Step Lightly On the Land

Rmembering You are only here temporarily

And are a Guest on this Earth

Mother Nature is such a gracious hostess

She spreads a lavish buffet of joy, spakling light and Wisdom

At our feet

Just asking in return that we are Grateful and

Send forth those Gifts we have received

Out into the World

She thanks ou for your love and generosity

She is like a fairy on your shoulder

As you go about your work and your plan

Throughout the day

Laughing and playing games with you

She brings back the child in all of us

The awe of the morning

The wonder of the night

Take time to be quiet

Enjoy Who and Where You Are

Entrtain

Create a Wonderland of Lights at Night

Dance and Be Happy

Love and Be Loved

Carry On

You are on the right path

Enjoying the scenery along the way

Paying attention to the signs for

Where to head next and what the next step will be…

You are blessed

And you are a blessing to your friends

Thank you

Keep up the good work

And be sure to take good care of yourself

Any Gifts  you give to Yourself

Are Given to the World

Son don’t be afraid to pamper yourself

and revel in your Glorious YOU

Life is a prayer

Amen

Ali

Brooklyn

All I can say about these people is there is such an innocence to life….

I lit my pink candle that I have been burning for a while and I had cleaned the black soot off of the glass!  What a difference it made!  So this is what I wrote once I recognized what a difference that little action made.

All I needed to do is wash the glass to get the soot off the pink candle and now it’s like NEW!  It’s the simple things in life.  Really.  But really what it is, is being present for life, being present for the joy to flow in.  Open for life to really happen.  Otherwise we impose on life, force life to conform with how we think it should happen.  I had the the thought before turning my bedside light off last night, of being in the flow of life.  Being present for what life brings.  And how do I do that when there are so many things to DO.  By just being present and allowing life.  By letting go more.  So I know life has amazing things in store for me, particularly right now. I have a pink candle, a fake fireplace and a brand new apartment on a busy street.  I am loving the busy street thing (and I resisted it at first).

How to let it happen as opposed to making it happen.  In my 20′s and even 30′s I was more able to let go.  I remember Carly Woods commenting on how relaxed I was while skiing when I lived in Aspen and we were skiing together.

I’m already feeling the pressure of the day today.  But what if… I just know it’s going to be a perfect day.  From the seminar, “An Invented Life”, that I took last year with Landmark Education, I got the profound discovery that I am OK.  Now I know that doesn’t sound like much, but when I really think about it, in the background of much that I DO, I am thinking I have to do something in order to be OK, to be acceptable to myself and to others.  There is this constant angst that something is wrong… with me, with the world, and with me in the world.  What if it was just all OK.  What if I am always perfectly aligned with a perfect world?   That was something that I came up with in David Friedman’s thought exchange one Monday evening. “

So I found this photo on line to express the thought:

“I am perfectly aligned with a perfect world”

Looking out on Long Island Sound, breathing deeply, expanding consciousness.  I often forget to just spend time being aware, just being.  This is such an important aspect of maintaining mental , psychological, spiritual health.  We have so many distractions that keep us from being present.  The ego is a major culprit.

So spend time whenever you think of it and can make it happen.  Well – what I am really trying to say is – I need to find ways to remind myself to be…present that is to be alive, to stay healthy.  Breathing deeply isn’t something that I normally naturally think of or do.  Particularly in problem solving situations when it could prove to allow me to access that part of me that touches and is absorbed into the immensity of all that is.  Part of our own ability to create our lives.  Part of love and creation where they are merged.

So here I sit at Bridgeport University Dental School and I am fortunate enough o be looking out at Long Island Sound.  The water was glistening all morning contributing to my sense of well being & ability to get present.  Because it’s sunny it also serves to brighten my spirits.  But yesterday it was gloomy and very windy.  So windy that my neighbor, Julie had to take down her Party, Paper & Things sign.   I loved the day.  Gloomy days can really be great.

I  journal to get present.  Most mornings I write three handwritten pages just like Julia Cameron suggests in The Artist’s Way.  And because I am so accustomed to journaling, I just flowed right into writing in journal style just now.  This is a journal of sorts, but different, because in this case I am opening up the book, so to speak for others to read.

The purpose of this blog – because it is about healing spiritual gardens, is to connect with nature and the spirit and to discuss my idea of healing gardens as I discover it.  That’s why it will be so great to be a blog, because it can become a conversation with those who are interested in doing the same.

So the trees are skeletons right now.  Wouldn’t be able to see the water beyond if it wasn’t winter.   Speaking of silver linings…there are beautiful cumulus clouds – more with Grey bottoms giving footing and   dimension.  Because I am on the 5^th floor, the street and parked cars are not noticeable.  Especially because the window frame covers over the cars exactly.  A distant road curves through the park and the slightly green, mostly yellowish green grass now catch my notice.  Several picnic tables scattered about.  Variably sunny day.  Especially nice when the sun shines through – or did I mention that before?  So what constitutes a healing garden?  A place to replenish, rejuvenate, become calm and peaceful.  A place to meditate just by noticing…

The other day I used the flame of a candle as a center point of my meditation.  The rain and wind, or even the song of birds (summer or winter) can be a nature connection and a source or focus for meditation.  In winter I become extremely grateful for my perennials that I am growing in pots inside, my money tree, my orchid and my geranium as a green part of my inside home/garden.  An important aspect of the healing garden.  Bringing a piece of nature inside.  This is part of my design for healing through contact with nature theory.  Research apparently has shown that children who spend time outdoors playing develop a stronger intelligence than those who don’t.  Wouldn’t it therefore follow suit for adults?  I have learned about and studied a spiritual tradition that originated in Bulgaria that stresses the importance of spending time out in nature (particularly in the wilderness or just outside highly populated areas) to reach spiritual health, growth, and  a greater connection with God, our source.

January 28, 2010 – Thursday

Now I am sitting at my desk and typing up what I wrote on Tuesday, looking out at large flakes of snow flutter down to the ground.  When I look out at a distance it looks like it’s heavy – but up close, they are really just not so many big flakes.  I have to write about this, because it is about me being present.  I look right out at Putnam Avenue which can really be fun.

Kindness and Gentleness follow you wherever you go

Step Lightly on the land

Remembering You are only Here temporarily

And are a Guest on this Earth

Mother Nature is such a gracious hostess

She spreads a lavish buffet of joy, sparkling light and Wisdom

At our feet

Just asking in return that we are Grateful and

Send forth those gifts we have received

Out into the World

She thanks you for your love and generosity

She is like a fairy on your shoulder

As you go about your work and your play

Throughout the day

Laughing and playing games with you

She brings back the child in all of us

The awe of the morning

The wonder of the night

Take time to be quiet

Enjoy Who and where you are

Entertain

Create a wonderland of lights at night

Dance and be happy

Love and be loved

Carry on

You are on the right path

Enjoying the scenery along the way

Paying attention to the signs for

Where to head next and what the next step will be…

You are blessed

And you are a blessing to your friends

Thank you

Keep up the Good Work

And be sure to take care of your self

Any gifts you give to yourself

Are given to the World

So don’t be afraid to pamper yourself

And revel in your Glorious YOU!

Amen

Life is a prayer…

Would love comments and feedback.

January 21, 2010

A poem written at Tod’s Point, Greenwich, CT – Summer 2009

Thursday, September 24, 2009 10:00 AM

Quita’s Poem

These are the days to appreciate
All that you are
All that you do
All you become

Watch and observe
Listen when you question
And then keep listening
Until there is complete silence
That’s where love is
In these very quite amazing moments
In the quite of your soul and being
Who you really are

Take the time to observe what is around you
What’s really around you
The crickets, the birds, the breeze
The sun and the sunshine
The little tweets of the birds
The glistening of the water
The joy that surrounds you
The ever increasing sound of teh cicada
WOW!
Pay attention
It really is all here right now
In this moment

Gentle and Roaring
Way out on the horizon
And in the leaf inches away
Everywhere abounding

Just listen and observe
Take it all in and appreciate
The kindness
Life in all it’s variety
Has to offer you

Simply
Amazing
Simply amazing
Take care
Take time
Why not?
There no where to get
We have already arrived!

Joyful days.
Joyful moments
Breathe
Be
Be in the flow.

Let the goodness grab you
and take you
Somewhere you have never been before

Awareness
Aliveness
Beingness
Believingness

Begin-ness
Bigness

Quita Auffenberg 9-25-09