Wednesday 14 November 2012

Meditation, Nature & Toddlers





i know what your thinking meditation, nature & toddlers all in the same sentence, it must be a typo? sure nature & meditation make sense & toddlers & nature fit but all three together? okay, maybe not meditation in the capacity of nirvana, as in the imperturbable stillness of mind (got to keep an eye on these toddlers!) but meditation merely as a form of relaxation can certainly be achieved with nature & toddlers. in fact it seems to be one of the few places i can completely switch off from my care as a mother & companion & undividedly enjoy my time with Ebony, without any distractions. (did my washing machine just beep - back in a moment)...

i have always had a great affinity with the outdoors. from a young age my three sisters & i would be off exploring our local surroundings, whether it be our next door neighbours farm in NSW or the countryside in our backyard in QLD. we have always had great opportunity's to get outside & appreciate nature. climbing trees, playing games as a family, exploring local cemeteries, family road trips to the beach, picnic's, you name it we did it outside & we loved it! growing up as a teenager & young adult my love for the outdoors grew. from bush walking, hiking, rock climbing, canoing, camping, travelling, canyoning, white water kayaking & rafting i found myself most relaxed, most happiest, my most comfortable outside. i am present.

it wasn't until i started meditation classes just recently that i  understood my affinity with nature lies much deeper than a love for the outdoors.

according to meditation philosophies our very being resonates with the sight of a flower, sound of birds, feeling of the breeze. These experiences wake something up inside of us, and help to set our lives into a more natural rhythm meditation oasis. meditation i have learnt, can be done while sitting, standing or walking, with eyes opened or closed. Buddhist monks involve 'awareness' in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training in an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way.

the benefits of meditation are countless & significant, the results are profound. but i am hardly a guru in this area, quite the opposite in fact. having just started my journey with meditation i have a lot to learn & discover. tip of the iceberg comes to mind... i have gained however, in such a small amount of time, a broader perspective on events in my life & found that living better is easier with the rhythm of nature.

i love the affect nature has on my family. when Ebony is irritable or inconsolable i remove her from her indoor environment & simply take her outside for a walk or play in the garden. the effects are almost instant. the sound of the trees, birds, natural hums & vibrations provided by mother nature calm her little soul, & everything in her world (& mine) is at peace once again.

have you had any experiences with meditation, nature & toddlers? or perhaps one of the three? i'd love to hear from you, drop me a line below x




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