Clouds

I am up north this weekend at my country home with my boyfriend. In the afternoon I decided to go out to the dock, lie down on my back and look up at the clouds. I realized that I have never 'really' looked at clouds.

I always thought that clouds move in puffs or bunches across the sky. When I looked today, it was like cotton candy being pulled apart or cotton padding that was being pulled and torn. It was awesome. Something so simple, when I paid attention was awe inspiring and truly fulfilling.

The more I slow down and be in the moment, the more I enjoy and feel a sense of calm and inner peace!

Ekhart Tolle and Oprah

Ekhart, in his new book, The New Earth, talks about the benefit of not labeling items. He says that being open minded about people and things that you see allow you to be curious and to truly explore it without reverting to beliefs you have from the past.

In listening to Sonia Ricotti's interview of Denise Marek on 'Inner Peace and Happiness", Sonia talks about how being in nature gives her a sense of inner peace.

This week, when a client of mine came to the office to see me, she complained of feeling very high anxiety and couldn't find a way to reduce the level of anxiety. Spontaneously, I decided to take her outside. At first we looked at an evergreen bush and I asked to tell me what she sees. Then I asked her to notice the warmth of the sun on her back and the feel of the wind on her face. Next, I decided to go to a flower shop next door and spent about 2 minutes asking her to describe the beauty of the flowers, white on top, verigated purple on the back, yellow centres with brown dots.

This excercise took less than 10 minutes and my client reported her anxiety diminished by 50% and now at a manageable level. Her anxiety put her in a state of resistance - I shouldn't be here, and trying to get to somplace else - in the future. Simply being in nature, allowed her to be in the present moment and allowed her to shift her focus and her anxiety.