Aloha,
My name is Reverend Cindy Palos.
I wanted to talk today about the gift of nature and how we can take time to be in tune with the energy of nature and to be inspired while we are in nature.
I think nature for me is one of the greatest gifts I loved most in my life.
I go out in the morning and I do yoga outside.
Look up at the sky.
And I make sure I breathe deeply.
There's just this natural flow of the energy of the wind and what's going on with the sunlight.
Brings me into a lovely state of awareness that really works well for me.
So I'm very grateful to also now have learned to not just do the yoga and be active,
But to take time.
To be still.
And just be aware.
And I notice when I'm still.
Outside in nature.
That it's a very different experience of so much coming into the awareness of God.
The sounds of the birds or the wind that's blowing.
Just so many elements that are inspiring,
That are present.
Now,
A lot of people like to take walks outside,
But I have friends who like to walk,
But they walk as fast as they can walk.
I can't walk with them because I'm not a power walker.
They do it for exercise to stay in shape.
And they won't stop.
They don't want to stop.
They want to keep walking,
Walking,
Walking.
So for me,
I have to always stop and be still for a while,
Just maybe 10,
15 minutes,
But to just make a space and time to sit outside in nature and to commune,
Commune with nature.
To me,
That's such a powerful,
Wonderful source.
Of inspiration.
And if I'm walking as fast as I never,
Of course,
I never go outside,
Walk as fast as I can walk.
I'm not a power walker.
But,
You know,
If I were to do that,
It would take away from my.
Attunement with the energy that's present in nature.
Now,
I'm not putting down people who want a power walk.
I have two or three friends that are definitely into that.
But that just isn't in tune with the meditation and the style of communication.
Resource of that gift of nature that I'm talking about.
I'm talking about maybe using words.
I know there are some lovely walking meditations that I have used in the past.
One is saying three or four different words like a mantra as you're walking because the truth is that your mind will wander just the same as it will.
When you're meditating,
When you're walking,
It will start thinking of this or that,
And you can get off on the thoughts.
But if you're using the meditation where you're saying something like what I've been using,
It says,
As I'm walking,
I'm aware of the beauty of nature that surrounds me.
Then I take them.
Breath or two,
And then as I'm walking.
I listen to the sounds of nature that are speaking to me right now.
And I will change it depending on where I'm going or what I'm aware of.
But by doing that,
Then you're kind of directing your mind into a talking area of inspiration,
Which is fine too.
So you might want to think about,
When you take a walk,
To try that if your mind wanders a lot,
If you seem to get off track.
With your thoughts,
So you can use the walking meditation.
And also you can try walking a little more slowly.
You'll find that as you walk more slowly,
You allow more input from nature to come to you.
And you become aware of more.
So those are things that I find for me.
In walking meditations that I find when I'm in nature.
When I'm outside in nature that I can use to inspire me.
To make me grateful because I'm always so grateful for the beauty.
Of nature,
And I'm always so happy to hear the birds and the songs that they sing and what they're presenting.
It's truly a great gift.
That comes when you are outside in nature.
And I hope that you can find the time.
To be aware of that wonderful gift.
That wonderful gift,
That presence in nature,
That presence in nature is truly something that is absolutely free.
It doesn't cost a dime and it's so wonderful and it's so inspiring.
So I wish you the best in your walks and I hope you find a way to take the time to be inspired by the gift of nature that surrounds you.
