Mind Body & Spirit

If there is one word that can sum up our world it is this: change. There is nothing new about that. Some wise soul once said, “the only thing certain, is change.” And it’s true. Since time began the moon waxes and wanes, children grow, spring follows winter and the elderly pass on from our lives in due course. This is the sort of cyclic, rhythmic , ebb and flow, breathe in and out, spiral sort of change that is natural and healthy. However, this is not the change I am talking about.

Today, instead of a gentle ebb and flow, it sometimes feels as though we are running faster and faster. The landscape is speeding by, too fast to be noticed. We sometimes stop, breathless, asking: What just happened? How did that year pass so quickly? When exactly did my son become a teenager? When did my baby girl cease to be a baby? How did this happen? I’ve had days when I felt as though I was shot from a cannon. I land in a crumpled heap, in bed, at the end of the day, a little dazed from it all. You’re nodding… aren’t you?

Central to cultivating a mindful life is simply slowing down enough to recognize and take part in the natural pace of change, rather than the ever-hurried pace of modern existence. To do this, we must consciously connect with the natural world. We must do this. No excuses. Note that I said “we”. I’m speaking to myself here, as well as to you, gentle reader (now there’s a phrase from a slower-paced time!) I am as guilty as anyone at becoming sucked into living at light-speed. Not good.

How then, to connect? Look around. No matter where you live, you can find some connection in nature. Perhaps a tree, or even a tough city sidewalk weed? Maybe a farmer’s field that you drive by on your way to work? How about the moon? If you live in an area with frequent clear skies, the moon’s cycles can be a wonderful way to cultivate a more natural life pace. Once you’ve settled on something, watch it. Preferably daily. Observe how it changes. The tiny sidewalk shoot becomes a full-blown yellow dandelion, and turns to white fluff a few days later. The field that started out brown starts showing row upon row of light green sprouts. The moon looks a little different every day. Natural change. Natural life pace. The more we pay attention to it, the better. It slows us down, and calls us back to our deepest selves.

Another practice I heartily recommend is the mindful process of watching sleeping children. I have followed this particular discipline for many years now, and it never becomes stale. I peek into my children’s rooms early in the morning, or late at night, and find myself overwhelmed with grace beyond words. In my teenager’s lanky, sprawling form I catch echoes of the baby boy he once was, all curled up with footed pajamas. He is deep into the process of becoming a man. He changes constantly. It is a good change, a natural change, like budding trees or ripening fruit.

The moon, the trees, the children… all change. Can we slow down enough to see?