Breathe, pause, listen and enjoy the moment of being

As we flip the page to August, perhaps a feeling of regret, longing, or desire to hold onto the vibrancy of summer days lingers in the background. The brilliant sun, the warm breezes, the hum on the streets, the free spirited play at the beaches, the abundance of produce, and the sun kissed faces. Summer in Maine is good. And, like all good things, they too must come to an end. As yogis, we embrace the idea of change and impermanence is part of this wild ride of life and living. From that knowing comes a deeper appreciation of the sacred nature of the now. Realizing the fleeting moments and drinking them into our beings to feel, experience, and appreciate it for what it is. Each moment just that, a moment in time.

But, so many of us have such full summer schedules that actually taking the moment to pause, look around, and breathe deep to absorb the fullness of summer’s offering is missed. A more common story line for the summer months is “I feel busy,” “my schedule is booked solid,” or “I am hot and bothered.” The sweetness of summer gets wrapped into busy schedules and feelings of stress and overwhelm overpopulate our nervous systems. We get tired and instead of listening to the urge to pause and sit seaside to breathe the ocean air, we reach for the iced tea/coffee and keep chugging along ignoring our body’s cues. When on overdrive we start to live more from our minds and less from our creative and loving selves.

Yesterday, as I was running from here to there with my boys, picking up from daycare and camp, the universe created a pause for what was my fast paced flow. My older son’s camp was on a field trip and the van was stuck in traffic, therefore I was given a window of time with my younger son to sit, breathe, and wait. Right in front of us was a sweet book that I picked up and read… it was titled Peaceful Piggy Meditation, by Kerry Lee MacLean. The timing was perfect. It was about a little piggy who noticed his life was getting busy and full, and realized a need to slow down. “Sometimes the world can be such a busy, noisy place.” When realizing that slowing down opened up his world to being more at ease, creative, and relaxed in being. “By slowing down, peaceful piggies notice all the magical things in life – like the way raindrops race one another down the window… the way clouds tell silent stories… and the way birds sing songs just for you.”

I woke up this morning knowing I needed to write an introduction to my newsletter and my blog, yet felt like I spent all of yesterday searching with my brain and mind to find and say something that would touch someone, become inspiring for others, and seem somewhat intelligent. Nothing was settling or feeling right. As I woke this am, my youngest son fast asleep next to me, I decided to soak in the moment. Instead of jumping out of bed I lay there and thought about all the things I was appreciative of in my life. The sunshine floating in through my window, the health of my boys, my own health, slow summer mornings, and so on. I slid out of bed, scraped my tongue, brushed my teeth, drank water to hydrate my body, and settled into my seat for meditation. Before I closed my eyes I looked around and noticed what was around me, and right in front of me was this beautiful quote that made me smile with inner knowing and gratitude…“I want to jump up and shout aloud in gratitude at having been allowed to live in this world, sharing with all its creatures the blessed gift of life.” – Malcolm Muggeridge

The universe is constantly holding us all and trying to fascinate us with inspiring beauty, experiences, and knowing. Yet, we can become so busy, full, and stuck in our minds. Honoring the pause opens space, creativity, and flow. So… as we embrace these last weeks of summer, how will you honor the moments? How will you rest in a pause to embrace more of the sweetness of the summer months? How will you stop, notice, and take in the messages that are singing around you? Go seaside and dig your toes into the sand, plunge into the cold waters, look into the eyes of a loved one and really listen, let yourself taste and enjoy the sweetness of fresh berries, stare at the clouds. This life is magical.Stepping onto your mat is a perfect way to slow down the fast paced momentum of summer. Come breathe, pause, listen and enjoy the moment of being.