The Warm Hug of Nature

by Rosemary Graham

Sitting at my computer, I have a little wren visit me on the window ledge outside with a small cluster of leaves. Yes, he is nest building, preparing for the days and months to come. A small yet pertinent reminder to me right in front of my eyes which cannot be ignored. I love such synchronicities.

Opening the window now I hear birds calling across the green in the sunshine welcoming the afternoon and happy that the cherry tree standing here is budding with fresh new leaf. I think of all the new opportunities which wait beyond us waiting for our notice. A stillness hangs in the air and the softness of the day with the pink and white blossoms of an English village spring caress my mind overworked from too much time at the computer today. I have to step outside to fall into the embrace which welcomes and feel the ground supporting me.

Yesterday I wandered through the elegant array of bluebells in the wood, watched rabbits dart and bird flit beneath branches as sunlight filtered through after a shower feeling the cool breeze on my cheek.

How is it that we can ignore the messages, overlook the beauty that surrounds us? It was during a particularly stressful and traumatic time that I felt impelled to immerse myself in the warm hug of nature, to become enraptured by her enticing colours, textures and smells to release myself. I found trees to hug and felt the response sending shivers of delight along my veins.

No matter where you live there is some small piece of nature to enjoy. A window box with splendid colour, a vase of flowers beaming at you and filling your soul with joy when you decide to look and truly appreciate.

I love to wander down to the river and watch the ducks playing, diving for food and truly enjoying life. A true blessing to observe and it lifts the vibrations, the mood and makes one feel so good. Another place I love to go is to walk by the sea wandering along the shore looking for interesting pebbles, shells or seaweed and I find myself in the moment and all cares vanish. Taking my shoes off I then paddle in the cool water and am completely uplifted as the breeze strokes my face and the waves wash around my ankles. Nothing matters except the now. What a luxury and so healing. It was nature which had a hand in creating wellness when I was very ill some years ago. I give thanks for nature and her wonderful ways. Enjoy your time in nature and notice how you feel so much better.

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Rosemary has been writing for many years, was the Creator of Binka, the children’s television series and has had many poems in anthologies. She has read at poetry events in her home country of UK, where she studied amongst other things beyond English at college, Creative Writing, Writing for Children, Children’s Fiction, Picture Book, Short Story Writing and has written a column in a local newspaper as well as theatre crits and articles. Currently she writes on line with women’s groups and takes writing workshops as part of her Creative Empowerment series to help people to open and to create from the heart.

In addition she has created A Book For Now and Another Book For Now which have different spiritual sayings in them and include some of her own artwork. A  few of her other Self Help books are Fraught With Thought, The Magic of Life, Conscious Wellbeing and Look, Live, Survive and a Book Of Children Now.

Rosemary is Creator, Healer and Mentor and helps people to transition to transformation. www.creative-empowerment.co.uk, www.creativerosemary.com,

www.thelifeawakener.wordpress.com She is also part of A New Life Now.  www.anewlifenow.weebly.com

Rosemary loves nature, lives in a beautiful environment and is passionate about the sea. Photography and Art are part of her toolbox and she is aware of the ‘soul touch’ of any who will come into contact with her work. She strongly believes in the healing power of nature and loves to walk in the countryside and in the woods surrounding her home not far from London.

Chrysalis

by Kaveri Patel








Mother Nature never apologizes for her feelings.

At times she is wrathful, red scalding lava spewing from her mouth as she splits the ground with rage.  Sometimes she is joyful, her immense green lap holding the smiles of lovers, children, and daisies.  At other times she is silent, dressed in white robes of contemplation, or sensual and seductive with pink blossoms strung into her wild, leafy hair.

Why then do we as women apologize for our feelings?  We allow male partners, even other women to place invisible signs in front of our homes and work places that read Beware of Woman when we are PMSing, pregnant, undergoing menopause, or in one of our many ‘moods’.  One of our greatest gifts is our ability to embody the wide spectrum of human emotions and wear the colors with flair.

Perhaps this is only possible when we allow the emotions to be present with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness, and without shame or judgment.  It took me six years to greet the messy feelings born with my daughter as angels instead of demons.  With anger, fear, sadness, and shame as my constant companions during the postpartum period, I felt like an ugly caterpillar begging for the chrysalis stage so I could quickly transform into a beautiful butterfly.  I couldn’t see that the road to heaven is sometimes paved with perceived pebble stones from hell.

Today, I still feel anger, fear, sadness, and shame.  Sometimes the flashbacks from the postpartum period and my childhood are so strong, that I believe I am the ugly caterpillar destined to always be abandoned.


fear

wraps itself around me

in layers of warm escape

no room to move, to respond

to the wind's howling anger

or the earth's dampened spirit

under the weight of cloudy skies

and colorless rain



this coat constricts breathing

separates me

from all other beings

frozen in their own thoughts

encased by their own egos



the same wind asks,

"why wait till spring

to become a butterfly?"



Then I remember Mother Nature never apologizes for her feelings.  Why then, should I?

© 2005, Kaveri Patel


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Kaveri has been on a quest to find answers, not through religious texts, any particular person or popular dogma,but through her own experiences. She lives with her wonderful family in northern California where she practices medicine, meditation, parenting, yoga, writing, and patience. Kaveri's column here focuses on "Living Poetry." Her first book of poetry, An Invitation, is available on Amazon. She can be reached at: aninvitationpoetry@gmail.com

Sheila Finkelstein

Sheila, www.sheilafinkelstein.com, is a photographer, an author, and a relationship coach who works with individuals and groups, teaching them how to use photography as a tool for creating new ways of seeing their world.

As caregiver to her husband, Sam, of 47 years, who was afflicted with Parkinson's Disease for over 12 of those years, Sheila found the camera to be a tremendous aid in restoring her own emotional balance. No matter what, each day ended with "I love you."

Sheila now passionately helps her clients find - and experience - wonder and magic in their relationships.  The individuals with whom she works, together with their partners, build a treasure chest of actions and memories, so they know they are loving fully (before it's too late). They deepen their communication in areas in which they’ve been avoiding.  They experience the loving touching that had been missing.  Acts of love occur spontaneously, including giving and receiving unexpected gifts. Acknowledgment abounds. See www.LoveWithNoRegrets.com for more information.

http://www.sheilafinkelstein.com - Art and Services for Inspiration and Healing
http://www.photographyandtransformation.com - Blogging Inspirational Photography for Life Openings

The Light on those Wings    

by Janine Acevedo











Wind rocks the pine tree
while ravens lift and settle
lift and settle on the branches
saying and saying.

The size of them, the heft
the sheen
the meat of them
as they lift and settle
lift and settle
saying, saying, saying.

The sky has that dark
gleam of more rain
to come
it’s cold.

Wind in the pine tree branches:
that sound
and how the tree moves.

Those ravens: rearranging off and on
saying, saying--
Suddenly they lift, tilt, veer:
the light on those wings
their heft, their sheen, their silence
gone

The pine still moving
as if breathing.


Photo Credit:
Shiro Kasamatsu - Pine Tree in Rain, Kinokunizaka, in Tokyo

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Janine Acevedo is filled with awe by the beauty in every day moments and can't help but write about them. She lives with her husband, daughter and dog in northern California. Being diagnosed with a chronic illness has made her slow down, and in doing do, she finds more and more at which to marvel.

Nature's Gracious Gift to a Slow Learner

by Linda Lyzenga









Eagerly, I set out on this beautiful spring day, camera at the ready, to find inspiration for this month’s theme, Nature as Teacher and Healer. Submission deadline was approaching and I wondered why I had procrastinated.  I love being out in nature! If there was any assignment to attend to with little to no effort, surely this was it. Why had I dragged my feet? But now, this was my time.

So, here I was alert, anticipating that there would be some delightful grist for the Buddha Chick Life mill. My senses were keenly aware. I was expectant of finding something beautiful. Something true.  Something good – just waiting to speak to me down by the whispering stream.

Wending my way down the path, I was charmed by the scattering of violets, and vigorous May Flowers springing to life. Down the hill, in the shadowy grove, dappled sunlight competed with bright Buttercups for attention. Sitting on a mossy wind felled tree, I surveyed this woodland scene with a grateful heart.

But then, I was distracted by a disturbing sight - clusters of the highly invasive, non native, Garlic Mustard plant made me realize that all my efforts from a year ago to eradicate this species from my neck of the woods had been in vain. My reverie was interrupted and I set out to get rid of them once and for all.

After a furious half an hour or so of pulling and uprooting some more, I was no closer to weeding them out than I had been last year at this time. Heaving a discouraged sigh, I plunked back down feeling defeated – for now the allotted time to complete the assignment had expired. All I had to show for myself was a pile of uprooted weeds. Disgusted, I sat there staring at those useless plants. What a waste of time, I thought, until something else caught my eye. A pair of woodland snails on the underside of a discarded leaf, moving ever so slowly. Hmmm. Might this be what nature had to teach me today? Holding that thought, I trudged back up the hill. Tired and discouraged.

Reflecting on this later, I realized, yet again, that Transformation takes time. Old habits having taken root choke out so much of one’s true self.  Invasive inclinations tend to crowd out what is true, good and beautiful.

This transformation work of uncovering and living into and out of one’s authentic self cannot be accomplished with a frenzied, frenetic one time effort.  I know that I may have to revisit again and again, places that I had already worked on, for there is always another layer to examine. Baby steps taken with self compassion, loving kindness and mindfulness will, in safe community, lead each of us here to a place of still waters where we can live clear, calm and wise.

Photo Credit of "Didactic Snails" by Linda Lyzenga

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Linda, aka UBC @ Buddha Chick Life, is passionate about wholeness and healing and finds her sweet spot in the role of Spiritual Director. Married with two adult daughters, who have flown the coup – far from Western Michigan where they grew up, she’s home alone with her husband of 37 years. Linda enjoys baking, knitting, reading, writing, hiking and camping. At any given time while pursuing some of the above activities you'll find her camera close at hand.