2017 E-Editions, Column, Mountain Meditation

Mountain meditation: Heed the winds of change

“We are stars wrapped in skin. The light you are seeking has always been within,” said Rumi, a  13th-century poet.

When winds of change stir up our world, we often feel unsteady and confused. But these strong winds are ushering in a new era for the human race and a new psyche for us. We’re being called. I feel it in my heart. Do you feel it, too, a longing in your soul for more peace and an end to suffering in our world?

The winds of change are compelling us to uplift humanity to a new level through kindness, compassion, and connectivity for all creatures, including humans.

How can we best heed the call? By staying centered and balanced, no matter the circumstances. When we are vessels of forgiveness and love, others abandon their defenses and walls. Authentic relationships with our loved ones enable us to live on a higher plane, with elevated vibrations and deeper awareness.

Certain practices help us to be more closely connected with our own souls:

A quiet mind through meditation clears our thoughts for divine inspiration. It helps lessen internal conversations that, too often, put us down.

Feeling compassion for ourselves can be a difficult advancement to make. It’s often a challenge for us to forgive ourselves for our weaknesses and shortcomings. It has been proven that looking in the mirror and saying “I love you” for 30 days increases self-confidence and self-esteem. It’s a great place to start since, to love another, we must first love ourselves.

Expressing gratitude for the life we’re given is one of the highest emotions we feel. Being grateful for dear ones in our midst and celebrating the tribe that we’re in is a wonderful thing because life is too hard to navigate alone. Keeping and growing our connections also boosts our vitality. Helping others by sharing our gifts incorporates the Golden Rule of life: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Seeking rejuvenation through the beauty of nature raises our spirits by touching our senses with pure delight and awe. Savoring sunrises, sunsets, and stars and spending time in the natural world is a basic human need that keeps us connected to our Mother Earth.

Living our passions, doing things we adore, expressing creativity, and exploring more multiplies our joie de vivre. Whenever I paint en plein air, surrounded by nature and connected to God, inspiration flows freely from my heart to my hand, like in the tradition of Chinese brush strokes. Painting and sharing the places I’m drawn to gives me a thrill and immense happiness.

What do you most enjoy doing in your life? Sports, science, music, art, history, poetry, being with animals, reading books? Can you make whatever it is part of your daily existence? If not, think ahead and plan how you can prioritize so you can practice your passion.

Allow synchronicity and miracles to enter by opening your heart to new experiences. Keep a positive frame of mind to attract more positive things in life.

The powerful winds we experienced last week inspired the idea for this column. Then I learned of the Scorpions’ ballad from 1990 called “The Wind of Change,” which became an anthem of hope for the people living through the transitions in Russia and Eastern Europe.

“The world is closing in.

And did you ever think

That we could be so close, like brothers?

The future’s in the air; I can feel it everywhere.

Blowing with the wind of change.

Take me to the magic of the moment.

On a glorious night

Where the children of tomorrow dream away

On the wind of change.

The wind of change blows straight into the face of time.

Like a storm wind that will ring the freedom bell

For peace of mind.”

—Klaus Meine

Marguerite Jill Dye is a writer and artist who divides her time between Vermont and Florida.

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