We in the western world enjoy the experience of abundance. We live with an abundance of sound--sounds in so many forms it surrounds us (giving us tunes even when the telephone rings)...an abundance of images--colors and forms and creativity that beckon us from the moment we awaken...an abundance of scents--fragrances that appeal to us beyond our waking hours as even our pillows carry the smell of spring rain or april showers...an abundance of souls so much so that we meet new people every day and have no time to get to know the ones we met yesterday.
With such abundance we don't drink deeply, taste completely, or experience fully.
With so many sounds around us, we don't understand the pleasure of a single note and a solitary tone. With an abundance of images and so many colors, we don't hold a piece of art in our hands, sit with it for an hour, fall into it. With fragrance all around us, many of us never close our eyes and spend time traveling on a single delicate scent into the heart of the Universe.
Because we don't drink deeply, we don't become satisfied. Because we are not satisfied, we continue to reach for more. Because we always end up with more, we never drink deeply.
Our work each day is to take a moment and experience one thing as deeply and as fully as we are capable. Touch it, taste it, feel it, experience it.
When you step from your shower, close your eyes and fully receive the embrace of your towel. Feel its softness, its lightness, its texture. Breathe its fragrance. Feel its caress on your face, on your belly, on your ankles. Don't brush it across your skin hurriedly to dry yourself and toss it aside as though it was never an important part of your day (what was the color of the towel you used this morning?).
In another moment stop and look at an image or a work of art and stay with it, feel its presence. When you listen to a friend, stop and truly hear the heart of her. When we take a moment like this each day, our ability to experience fully will deepen and enlarge.
"The soul requires duration of time -- rich, thick, deep, velvety time -- and it thrives on rhythm. Soul can’t be hurried or harried. We may go through many events in the day and experience nothing because the soul has not had the opportunity to feel them from many different points of view." ~ Robert Sardello
With such abundance we don't drink deeply, taste completely, or experience fully.
With so many sounds around us, we don't understand the pleasure of a single note and a solitary tone. With an abundance of images and so many colors, we don't hold a piece of art in our hands, sit with it for an hour, fall into it. With fragrance all around us, many of us never close our eyes and spend time traveling on a single delicate scent into the heart of the Universe.
Because we don't drink deeply, we don't become satisfied. Because we are not satisfied, we continue to reach for more. Because we always end up with more, we never drink deeply.
Our work each day is to take a moment and experience one thing as deeply and as fully as we are capable. Touch it, taste it, feel it, experience it.
When you step from your shower, close your eyes and fully receive the embrace of your towel. Feel its softness, its lightness, its texture. Breathe its fragrance. Feel its caress on your face, on your belly, on your ankles. Don't brush it across your skin hurriedly to dry yourself and toss it aside as though it was never an important part of your day (what was the color of the towel you used this morning?).
In another moment stop and look at an image or a work of art and stay with it, feel its presence. When you listen to a friend, stop and truly hear the heart of her. When we take a moment like this each day, our ability to experience fully will deepen and enlarge.
"The soul requires duration of time -- rich, thick, deep, velvety time -- and it thrives on rhythm. Soul can’t be hurried or harried. We may go through many events in the day and experience nothing because the soul has not had the opportunity to feel them from many different points of view." ~ Robert Sardello
photography by permissioncindy lee jones
4 comments:
To mindfulness, and this piece.
The other day my 2 yr old was scribbling with markers, and I thought how she is one of my greatest teachers in mindfulness.
Mermaid ~ you are so right about how children show us how to live in this moment. My neighbor's dog, too (which I adore), is a teacher for me in the practice of mindfulness.
Thank you for sharing.
Katie ~ thank you for visiting my home here, and for taking the time to comment. You are a remarkable photographer and poet, and a charming woman. I am delighted to have a few moments seeing your world and will continue to follow your work.
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