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Magnificent cherry blossoms. Look up and enjoy!

For many of us living in the northern hemisphere, spring is the current season. If this is so, then this month, I invite you to look up, not down. Here is what I mean. Chances are that, during your commute to work or school, your Sunday afternoon stroll through the park, or a walk through your own garden, you come across many trees. However, have you seen them lately? “Sure”, you might tell me. “I see them every day. I know where they are. I pass them every day.” Could it be that you notice a glance of them looking down on your steering wheel while driving by? Could it be that you barely notice them as you walk by looking down on your cell phone? Could it be that you catch a glimpse while rushing through your front yard looking down to get your paper?

If any of these scenes sound familiar to you, I invite you to look up. Next time, pull over, put your phone away, and walk slowly through your garden. Next time, especially now in the spring, look up and look into the trees. Better yet, stand under a tree that blossoms. Then, look up. What do you see? I see a sea of blossoms, smell the sweet fragrance of orange blossoms, and marvel at the creation of cherry blossoms in divine perfection. After a long, cold, and dark winter, spring flowers surface everywhere and teach us that, no matter what we have just gone through, we always emerge stronger, more powerful, and more beautiful in order to enchant everyone around us.

This spring, I invite you to look up, not down. Look up into the blossoming trees, let Mother Nature heal and amaze you with her spectacular show of spring blossoms. This season will not last forever. So enjoy the display of divine love while it lasts. Mother Nature worked so hard on it during winter time. Please stop for a moment, and give her some credit. Capture these annual blessings to enjoy throughout the year. Share these memories with others who are not so lucky to experience this wonderment of our Mother Nature. But hurry up! This spectacle will not last long. Don’t let it happen that in a few weeks from now you’ll regret not taking enough time for this beautiful time of the year.

As you walk away from the tree in awe, your body, soul, and spirit will be enlightened. Then share the love, share the light, and share these moments of bliss for all to enjoy. Thank you, Mother Nature, for your amazing blossoms. I stand in gratitude under a blossoming tree.

Look up, not down, it’s spring!

Love,

Barbara

barbarabullock.wordpress.com

#blossoms #tree #trees #blossom #bloom #blooming #petals #spring #March #spring 2017 #beauty #mothernature #nature

These days, as our days are filled with stress and more to do than we can manage, many people hurry to get anything done. Many people today rush through their days as if their lives depend on how many items they can cross off their to-do-lists. In addition to physical lists, either on paper or in digital format, many people also keep mental lists in their minds. They literally occupy their minds with all the different, and sometimes tiny, tasks they have to do. At the end of the day, many people feel tired and drained. Does this sound familiar to you? If yes, read on.

A few months ago, I joined a small group to practice Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a term that you might come across quite frequently these days. Perhaps you have already heard of it. Perhaps you even practice it yourself. Mindfulness is often described as a practice of doing everyday things in a mindful way by, basically, simply paying attention to what you do when you do it, or, by simply letting go of your thoughts without judging them.

May 2016 — Butterfly mindfully basking in the sun

In my group, we often listen to meditations, count our breaths, and scan our bodies for any discomfort in order to release it. In our relaxed positions, we become more aware of sounds around and within us. These sessions are very relaxing and soothing.

I often wish the sessions were longer. However, already after ten minutes of meditation, I can feel a difference in my body and mind. Gone is the stress I had encountered at the office earlier, gone is the argument I had had, gone are any to do lists.

At the end of the meditation when we are asked to open our eyes, I often wish the meditation would continue. However, we always get homework to do in order to practice mindfulness during the sessions. These tasks vary from washing your hands in a mindful way (feeling the water, looking at your hands etc.), eating and drinking more slowly, to noticing the blooming trees on the way home. The latter is my favorite. Nature always reminds me that nothing can be rushed. Life is not meant to be rushed.

No seed blooms from one day to another; no tree bears fruit on the first day of spring. Yes, indeed, looking at trees on my way home not only is a great exercise after the meditation session. It is a reminder of our Mother Earth, that life is not a to-do list but a wonder in itself that is supposed to be enjoyed mindfully. Therefore, next time you feel like rushing through your day trying to get everything done, find a tree or something similar in nature that you enjoy looking at, and remind yourself that nature takes its time but accomplishes complex biological processes in miraculous ways every single day.

Love, Barbara

#Mindfulness #Mind #Meditation #Group #Stress #Psychology #Nature #Trees #Visualization

Category: mindfulness

This Spring, look Up, not down!

From Mind full to Mindful

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