Mandala Meditation .02

"We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and to be willing to take care of it, we have to love it."     -Wendell Berry

Mandala Meditation .01

 No matter how busy life may get, I still find a moment within each day to notice and appreciate the tiny little things. Walking in nature is a form of therapy and I believe that everyone should have a subscription that includes a daily dose.  Unfortunately, for most people, finding a moment to walk in nature isn't as simple as stepping out of your back door. If such is this case for you, I promise that you can still find a moment of stillness and serenity if you have a tiny patch of grass or even a few weeds pushing through the cracks in the sidewalk. We are, after all, so much like those weeds that are striving to survive and thrive despite being covered by concrete. 

I love to just sit in one spot in the grass and see how many small things I can notice going on around me.  The way the blades of grass move in the breeze, the grasshopper enjoying a snack, tiny little ants busy working away... So much life in every little corner of this world! Lately, I've been roaming the land in search of tiny little things from nature that can be temporarily formed into a work of art... I gather flower petals, leaves, berries, seeds and the list goes on. Once I've gathered what feels like the right amount, I bring them to my sketchpad and begin to lay them out into a symmetrical pattern, a mandala. The entire process is meditative and gives me an opportunity to clear my mind, focus on my breath, absorb the therapeutic colors of each specimen chosen and lastly focus on the beautiful piece of art that will be swept back to the ground moments after being captured through the lens and visually admired till the pieces begin to wilt. 

I hope that you enjoy these nature mandalas as much as I do. 

To view more, follow me on Instagram: @therestingnomad

I will begin sharing a new mandala every Monday here on the blog as well. 

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 "To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour." - William Blake

The Doorway...

Of all my experiences in this life... the one that I continue to return to and enjoy more with each passing time is the most simple of all experiences. I love to lie on the ground.

I love to lie on the ground and stare at the vast open space that is the sky. I lie there watching the clouds and sometimes the sky becomes so bright that I can barely stand to open my eyes. Even when they are closed, I can still feel the powerful presence of this space that surrounds me in all directions... This vibrational and encompassing sacred space. 

Lying on the ground and watching the sky is a completely different experience from standing and looking up. Each time that I lie down to the bare ground I feel this overwhelming sensation of succumbing my entire being to the soil below me... of resting my bones and being cradled by my nurturing mother, the Earth.  I feel as though I am some vulnerable creature that is exposing myself to the elements and the wild nature of this world, yet rather than being fearful of what could approach me I am accepting of all possibilities. I feel safe in my mothers arms.

I've begun to feel that it is becoming more increasingly important to me to make an effort to spend some time each day watching the sky. I think what captures me the most is the constant change, every single second looks different than the last and every day provides a completely new scene and experience.  The sky will never again look exactly the same as it did yesterday and never again will it look exactly the same as it does today. It's always changing effortlessly and constantly. Sometimes I just lay there smiling with tears streaming down my face at the absolute beauty of it all. How wondrous and magical that I am blessed to exist in this amazing Universe. 

I couldn't say that I believe in miracles because every moment feels like a pure miracle. I honestly feel this way... just watching an anthill could make me feel as though every little living parting of that ant hill is a complete miracle. It's all just life and it all just is.  It is absolutely amazing and I refuse to ever take it for granted and get lost in the sorrows of my own little life.  Once we realize that we are all connected... not only to every human being, but to EVERY THING... that's when we begin to feel a lot less lonely and see that our personal problems aren't quite as immense as we once thought them to be. Sure, it's easy to get caught up in that game with the ego, in fact, it can be difficult not to... but I think that's why I am so enamored and in complete awe with the sky. When I look at every thing I see "God", but to me... when I look to the sky it's like looking into the eyes of God. The doorway... When I walk through that door I am reminded of my place in this Universe and that it is more significant, powerful and lasting than my ego ever would allow me to believe... let alone to know.

So this is my encouragement to you...
Look up to the sky and if you have a moment then lay down too.
Breathe it all in and Love it all out.
Every single moment is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. How will you spend it?

One step closer...

It's comical to me that the qualities of a Virgo are to be organized and analytical, yet I almost always never have a predestined blog post in mind. I often fancy various topics that I could blog about, but ultimately, when I click on the 'new post' button my mind is blank and the words that begin each new post are spontaneous and at times surprising to myself, as if they appear from no where.

I now realize, that this too is a quality of a Virgo, and perhaps interferes with the former qualities.

The quality that I speak of, being described as allowing my actions to manifest quicker than my thought process.  I suppose at certain times, this is an advantage, but it is generally not a 'quality' that one wishes to have.

Reminiscing upon my youth.... Only kidding, I'm still in my youth.  I will reconstruct that statement as follows:  Reminiscing upon, well, my life... I notice that often times I spoke ahead of myself. My opinions were so strong, and possibly at times narrow-minded, that I went straight forward with my first thought, which ultimately was an opinion, and let it out for everyone to hear.  Being blunt can have it's advantages, for example, eventually your mom stops asking you "Do these pants make my butt look big?" Because she knows, inevitably, that her reply will be "Yes, your butt looks exactly how it is."

So in that sense, it wards off people who are looking for answers of satisfaction versus the honest truth.

But in the end, is that really an advantage?  Yes, it feels good to tell the truth, but does is really hurt to tell a white lie in order to appease the other person? 

Perhaps it is okay.  However, if we do this all of the time, then people go about living in a world of make believe.  I enjoy the make believe world, but, if every unhealthy person gallivants about thinking they are in optimum health... then what? I suppose then, ignorance is bliss.... Until your health gets the best of you.  I really do not know if there is a point that I am trying to make here, other than simply admitting that I have spent many years of my life in the world of "straight" thinking and considering personal opinion to be of high importance.

Now I have begun to realize that personal opinion often boils down to the ego.

Of course we all have emotions and preferences and we will always have personal opinion...

But the problem is that we always see things as being "different". We are always viewing the difference in things, versus the similarity. And it is from that unknown ignorance of only seeing the differences, that negativity is allowed to manifest.  When we begin to see the similarities between ourselves and others, positivity will be given the opportunity to expand. I am not just speaking of he similarities between ourselves and other humans, but all organisms, even the things that we consider beastly. We consider them beastly because we view them as being different, which allows for negativity.  If we can simply see the similarities between ourselves and the things that we so often fear, then the positive can begin to overcome the negatives.  Then we move one step closer to global consciousness, because we are accepting our similarities. We are seeing that we are not as different as we initially thought from the insects, the fungi, the creatures of the night, and so on...

After all...

"There is nothing to fear but fear itself."  -Franklin D. Roosevelt