Embrace Your Inner Tortoise

The summer feels like light years away. 

A distant whisper of a dream. 

Hard never-ending work is standing in our way. 

Darkness envelops the normal sun beams.

Fall is here to stay.

It’s a busy time of year for many people with festivals and events happening all over the world. In every culture and religion, we celebrate with lights and fireworks. Families come together and share meals and celebrations.

The academic semester is in full swing with mid-term papers and exams to sit for students. Teachers are milling around schools, nervously wishing their students well and praying for those who can’t access the papers. There’s a buzz of learning in every class.

In the office is the same humdrum of worker bees, forever busy with deadlines, incessant phones, and meetings on top of meetings. Fingers constantly tapping away those important emails and business deals.

When do we stop and look after ourselves? 

Do we even notice our bodies needing that drink or rest?

Who pauses often and takes notice of their own health?

Everyone needs to take a break during the day. 

I had a big health scare a few weeks ago where I was given a diagnosis. You can read about it here: https://medium.com/illumination/the-diagnosis-7494dbe8e107

When your world stops you in your tracks with bad news, something makes you listen. My experience has taught me that self-care is the most important thing in life. It’s totally fine to stop every now and again.

So here it is. My gift to you this Saturday morning.

Say yes to a brief rest and notice the change in your body.

This is what I do when life overwhelms me. I think of a place that is beautiful in nature. 

Maybe it can help you too.

A short meditation

Find a place to relax, away from the noises of work and distractions. Sit down or lay down and get into a comfortable position. 

Let the last hour of stressors bleed away. Relax those shoulders.

C’mon, you can do better than that. Relax those shoulders. Let them hang down your sides like limp broccoli with your hands empty.

Close your eyes.

Breathe in through your nose. Hold your breath to the count of 1.2.3 and release slowly through your mouth. 

Notice your body relaxing.

Repeat the deep breathing two more times and feel yourself drift away as your breathing flows into your chest and out again.

Imagine standing in front of an old door that leads into an established flower garden, like the ones you read about in fairytales. 

You open the door. It creaks with age and opens reluctantly against a stubborn vine that’s stuck on the wood. It snaps as you open the door wide enough to stand on the door jamb.

Your eyes feast on what you see.

You are immersed in a world of color and beauty amongst bountiful greenery. As you walk through the door, intermingling senses burst into your soul. 

You breathe in the scents, permeating your soul. They fill you up by making you smile.

Heady aromas of freshly cut rosemary, mint and thyme tease your nostrils as you breathe in the freshness. You allow your fingertips tease the tips of greens bending them slightly, so they bounce back into your hand.

You walk further into the garden.

Floral notes emanate from surrounding blooms. An intoxicating sweet scent of roses climbs up a latticed trellis against one of the walls. Kudzu is growing stubbornly in the left-hand corner. Vibrant regal purple flowers grow out of rustic terracotta pots. A riot of rich reds and yellows paint the tops of planters in neat rows on your right.

In the middle of the garden is a tired wooden bench under a large oak tree. You go over to sit down on it and lay back against the warm wood as it protests when taking your weight. You lean back and feel the sun caress your skin. 

Your breath flows easily in this space and you feel relaxed, allowing your limbs rest with your arms limp against your sides. You listen to the sounds around you as you feel your heart beating against the peaceful atmosphere. 

Bumble bees and insects are playing hide and go seek among the rose bushes. Birds are chirping in the expansive branches above the bench. You feel like you’re eavesdropping on their avian gossip. Their chirping makes you sleepy.

You roll up your shirt sleeves and become aware of your shoes. You want to feel the soft grass and take them off with your socks. The grass feels cool and crisp against your hot feet. It tickles your toes as you wiggle them between the dense blades. You stand up and take a few steps around the oak tree, touching the coarse bark with your fingertips. 

There’s a small sunny clearing behind the tree where the lawn has been left uncut. Wildflowers in a cascade of colors stand in a sea of green. It’s the perfect spot to lie down. You head over with the sun shining on your neck.

The grass is spongy and smooth under your feet as you walk the dozen or so paces to reach the wildflower clearing. Sunbeams filter through the elongated oak branches casting patches of golden hues across the lawn, like a lit stage of a performance that’s about to begin. 

You lay down on the long grass and breathe in the delicious scents that surround you. As you look up, the leaves sparkle when they catch the light while turning gently in the faint breeze. 

A happy memory of a loved one appears in your mind.

You are gently held by the earth beneath you. You feel content and comfortable. 

Here in this place, you focus on what you feel in this moment.

The chirping birds, the buzzing insects and the gentle sound of the leaves dancing above and around you. It calms you and you close your eyes again. 

There are no demands on you here, and you give in to sleep. 

How did you feel reading this short meditation? 

Did your mind travel elsewhere? 

Did your body relax?

Take care of yourself as you go through this weekend. Remember that your life matters and there is only one you. Life is precious.

My name is Lizzy. I’m a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

If you like reading my posts, then please follow me.

For more about me: www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com

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