Bringing nature inside with meditation and photography
Zoa Conner, Wellness Lifestyle expert, and I have teamed up to share a series of articles on bringing the wellness benefits of nature inside with guided meditation by Zoa and nature images from me. We invite you to experience the wellness of Mother Nature by bringing her inside your hearts, your mind, your body, and your spaces through meditation and landscape photography.
This month's piece titled: Spring Meditation, was originally published March 13, 2021 on the Zen and Vitality website.
Spring Meditation
Meditation about the renewal and rebirth associated with springtime empower us to make positive changes to our viewpoint and our lives. Winter is a season of rest for the Earth and for ourselves. We reserve energy for spring growth. Seeds lie underground waiting for the warmth and light that spring brings. When the time is right, the seeds emerge into the light and grow into the beauty of nature.
One of the audio meditation recordings available in Zoa’s Monthly Meditation Membership for March is entitled “Cave to Light”. This meditation is about stepping out of your cave and into the light to welcome spring. It is a mantra, so the same phrase will be repeated many times. Mantras encourage you to think the phrase enough times to believe in its truth. Mantras create change and encourage growth of our mind, our brain, our mood, and our lives!
Cave to Light • Mantra for Spring
Find yourself in a comfortable sitting place. As you settle into your position, wiggle around a bit. Move your neck a bit. Move your spine a bit. Maybe circle your arms. As you get comfortable, create a little rocking motion. You just want to create some stimulation to the body, stimulation to the mind. Every time we rock, we hear pebbles swishing and swirling across each other. When we stop rocking, we are quiet and focused on the mantra:
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Go ahead and rock. It could be the knees swaying side to side. It could be the spine rocking side to side. It could be just the hands making a circle. Maybe it’s just a smile coming to your face.
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Stimulate the body. Create some energy. Like a seed getting ready to explode from the soil. The coming of spring.
Today, I step out of my cave and into the light. Today, I step out of my cave and into the light. Today, I step out of my cave and into the light.
Meditation helps us connect to nature, the Earth, and the Universe. Nature inspires, nurtures, and challenges us. When we can not be present in nature in the way we need or desire, photography brings nature inside. Many activities have a meditative quality: washing dishes, rocking a baby, hiking, cloud watching, and gazing at a beautiful nature photo.
Whispers From Nature by Kent Burkhardsmeier
This month’s featured photo, Grand Clouds, and poem, shining through, come from the book Stillness: Whispers From Nature. In Grand Clouds, the rocks emerge out of the clouds and into the light! Grand Clouds speaks directly to your mind and generates emotions, memories, and inspiration! Sometimes those words form a poem, such as shining through.
While preparing yourself for meditation, focus your gaze on the image, and enter into nature. Feel the warmth of the sunshine build within you. Listen to the whispers from nature. Meditation brings warmth and nourishment to your mind, as the rays of sunshine melt winter snow, spawning renewal and rebirth of springtime in nature.
Kent's photograph and poem will inspire your meditations! After stepping into the light, let your springtime shine through.
shining through
dignity and splendor seek to shine,
a dusting of doubt cannot obstruct the radiance of wonder,
comforts of warmth melt away that which shrouds the grandeur from shining through for us to marvel
For more meditation guidance from Zoa become a Monthly Meditation Member.
For more landscape images and poetry purchase one of Kent's books. Purchase wall art to bring the wellness benefits of nature inside.