Ice Etchings

"No thought, no action, no movement, total stillness: only thus can one manifest the true nature and law of things from within and unconsciously, and at last, become one with heaven and earth." ~ Lao Tzu



A freezing morning run today. Everything was so quiet and still - except the birds and me! Little pools of water had frozen along the trail in these intricate patterns that were so delicate and lovely I wanted to stop and photograph each and every one. What a beautiful example of STILLNESS!

I have been thinking about the activities I incorporate into my life that bring me a sense of stillness, of peace, and I try to include these things in my days as often as I can. The main one is spending time outside - in all kinds of weather. I love the exhilerating winter cold, the wind that blasts past me and brings a rosy bloom to my cheeks. I love feeling the sunshine on my skin and the heat that makes me sweat. I love the first breath of a spring breeze, bringing with it a fresh newness, a promise of life. I love the colors of fall, the reds, golds, bronzes and the respite from the heat of summer. I love the woods and the beach, trees and water, hawks and herons, the sound of ocean waves rolling onto the shore and the rustle of leaves blowing in a
barely-there breeze.

Then there is conscious meditation time - when I am running and focusing on a mantra or feeling my body and my feet as they touch the ground and being truly in the moment or when I am sitting and quieting my mind and body and just being.

Another way I experience this stillness is through photography. Being able to capture, through the lens of my camera, a single moment that no one else is experiencing and then being able to share that moment with others. A rain drop clinging to a leaf, a bird perched on a branch for brief second in time, a glorious sunrise that takes my breath away, a deer pausing at the edge of the woods before turning and blending in with the trees. Being able to stop and truly see these moments is what stillness is to me.

Other ways of being in the moment, in the NOW are reading, writing in my journal, writing stories, being creative, spending time with my daughter. I love days when I can include most if not all of these things. On days like this, I feel such a balance, such a peace inside. Then I can bring that peace, that stillness to everything I do, every encounter I have, and hopefully that peace permeates the lives of others around me too.