Releasing the Painted Lady Butterflies – Video

Posted by Barbara Techel

A few weeks ago I shared that I purchased a butterfly garden kit. It has been a joy to watch the process unfold as the caterpillars formed into chrysalides and then Painted Lady butterflies.

I was kind of sad to have to let them go, but it was fun to watch them gain their freedom too. Out of the five, only three made it, which the kit instructions said they guaranteed at least three would make it.

That’s when it came to me that perhaps they were the spirits of my dachshunds, Frankie, Joie, and Gidget, so that is what I named them as you’ll hear in the video…and what until you see Gidget take off!

xo,
Barbara

Two Young Bunnies Reminded Me How Fertile with Opportunity These Times Are

Posted by Barbara Techel

This young bunny above is one I saw in my garden a few weeks ago. Today, during my morning walk, I saw another small bunny hopping through a neighbor’s garden. And then later this morning, during my meditation time the bunnies came to me with a message.

The last few days I’d been getting caught up in fear in my mind with all that is transpiring in our world. 

While on my walk, wrestling with not wanting to be in this space, I’d realized that when I let fear cloud my mind, I can’t see the joy that is present. I silently acknowledged to myself the fact that these times of uncertainty shake my foundation of my wanting to feel safe and secure. But I reminded myself that at that moment I was safe.

It was then that the light suddenly looked brighter, the leaves on the trees greener and the sky bluer. I then noticed the young bunny scamper through a neighbor’s garden and just ahead I saw a golden retriever frolicking in someone’s yard. As I neared home another neighbor had just turned on the sprinkler and this feeling surged through me of wanting to be a little girl again and run through that sprinkler! 

During meditation, I was reminded that fear is the shadow part of me, but there is also the part of me that is light. I get to choose which I will play in. But only can I follow the path of the light, which is my heart, by acknowledging the shadow of fear that’s been running through my mind, and understanding what it’s about.

It was then that I saw the bunnies in my mind’s eye and they shared with me what a fertile time this is. How we are being given this incredible opportunity to face those shadows of fear when they appear. How important it is to look at why the fear is there and to ask where is it coming from. And that is what I’d done while on my walk, which helped to shift me back to the fact I was safe and there was so much good to see around me.

What a change of events in my 45-minute walk and then time in meditation that I was brought to this new space of lightness. The bunnies’ message was so true that all that is unfolding around us are opportunities to look within and be with what scares us in order to find our way back to the fact that we can create a better, brighter, and more peaceful reality.

Every moment we get the chance to see the world anew again.

xo,

Barbara