Читать книгу The Wisdom of Wildflowers - Heather Robbins - Страница 6

The sun is hiding today, entirely concealed behind a gauzy curtain of gray cloud and fog. The horizon fades into the pale mist, creating blurred edges and shrouded forms, as if in a dream that lies just beyond one’s grasp. A cold southeast wind whips through the drizzle of rain and sleet, forcefully driving crystalized beads of moisture to the ground. Snowdrifts remain in the shelter of the trees, holding the soil beneath in icy bondage for a little longer.

It is early spring here on the prairies. I make my way carefully along a well-worn, muddy path with the sound of the wind my only companion. The path is slippery and I choose my steps carefully to keep my balance.

On the windswept slope ahead I see the Prairie Crocus— embroidered jewels of softened violet stitched into the muted gold landscape. These brave little blossoms of early spring have broken through the tangle of dead grass and leaves, stretching out and hungrily absorbing the sun’s raw March rays. Their pallid stems are fringed with soft silver hairs, offering protection from the crisp, lashing winds. Almond-shaped petals of faded purple curl towards the sky and surround a center of lemon-yellow stamens. As I kneel down to stroke the petals with my finger, I wonder how something so soft and lovely can come from such a cold, dark place.

The exquisite mauve color of the Prairie Crocus perfectly describes the delicate play between the warm rays of the sun and the cool soil of the earth, highlighting how everything in nature exists in a divine balance. I realize how important it is to have balance in our own lives, to be grounded and centered while the bustle of the world spins around us. It is too easy to get caught up in the hectic flush of modern day life, and to easily lose our foothold.

In order to achieve balance in our lives it is important to recognize those elements that pull us off center. How many of us fill our days from dawn to dusk with endless commitments and responsibilities? Our minds race along, switching from one gear to the next, hardly realizing what it is we are even thinking about at any given moment. Our bodies tackle the duties by rote, but our thoughts are somewhere else, usually fussing over what else needs to be done. We get swept up like tender seeds in a swirling wind, looking after everyone else while neglecting our own needs and desires. We convince ourselves there is no time to look after ourselves, and if only we had more time and energy, we could pay attention to what we truly want. But honestly, if we had that extra time, would we not just add more chores to our to-do list?

Tending to this constant stream of activity creates an imbalance in our mind, body, and spirit. Our embattled soul is so completely caught up in the inertia of this unrelenting flurry that our reserves of energy retreat like the sun in a painted twilight sky. This constant depletion of our reserves affects every aspect of our being.

How can we remain healthy and strong when the energy that supports our physical, mental, and emotional health is incessantly stripped away? How long before this imbalance knocks us so hard to the ground that we cannot possibly rise again and are left feeling unsheltered and vulnerable, like naked stones on a windswept slope?

Our spirit aches for a comforting embrace. We hope and pray for some remarkable event to suddenly create more time and space in our hectic lives, thus enabling us to finally look after ourselves. But how long do we think we can wait for that?

The reality is, we should not wait, and we need to pay attention to ourselves right now. We must decide we are worth taking care of today, and look at our life honestly so we can acknowledge those parts of ourselves we are neglecting. Which areas are starved for attention?

Our mind, body, and spirit long for loving sustenance, but we must slow down before we can hear their plea. If we do not take the time and energy to provide this nurturing comfort for ourselves today, it is entirely possible that we will be forced to put in the time and energy later to heal our stressed and diseased bodies, or deal with an emotional breakdown. The problem with waiting until we’ve “hit the wall” is that by then it may be too late. Do we really need to hit bottom before we learn this valuable lesson?

Many of us are so conditioned to racing around in this marathon called life that we may not even know how to begin the process of finding balance. Fortunately, this is not difficult to do, and only requires the one thing we have been doing since the day we were born—breathing. Breathing is something we do not give much attention to, but it is the first and best step to slowing down and allowing our mind, body, and spirit to mesh into wholeness.

It sounds easy, and it is, but it takes conscious effort on our part. Try it now. Close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Concentrate on how cool and crisp the air feels in your nose as you inhale. Notice how it changes to warm and moist as you exhale. If your mind wanders, gently redirect your thought back to your breathing. Repeat the exercise several times.

If we can manage even five minutes every day to do this little breathing exercise, our mind will eventually recalibrate into stillness. The habit of maintaining our scattered thoughts, built up from years of frantic activity, will begin to subside, and the mind will create spaces of sweet calm and serenity. It is within these spaces that our authentic self will have the clarity to compose its unique song. Becoming more mindful of our breath not only envelops us in the tranquility of the moment, but also helps to reinforce the connection at the core of who we are—our physical, emotional, and spiritual being. This is the way God intended us to be. The stronger the connection between mind, body, and spirit, the more stable and secure we will feel.

There are many opportunities and techniques we can use to achieve a more balanced and harmonious life, and discovering what they are is something that each individual will come to on their own. Anything that helps us quiet our thoughts—reading, walking in nature, listening to music, sitting quietly by ourselves—will benefit us, help us find balance, and enrich our connection with God.

Each life is as unique and remarkable as spring raindrops, and because no two are alike, finding solutions in creating spaces of calm will be different for each of us. The important factor here is to at least begin the process of nurturing our beautiful being, regardless of how much time we can devote to it right now. And as we learn to care for our mind, body, and spirit, our nimble steps on life’s path will become more courageously defined and secure. Life will take on more flavor because we will have the time and energy to savor each hour of each blessed day.

Naturally, the more balanced we are in our lives, the more everyone around us will benefit. And what a wonderful, selfless gift that would be for our loved ones if they can learn from our example and give themselves permission to take care of themselves.

Thank you, brave, soft little Prairie Crocus for showing us the importance of having balance in our lives.