“If I go for too long without delight, I lose my sense of placement in the world. I start to believe I am small.” – Christine Kane
So…the experiment. Today I visited my absolute favorite local nursery, Home Grown Gardens, in Corvallis, Oregon. My love for “growing things” sends me into realms of delight, so it was here that I experimented with staying aware of the quality of my breath, the thoughts and feelings that passed through, and the sensations in my body – exploring this world of live, growing, sense stimulating plants, flowers, trees, art pieces, and a few people scattered here and there.
What happens when we are in environments that delight us? We become more alive and vibrant, our bodies relax, we see more clearly, creativity often opens, the corners of our mouths turn up, and yes – our breath opens and expands.
The hour that I spent at Home Grown Gardens was like a massage of the creative soul. I delighted in just walking the paths of the gardens, passing from one mini-environment to another, interacting with the owner Jeff who classifies himself as “just the plant man”, meeting Carrie – artistic plant/flower nurturer & placement specialist (and nursing student on break), taking pictures of whatever delighted me, and purchasing a deep reddish/purple pot for a home plant that needed more “room to breath” and a delicious chocolate-mint geranium (YES! it does smell like that).
NOW, make a list of what delights you. You might be surprised at the things that appear on your list! Then take one and do it this week. Breathe with Delight….
Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting
BREATHING SPACES 