Beneath My Feet

The rising and falling of the tidal water is like the earth taking a giant sea breath. Ever so slowly... drawing in ... then holding.  It calms the planet and settles its waves.  In letting go, it washes away the marks  etched in the sands of time.  ~ Cecile Miller I loved to etch simple but extensive designs in the sand when the tide was out and the beach became a very very wide canvas. But, it was also so very very hot! Playa Palo Seco near Parrita  in Costa Rica, 2014.

 I'm loving my first 'new' cushy yoga matt! April 2021 "Your body has been breathing itself since the moment you were born. Your next breath will be unique and new to any breath you've ever had before in time." ~Peter Daishin Renner One thing that I love about yoga and meditation practice is focus on the breath. It is one of many bodily functions that happens involuntarily, but one that we can also control!  Breath is so important as it carries oxygen to our cells. We can go several days without food or fluids, but only minutes without breath. Yoga and other physical activities like swimming remind us of our breath.   One method of meditating is to simply focus on slow deep breathing, which can also calm us. Paying close attention to the breath sounds simple, but is not easy. Because, the tendency is for the mind to get lost and distracted by all the monkeys chattering in there! Inhale, exhale. This post is dedicated to Annette, and the other yoga instructors...

Crocuses and busy bees at Cranberry Flats Conservation Area, near Saskatoon. April 2021 We all go through periods where we don't feel productive, can’t make anything, or feel creative. It might even be true that we are procrastinating some, or a lot. I like to call it my 'incubation' period when creative ideas are percolating. Recognize that there are dormant periods in nature, too. "There are things happening under the soil, buds or blossoms that are set, but not opening yet." ~Ingrid Fetell Lee  Last week, with a recent snowfall just melted, friends took us for a hike at Cranberry Flats. We enjoyed it so much we returned today. Nature unseen had been at work. We were surprised and delighted that the sun-bathed hills were now sprinkled with blooming crocuses! The bees were enjoying them too!

Koh Lak, Thailand. March 2016 I was startled to feel something brush against my foot. A cat emerged from under our table and I noticed it was carrying something dangling from its mouth. My mind skipped to some not-so-appetizing thoughts about what the cat might have found and nabbed running around the kitchen!  ( We were having lunch in a cliff side café with a stunning tropical view.) Curiously, a  short while later, the cat came back following the same path under our table, again, carrying something. This repeated several more times until we finally realized what she was carrying -- her new born kittens! When leaving the restaurant, we could hear faint sounds of meowing behind the kitchen. The owners welcomed us to take a peek; they were as delighted as we were to discover they had tiny feline guests. We climbed the many grueling steps daily, but were thrilled to visit these bundles of cuteness and watch them grow under the loving care of their mamma.  Spring is a ...