Lily Lake is mirror calm, surrounded by mountains, and looped by an easy, level trail of gravel and boardwalks. The obstacle of parking the car is past, the future is just this moment, and this moment. Shared with a six-year-old the mountains and the lake shrink in significance. Instead we listen to the swish of our steps on the gravel path. We watch brilliant blue dragonflies hover, circle away then back to the same spot along the lake shore. Ducks float, then tip heads under and bottoms up to eat. A water snake performs a hypnotic dance near the boardwalk. An unafraid chipmunk darts in and out between two boulders, capturing the imagination of a grandson. We are savoring small joys with a beginner's mind.
Home again, jiggity jig, back to the office, where mountains of work climb way past the timberline. Progress is at capital I ice age glacial speed, not the global meltdown pace. I must cultivate acceptance, but adding a cool reflecting lake to my meditation visualization couldn't hurt.
One of my favorite mindfulness meditations is "The Mountain," used by Jon Kabat-Zinn. The visual aspect seems to help me stay focused. In this guided meditation we sit as the solid base of stone mountain as the sun, clouds, and stars pass over, and the seasons change on our slopes.
© 2013-2018 Nancy L. Ruder
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