Navajo Dawn
In the morning, before the village wakes up, a few quiet moments can be found. Opening the door, looking at the sky gives us an indication of what may lay ahead.
In an often stressful world, we can find little places of quiet where our restless minds can find a haven of peace.
I have not always loved silence but can find pockets of silence that help me focus on the now. Sitting quietly in silence, with maybe a cup of steaming tea, refreshes my soul.
After the children leave for school I go around the house, settling the noises into quiet restful places; turning the TV off when we are not watching it, turning lights off and breathing in the spaces in the house. I am mindful of the spaces in our home and take notice of the house, its people, its animals, its dust and cobwebs......
Refreshing the soul by taking a walk in nature. I notice the changes in the quality of the air, its temperature and the way the light colours the landscape in different hues. I try and read the weather and I follow the dog back home.
Meditation is more difficult to fit in to refresh the soul and takes about 20 mins.It offers many benefits and for me it reduces anxiety, depression, irritability and frustration. It brings me back to the essence of me, that part that does not change even though physically I have changed. It lowers my heart rate, it lowers levels of cortisol and lactate associated with stress and leaves me feeling a little more refreshed and more able to cope. When I spend time in the garden I am mindful in my activity and meditate on my surroundings.
Once a year our community leaves to go on a retreat together and I have found these weekends time to reflect and get to know people on a different level.
Taking care of ourselves is often neglected when the world seems to spin out of control and yet, they only demand your time and attention, strangely, money is not really the prime consideration here.
Looking for the stillness in the eye of the storm allows us to centre, to focus and refresh our whole being for what lies ahead.
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