MIND • BODY • SPIRIT
activities with the knowledge that the river is just part of a great landscape. Rather than being a burden, you can enjoy it as a challenge and a delight. This perspective can help to open your eyes of awareness to the greater reality in which you live, but which you may often forget in your struggle to navigate your life. In every moment, you can pause to rest on the peaceful riverbank and remember to breathe, look up and see the sky, feel the breezes and strong winds, and feel the beat of your own heart. The more you become accustomed to this way of being, the more you naturally carry it into every moment of your life. Patricia is a Mindfulness & Life Consultant for individuals and groups. You can read more about mindfulness meditation and related topics in her book, Eight Steps to an Authentic Life: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times (Archway Publishing 2018), available on amazon.com. Contact Ms. Ullman for information on workshops, retreats, family meditation in your home, mindfulness sessions in your workplace, and individual or group mindfulness & life counselling. www.PeaceOfOurMinds.com GLUT FOOD CO-OP • Open to the public — No membership required • Open 7 days / week: Tues-Fri 10 am–8 pm • Sat, Sun, Mon 9 am–7 pm • Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri 9 am–8 pm • Natural foods at the best prices in town • Not for profit and cooperative • More than 40 varieties of cheeses • Nuts, dried fruits, spices & organic produce 301-779-1978 4005 34th Street, Mt. Rainer, Maryland
Mindfulness Message: Step Out of the River ...continued from page 19
on your face, and the sense of safety as you rest in the refreshing stillness. The feeling of spinning gradually subsides, and you relax completely, where you are. Within that silence and stillness, you begin to become aware of things you haven’t been able to experience before: the leaves and grasses making different sounds as they’re moved by the breeze; the birds calling from near and far in infinite layers of sound; the vastness of the sky above you; the scents of the wildflowers and the fragrance of the fertile earth; the feeling of your body as it shifts in the simple pleasures of being alive; and the subtle, intimate beating of your own heart. You feel a sense of wakefulness and tenderness in this ordinary, yet vivid, experience. Turning your awareness to the feeling of your breathing, continue to rest there by the river for a minute or two, or as long as you like, as you gently breathe in and out. When your mind habitually wanders back to your struggles on the river, acknowledge that with kindness and return very simply to where you are—sitting and breathing on your peaceful riverbank. Finally, gently open your eyes, stretch your body, and rejoin your daily
Now, for some reason, you have the idea that you could pull your boat over to the riverbank. You hardly noticed the banks before, because you were so preoccupied with staying safely afloat in the river and didn’t really consider an alternative. This thought comes as a revelation to you, and you pull your boat gently to the side and secure it there. You feel lonely and a little unsure about doing this because everyone else is going ahead with their usual river activity. You wonder if stopping like this will make you fall behind in your endeavors and if the others will outpace you in some way. But you feel a curiosity, a wonder, and also some unnameable trust that this is something you should not ignore. So you climb out of your boat and step onto the earth. As you climb up the gently sloping, grassy bank, the noisy sounds of the river begin to fade; and as you sit down in the warm sun, you are dazzled by the quiet and the stillness. For a few minutes you may even feel a little dizzy, adjusting to this contrast from constant movement, noise, and preoccupation with your survival on the water. Take a few deep breaths, feel the earth beneath you, the warm sun
Holistic Approach in a Relaxing Environment
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PATHWAYS—Spring 21—21
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