Wellbeing notes: tiny plant, giant teachings
03/05/2021 at 10:12 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 6 CommentsTags: lessons from nature, life lessons, meditation, meditation inspiration, selfcare, wellbeing
One regular walk takes me over the old canal bridge. I passed over it not so long ago and took a photo of a tiny clump of moss that grows there. Small details from nature such as moss make for excellent meditation subjects. You can give yourself a few minutes of quiet, close your eyes and imagine the tiny plant in sensory detail: the green, textured cushion; the slender stalks supporting spore capsules no bigger than a grain of rice.
When you notice that your mind has wandered, you simply remind yourself that you are here to meditate, and you focus again on your chosen subject – in this case, the moss.
We meditate in this way to pause the relentless chatter of our thoughts. It’s impossible to empty the mind completely; focusing on one subject is the next best thing. Doing this regularly can help us become calmer and less stressed. We can become more self-aware and may enjoy physical benefits, such as better sleep and decreased blood pressure.
Yesterday I returned to the bridge. I was taking a longer walk than usual and although I did pause to take in the view, I hurried on towards my destination. It wasn’t until I got home that I realised I hadn’t even noticed the moss that grows on the bridge. And I realised a simple truth: what we focus on is what we see.
My invitation to you is to choose mindfully what you focus on today.
6 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a Reply
Website Built with WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
Suzanne Askham 
Hi Suzanne! What we focus on…is what we see….and what we focus on…we bring into our lives and….our vision…absolutely true! I went on this walk with you….you have such a lovely way of describing it….I felt I was there….and I loved the little moss plant! Thank you for sharing….hugs, Barbara from Sydney xoxoxo (Peace to you too!)
LikeLike
Comment by spirited13— 03/05/2021 #
It was lovely to share the walk with you, Barbara! Sending you love in Sydney x x x
LikeLike
Comment by Suzanne Askham— 04/05/2021 #
Hello,
Yesterday we heard the first cuckoo of Spring. We were taking our regular walk and stopped, as I often do, to listen to the birds. I do take an interest in birds and listen to what I can hear and sometimes identify but seeing the birds, now that the trees are in leaf, is more difficult and therefore takes longer. It isn’t meditation but it concentrates the mind in a different way which I find calming.
Best wishes,
Diane Lilley.
Sent from my iPad
>
LikeLike
Comment by diane_lilley2003@yahoo.co.uk— 03/05/2021 #
Walking in nature is a form of meditation, for sure, Diane. I’ve heard no cuckoos around my home this year, but there are dainty drifts of ladies smock, Cardamine pratensis, aka cuckoo flower, on the hillsides, which of course blooms at the time of the cuckoo’s traditional arrival.
LikeLike
Comment by Suzanne Askham— 04/05/2021 #
Fabulous thank you x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by crystalnorah— 04/05/2021 #
What a beautiful lesson. Life gets brighter when we walk mindfully through it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by The Wellbeing Blogger— 28/08/2021 #