Image courtesy of Winand Staring
Spring is now a memory of cool evenings, warmer days, and the misery of allergies for many of us as a new season of growth burst into life around us. Now that summer is here we shift to a period of abundance and fertility, and since our gardens and grocery stores are full of a variety of delicious and colorful fruits and vegetables it is easy to slip into longer days, summer sunshine, and the frenzy of organizing ball games and family cookouts. Since many of us still have to work during these hot and often muggy days we can end up running from one event and responsibility to another without stopping for a moment to enjoy the abundance around us. This leaves us once again with little time to breathe, collect our thoughts, and take some time to appreciate the changing season, but summer is the perfect time to stop and literally smell the flowers whenever we can. One way to do this is to take a few minutes to meditate just as you might have in the springtime, and there are many wonderful ways to connect to the world around you now that everything is growing and blooming around you.
If you are lucky enough to have a garden or be near a park you can simply take a few moments to state your intention to connect with nature, center yourself, and open all your senses to the world around you before you begin to walk slowly through the park or wander through your garden. Another variation on this type of meditation is to focus on one sense for the whole meditation one time and another sense during another walk. For instance, as you walk through your garden you would hear birds singing, bees buzzing, children playing, and meditate on how all these creatures join together to fulfill their own function and place in nature. You could then add yourself to the equation if you like and see where you feel you fit into that community, exploring any changes you might want to make to fit into the space you would like to occupy. Do you feel connected to the creatures you hear or is something in your life blocking you from centering yourself between the earth beneath you and sky above you?
You could repeat this meditation sniffing the fragrances or admiring the bright colors, and another exercise that can become a type of meditation is simply picking produce from the garden. I hold and notice the marks on a tomato as I collect it or feel the warmth in a blueberry just before I pop it in my mouth and taste the sunshine, and I think about how we depend on the cycle rain, earth, and sunshine to create this miraculous berry or squash we can enjoy. If you are in your garden take a moment to look around and notice how the plants grow without your intervention while you sleep and according to a plan laid down within them long ago, and this is a wondrous concept to contemplate whatever your belief system holds to be the reason for that cycle. Even as you prepare what you gather or cook what you buy you can consider these things, and as you taste the flavors of summer you can close your eyes and taste the sunshine and warmth that nurtured your food.
If you happen to live in an area where you may not have access to a garden or park you can still celebrate the summer by making a few adjustments to the above suggestions. You can find a small inexpensive plant and sit in the sunshine with it and enjoy its presence, or you can simply close your eyes on your back step and visualize whatever you wish as you feel the heat on your face. You can imagine the plant growing to meet your hand and helping you connect to earth and warmth, and even if you have five minutes and are in your car in traffic you can visualize the coolness of the ocean or standing in a field of your favorite summer vegetable. I personally can easily visualize standing in an endless field of ripe, juicy watermelons and feel more refreshed just thinking about enjoying them, but with some practice you can find whatever works for you.
Whether you walk through the park, work in your garden, notice your favorite flowers on your way to work, or sit on your step, don’t forget to thank the earth for the gifts she gives us and find some time to appreciate the abundance that will only be present for another few weeks. Float in a pool and daydream, work up a sweat pulling weeds while consider how deeply rooted they are and how persistent they can be, or watch your children play ball, but whatever you do this summer don’t forget to take time for yourself, appreciate the sunshine and warmth, and indulge in your own version of summer meditation.
~MamaBirdie of The Inside Life
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