Hi there,
It's Melissa checking in with some Season's Greetings and Reflections.
My heart is full when I tune in to what's happening in the season,
And sometimes it overrides the rhythm and the routines of the day.
It's not like by noticing nature my life becomes better or I'm just naturally happier.
But by allowing joy and wonder sometimes to take precedence over the routines,
There's that little feeling of release and rebellion and grasping onto what is present.
This is the first day of September.
I have never liked summer until I moved to the mountains.
And then the amount of daylight becomes such a big part of the seasons.
It affects driving conditions.
It affects the commute to town.
And because it's so dark here after hours.
Night and day is really distinct.
I feel more restricted by but also more in tune with natural daylight.
And as each summer ends,
I find myself grasping on to that freedom and that.
Relaxed feeling,
That sense of safety of having longer daylight hours and I don't have to worry about it getting dark.
And as summer comes to a close,
I get a little nervous thinking about how I'm going to feel cooped up in winter.
And it's not even extreme here.
It's just a new pattern I'm trying to get used to.
Because in the winter,
If I go to town,
I have to start heading back around three.
Otherwise,
I'll be driving with lower visibility.
And so this is making me treasure the summer daylight.
And I wasn't ready to let it go.
But then the temperature patterns starting to change.
During the day,
The afternoon,
It still gets hot outside.
The house is still very warm.
But the morning begins with need for a sweater in the evening.
Gets chilly as well.
And that,
To me,
Is the signal of autumn arriving.
And that opened up such new wonders and different environment to enjoy.
That it moved my grasping onto of the summer hours into enjoying something that is very present right here that is also transient.
The pleasantness of autumn is not going to be here for long.
Now I have the balance of pleasant temperature outside and enough hours to stay outside comfortably.
And soon it might start getting worse.
A little colder for that.
Needing more planning.
One thing I couldn't.
Fit well into the structure of society is our working hours,
Nine to five or whatever daytime hours,
Cubicle hours it is.
It is the most joyous time and we spend the majority of it sitting at the desk,
Indoors,
Away from nature or natural rhythm.
I notice this even more when maybe my body's at that age.
If I sit down for one or two hours at a time without standing up.
And after I do.
.
.
My feet are numb,
And they stay numb for a while.
My body is starting to react stronger to inactivity.
You're sitting down all the time.
And so my rebellion for health,
Physical and mental.
And 4.
This instinctual as well as spiritual connection to the earth we live on.
I can't say that.
Working and responsibility at work always take priority.
Over connecting with nature.
There's different things we experience,
Whether it's a one-minute break,
10-minute break,
Half an hour,
Or a camping trip.
Whether we're relaxing with activities or practicing being present and just noticing what's around us without doing other things,
The elements of nature being in the background connects to us,
Connects us to the reality.
There's the sound,
There's the sound of wind or breeze through whatever vegetation is around you.
It sounds different when it's blowing through deciduous trees versus pine.
There's the critters and the birds.
Sometimes we're so used to them,
They become annoying.
And then sometimes when we change our the way we're paying attention.
It just becomes something that's real and precious.
Taking breaths,
Taking deep breaths,
Noticing the smells around us.
That's really hard to relax and do when if you're just surrounded by traffic.
There's a lot of things you don't want to breathe deeply in.
Just being inside a park with a little bit of green oasis.
That's where you can challenge your nose,
Challenge your senses to see what you can notice.
Getting closer to a plant.
See if there's anything that might surprise me.
Even being aware of how comfortable or uncomfortable you're feeling in nature.
Some things pass by,
They come in waves.
For example,
If the clouds moving and blocking the sun,
Sometimes it's too hot,
Sometimes it's too cold.
By paying attention,
You are connected with that impermanence of things.
And sometimes it's just constant,
Like the constant existence of flies flying around you.
And there's different attitudes you can explore,
Like going from being annoyed or cautious to trying out new things.
Being animals,
Being live together next to each other.
To thinking about how you might maintain your human habitat.
To set boundaries or design for each other's well-being.
Today was the rain that attracted me outside,
Or rather the green and humidity after the rain.
I've been kind of not used to humidity because it's always so dry here.
Just a tiny bit of humidity feels like discomfort.
But then outside it just feels like everything comes alive.
Of light and reflection.
At so many dimensions.
You become aware of the birds and critters being active.
And that,
With the chilly air of September,
Is making my heart full.
No matter the larger pattern of our lives or the world or history is going.
There is the never giving up of what's present and there's always going to be different things sprinkled in between those moments.
Something pleasant,
Something unpleasant,
Something pleasant.
Something beautiful that could help widen our eyes,
Soften our hearts.
The squirrels and chipmunks out here are very cute.
And it's nice to see them grabbing food or jumping between grasses,
Trying to hold on to the flowers on there.
It also feels like a nuisance when wearing it.
It feels like they're checking out our deck,
Trying to get inside maybe,
Looking for a warm place,
And I worry about them.
It's building a nest.
In our house,
In our garage.
But with this being a really dry year,
I also worry about them,
How they would make it through the rest of the year,
Enjoy the world.
Let us see them and learn from their aliveness.
That's why holding on to.
.
.
Things are bad or things are great.
I don't want it to ever to change.
Holding on to anything.
It's probably rarely worth it more than being able to let go and find a broader perspective.
There's a deep connection with self and connecting with truth and authenticity when we do feel all our emotions.
But there is so much joy knowing.
The benefits of.
.
.
Changing,
Trying out different perspectives.
Adapting and not giving up on the joys and the joyful moments.
That is gonna be my way of life,
At least for now.
If you'd like to practice meditation with me,
You can find me on Insight Timer where I schedule live sessions and I also have recordings that's for you to use and listen to anytime.
Thanks for being here.
I hope you enjoy this month at the beginning of autumn.
