The calm after the storm

After hours of heavy rain and wind, it is morning and a beautiful morning indeed! The breeze is blowing, the air is so clean, I can’t wait to hit the trails.

Have you ever taken the time to notice the beautifully clean, almost intoxicating air after a storm? It seems as if nature has done her cleaning job, similar to when I do a full house clean. Everything seems fresh! The trees and plants bounce back with renewed energy (after plenty of hydration!) and the world seems more alive.

I will spend the afternoon, I’m sure, picking up sticks and branches, while my husband, Sandy, tries to reconstruct the washed-out driveway. But I like chores like picking up sticks: they are mindless tasks that have a purpose (kindling!) and they allow me time to be mindful in the process. Mindless chores like picking up sticks, folding laundry, scrubbing floors, are wonderful times to really zone into yourself and be present in the moment. For some folks, this is the only time in their day that they are really here. By changing your mindset from “boring task” to “mindfulness meditation”, you can make the most out of any mundane job. For example, I will methodically move about the yard, gathering, stacking, chopping if necessary, until I have a good pile of kindling to dry out. My mind will focus only on the job at hand, the sights, the smells, the textures that are awesome here in the woods. I will allow other thoughts to enter, but I’ll let them leave just as quickly, and I will try to just “be”. I might notice my breath (especially if I have to climb up the hill!) and I will be be made aware of the wonderful body I have that allows me to function in every capacity, whether it is hear writing on this computer or scaling a mountain with my dog.

Spend a little time today with yourself. Take advantage of a mindless task that needs doing, and make it a meditation in mindfulness. See how easy the task becomes, watch the time fly by, and see how good and “clean” you feel when you are finished.

Peace,

Diane