If you need an ambient background for your meditation (silence is oppressive to some people) I would like to suggest this collection of Japanese flute melodies, accompanied by a harp. It put me in the mind of the cherry blossoms that I forced this week. They don’t bloom as big or as boisterously as when they come into their own naturally outside, but even the smaller and more delicate blooms are appreciated at this point. We are desperate for spring, and the sooner it arrives, the better. If that means a little nudging and coaxing, such as with these forced blooms, so be it.
As another week gets underway, and Sunday can be seen as both an ending and a beginning, I lower myself onto the floor, cross my legs beneath me in lotus-fashion, and begin the daily meditation. May the calm and serenity I find here work its way well into the week, providing a sanctuary and repository of peace and tranquility when the work waters swell and the storm clouds gather.
Creating such a space, and time and place, may feel fleeting and temporal at first, until you realize you can access it at those times that aren’t peaceful and calm. A few deep breaths, when practiced and collated with moments of serenity, can remind the body and the mind of what that feels like, recalling the memories of sanctuary like pleasant echoes of a sweet melody.
“The most precious gift we can give anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
