Swimming Beneath The Current June 22, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Meditation, Mindfulness.comments closed
Imagine the whole of your life as an ocean or sea. On the surface, problems arise and toss us around like waves at the beach. Sometimes we have barely caught our breath, when the next wave crashes over our head, knocking us under, causing us to scrape our knees on the sharp, broken shells underfoot.
If we try to resist the furious pounding power of those waves by wrestling with them, we become exhausted and eventually drown.
Instead of fighting the waves in a futile attempt to stop their relentless march toward the shore, we can learn to peacefully coexist with the waves in our lives.
Life, like the sea, is more than the turmoil on the surface; it is the body of water beneath.
Each drop of water in the sea is one small aspect of our being.
Below the surface are all the things for which we can be truly grateful.
If we stay on the surface, our perspective is limited to those relentless crashing waves, the seemingly enormous problems in our lives.
If we dive below the turbulence, we are embraced by vast reserves of inner peace and serenity.
When we are feeling overwhelmed by wave after wave crashing down on our heads, we can dive deep, go within, take a breather by returning to the still, silent core of our being.
Instead of being thrown around by the currents at the surface, we can glide through the gems of life hidden below and breathe:
* We gently maneuver around the shipwrecks of the past, nothing more than ghostly spectres now.
* The brilliant colors of the coral attract our view, as we watch a vast array of fish floating by.
* Secure in the present moment, we breathe, relax, and repeat.
* With each exhale, we watch air bubbles returning to the surface, and listen to the sound of the air rushing in and out of our lungs.
* We focus on each of our senses, making this moment fully our own by seeing, tasting, touching, smelling, hearing, and sensing all that life has to offer.
Be Here Now.
After taking a breather, we safely surface with our calm, peaceful center restored.
The waves are still there, but they seem less like tidal waves and more like ripples.
We have put them into perspective.
Now that they are a manageable size, we easily glide up and over each one, relaxing into the current of our lives, rather than wrestling to the point of exhaustion.
Peace is yours for the asking.
No rules. Just write!
What about you? Have you ever used Creative Visualization to access the bottomless well of peace within? With good results?
Spirit Lights The Way 