Breathe

Water splashes up against the rocks providing the most soothing natural music as I settle in. In the distance, I can hear the screams of children having fun and try to imagine what they're excited about.

Perhaps it's their first time ever visiting the beach, or they jumped in the water and were caught off guard by its temperature. Maybe it's not a happy scream at all, maybe they were stung by a jellyfish or stepped on a crab. I really can't be sure.

The shore is about a half-mile from where I chose to sit and I can barely even see the children in question. I decide to just pretend they're having fun, playing without a care in the world and no knowledge of how long it will take their parents to clean the sand from every crease in their tiny bodies.

I look down at my hands in my lap as I bring my attention back to myself and the perfect location I found. I saw it from a distance when I first got to the beach and knew right away this was the spot. It was almost as if the location was calling out to me, like Mother Nature was saying "I saved you a seat over here!"

It took a few minutes of climbing over plenty of smaller rocks to get to the spot, but I knew it would be worth it. I originally tried to start the climb in my flip-flops but abandoned that idea pretty early on. Partly because the black plastic was getting more slippery with every step, but also there is really nothing that compares to the feeling of walking barefoot through nature.

Now the shoes are abandoned, sitting somewhere in the sand and I sit cross-legged on nature's chair right at the edge of the shore. Water splashes against my legs as I watch birds fly overhead and think about how grateful I am at this moment.

I am grateful that I have my dream job as a middle school teacher and the perfect fiancée. I am grateful that I have a supportive family and a great group of friends. And as much as I love my life back home, I am also grateful to have the ability to take solo vacations every once in a while.

The first solo trip I took brought me to Los Angeles. That was about ten years ago and happened because the friend I was going with backed out last minute. I was worried the trip would be absolutely miserable alone, but it turned out to be quite life-changing. It was really the first time I had any alone time that I could remember. It was also where I found meditation.

When looking for events to do on Groupon, I found a beach meditation class. I had no expectations going into that class, but I left feeling so rejuvenated and peaceful that I've spent every day chasing that feeling.

Since I've gotten home from that trip, I've ended most days with a seated meditation. While that still brings me great peace, there is nothing quite like meditating on a beach. Each year since LA I've planned a solo beach vacation for myself with the sole purpose of meditating, relaxing then returning home ready to take on the world.

Today I'm sitting on the coast of Clearwater during my first ever trip to Florida. The sun is warm and I focus my attention on my skin as it reddens from the rays. A slight breeze blows my brown curls across my face, but instead of pushing them back I place my hands on my knees and gently close my eyes.

Breathe in, breathe out. I focus on the air as it enters through my nostrils. The smell of the ocean floats through my body, overwhelming me with relaxation.

Breathe in, breathe out. The sounds of birds chirping, children playing and waves crashing fill me, washing my head of any stress.

Breathe in, breathe out. My nose itches as my hair continues to brush across it, but the feeling is welcomed as my skin tingles.

Breathe in, breathe out. The warm familiar feeling of relaxation spreads through my body as I breathe in the salty sea air and breathe out everything that is no longer serving me.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

In. Out.

And then…peace.