the ground beneath you. Listen to the sounds around you and feel the air against your skin. Absorb what surrounds you without needing to label or judge it.
Continue using your breath to keep you anchored in the present moment. If you want to completely let go of watching the clock, you may wish to set an alarm, so the passing of time does not become a distraction.
Meditating in nature may help reduce stress and encourage the mind to remain focused and present. It can help us step away from repetitive, negative thoughts and create a greater sense of calm. Other benefits may include improved concentration, greater sensory awareness, and a calmer nervous system.
Using meditation with the help of nature can ground us and remind us to move through life a little more slowly, with greater purpose and appreciation.
I hope you will find more meaning in the transitions of your life and remember that you do not always have to rush to the next destination. Sometimes there is beauty in the in-between moments. Sometimes we simply need to stop, breathe, look around, and allow life to unfold.
The transition is not something to get through as quickly as possible.
It is part of the journey.
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."
- Rachel Carson
Robin Griffiths
RAGRIFFS@gMail.com
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Robin Anne Griffiths is a published author, owner of Breathe In Stillness coaching, founder of ReChargeMe Zone health,wellness and fitness programs, yoga practitioner, and mindfulness advocate based in Southwest Florida.
Find out more at www.rechargemezone.com
