Go Outside!

It is only 9:00 a.m. and so far everything I have taken up is offering me a resounding cry to “Go Outside!” The almanac of rituals I follow invited me on this first new moon of the summer into a practice of ‘forest bathing’. The idea is to leave all social media and other distractions behind and immerse oneself in a forested area, taking in the sights and sounds and scents. “I live near the forest,” I thought to myself. I could make this happen. Another journaling workbook offered a quote from Carl Sagan - “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” The invitation here is to go outside at night, look into the vastness of the universe, make a wish and then write about it. If I plan my evening well enough, this has potential also!

But . . . today is work day. I have a ZOOM meeting this morning and eight hours ahead of me serving local women in places of change and transition. There is no time for a walk in the local state park and by the time the night sky presents itself I am likely to be ready for sleep. I could abandon all efforts to “Go outside!” or, with a modicum of creativity, answer the call. Today I chose the latter.

I grabbed my yogurt and fruit and pulled up a chair on the back porch, positioning myself so that I could view the yard. The trees have all leafed out in a brilliant green; the bright white flowers of a Kousa dogwood against this backdrop are stunning. There are soft pink roses and sunshine yellow lilies in bloom. The birds are darting about; a hummingbird overhead stopping by the feeder and then whizzing off into the pines. I am awash in what this outside space holds, taking a little more time to drink it all in. My breathing slows as a gentle smile appears on my lips. I am at peace in these surroundings.

I sat for a morning meditation in the usual quiet room, perched on my pillows, facing the east. The windows are flung wide to welcome the cool morning air. There is a symphony performing its magic just beyond me. So many participants in the song! I focus in on the sounds, allowing them to sing for me; to bathe me in this chorus of life. Slowly I am drawn in to their web of delight. I remain beyond the chime on my meditation app, the soothing experience setting a tone for the day.

Maybe I will take my lunch break at the little bistro table outside the office; wish upon the star-filled darkness before I rest. The point is that there is always more time than I think there is; that taking the time actually seems to make more time in the day. When I confine my world to the respite of my home or tie myself to the desk at work, no matter how fulfilling these locations can be, I limit the breadth and depth of my existence. Opening to these spaces just beyond the norm feeds my soul in other ways that are missing in the usual course of the journey. Accepting the invitation brings balance on this path.

So, I invite you now to, “Go outside!” on this summer day; to drink in all that awaits you, quenching your thirst for balance. May you know the peace of your surroundings in all their fullness. Blessed be the journey.