Buddha dog posing in front of my zen table. My friend, Cassy, after visiting with me this week said maybe I should rename my writing cottage, my zen cottage. Since I’m now incorporating yoga, meditating and writing here in my cozy 10 x 12 space, I think she has something here. I shall now call this happy place my Zen Writing Cottage with Gidget the Buddha Dog. Might just attract many spiritual seekers from far and wide!
It was cloudy when I woke up this morning as I walked out to my writing cottage, holding Gidget in my right arm like a football.
As I began my yoga practice I realized I hadn’t heard any birds this morning. I didn’t see them in the tree’s either. The past two days I’ve seen little sparrows flying about, landing in the trees outside my windows, with others gathering to meet them.
It was still and quiet this morning. I was missing the birds. As I often do, I play soft music in the background while I do my yoga practice. Most often I listen to Kevin Kern radio on Pandora.
Though I didn’t realize it immediately the next song started playing. One I had not heard before. Birds were chirping in the song. All of a sudden I realized what my thoughts had just been on—birds!
I had to quickly glance at my computer to see the name of the song that was playing and write it down before I returned to my mat. The song, Secret Garden by Dan Gibson— Solitudes, Exploring Nature with Music—The English Cottage Garden. ((I googled this and found it on Youtube. An hour long version which I’m listening to right now as I write this– and have shared with you at the end of this post).
As I continued my practice I began to smile. Wow, this is amazing, really. A moment ago I was lost in thinking about missing seeing the birds and hearing their beautiful singing outside my window. Instead they showed up in a different way.
Moving through my poses I thought, this will be most blog post for today! For a moment I hesitated and thought there is no way I can write about this– people will think I’m crazy.
But then it occurred to me that I don’t care. I was so happy in that moment of connecting my thoughts to the song that ” magically” appeared to play. It was real and beautiful for me. It brought me so much joy. I also thought about how I set my intention this year to be braver in my writing and what I share. Well, here it was, presenting itself.
It also made me think about how often we dismiss things like this in our life. But this is synchronicity! This, to me, is a sign that I am living in the moment—not worried about yesterday, today, or tomorrow. I’m aware of my thoughts, my surroundings, what speaks to me, and how connected I can feel to everything. In those amazing moments this is pure joy for me. I’m not crazy, I’m happy!
How often we look outside ourselves for this thing called happiness, when it is right here in our hearts. The simple pleasures, the simple moments that make our hearts smile.
As I lay in savasana pose Gidget crawled onto my chest. I couldn’t help but think she was helping to ground me. As much as I love savasana it is truly a practice for me because sometimes I get antsy and can’t lie still.
But today I melted into the mat and gave thanks for the abundance of beauty all around me. So grateful for my life.
I recently shared with you that I reorganized and threw out (or donated) much stuff in my writing cottage two weeks ago. I’m really enjoying what feels like a new space for me- but even better, a new energy. I feel so much lighter and free. It continues to amaze me how stuff can hold us back.
Part of my wanting to let go of stuff was to make room for new– whatever that is meant to be. I also wanted to practice my morning yoga in my writing cottage. John is often times home in the mornings on phone calls and with our house being small, I was finding it hard to concentrate.
Yoga seems like such a simple thing, but it adds so much value and depth to my days. Being in the quiet of the morning, the sun streaming through my long windows which surround me, I feel a connection to nature and the earth.
This week I decided to add a grace card to my yoga practice. What I do before I begin my practice is to sit and ask for what it is I need guidance with for the day. I either choose a number to count down the cards to, or what day it is (yesterday being 3, I counted to 3rd card in the deck), or I just slide my hands over the deck and stop when I feel it is right, or I go with what color card catches my eye.
Once I choose the card, I read it, and then hold it in my thoughts as I do my yoga practice.
Yesterday the grace card that presented itself to me was, LISTEN…When we feel overly attached to an outcome, it’s simply an indication that we need to reconnect with our Wise Self.
I wasn’t sure the message for me until later in the day. I realized this with someone I love dearly who is struggling with some challenges in her life. I really listened. And I also realized in the process, that as much as I wish I could make things better for her, these are life choices she has to make on her own.
For me, I had to let go of the outcome of what I think it should or shouldn’t be. It is also a reminder to myself that when my life feels out of balance this is an indication that I am not listening to my own Wise Self. This is a practice. One I feel that comes with being more aware, which I’ve been working on this year—more awareness.
Today I chose the card COMPASSION…Be gentle with yourself. You are a magnificent soul. A reminder to first practice compassion with ourselves, to love ourselves for who we are, so that we move out into the world being who we authentically are, giving back in the best way that speaks to who we are.
It will be interesting as I continue incorporating Grace card moments before my yoga and how that will play out in my life.
One of the best things about my yoga practice though? After I roll up my mat and tuck under my desk, I sit and just be with Gidget—my Buddha dog who sits in her own stillness and in turn shares her wise wisdom with me just by being her amazing little self.
Which by the way… she normally starts her ” dinner time dance” around 4:00pm and is pretty insistent on me getting her dinner. But yesterday afternoon while I talked with my friend? She settled into her bed and held her Buddha self until almost 5:45pm, never once stirring. She really is a Buddha dog, don’t you think?