May Meditation: Plant Your Garden

It's a time to reconnect to the earth to yourself. I remind you as you enter a state of stillness to simply breathe. How blessed are we to breathe to live. So feel it. Feel the sensations of those breaths. Feel how your body responds to each and every breath. Feel your clothing brushing up against your skin. As your chest rises and falls, feel your ribcage open expand as you breathe in to allow your lungs to fill with precious air.
Feel the release as you exhale. Become hyper aware of what you are experiencing in this moment. Breathe in the fresh spring air smell deeply the Earth, the web. Whatever grows around you. It's time to let go.

We begin by envisioning a path a path that leads to the garden I see my path leading to my garden with emerging crocus's daffodils, purples and yellows. I am so aware that soon tulips will blossom. As I approach my tasks today, as we approach this day I am aware that I am fully rewarded for my past efforts. The task of planting quorums in the fall now yields the first blossoms of spring. I am grateful. This is a moment of joy I have planned for a moment I have dreamed of around me the air is rich, moist, earthy, full of promise. Indeed, the season is here. Today I am here to prepare my personal oasis, my summer garden. I approach this task with reference. I am choosing today how I want to feel this summer. And it is truly astonishing and amazing act to dig into the earth and bring forth beauty.

A poet Jorge Luis Borge said you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. So it is time I invest for my garden. And so I bend my back. I get down on my knees I get my hands dirty. And I build my roads on today. Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain. And gardening as in life perfection is enough. Not every planting works, I learned the hard way not to plant my cucumbers by the basil. They're delicious together and refreshing and a summer drink, but not good neighbors. Planting the butterfly weed next to the impatience drowned one and absolutely devastated the other.

But now today, these little tales of defeat, become comic antidotes. I share my stories with my fellow gardeners and we laugh. We have all made mistakes, some things only get learned by living. I always wonder what is it? I think today that is just plain wrong. What is today his flat earth theory? And when will I understand? How will I change my mind? What I am planting today might not grow. And then I remember when I realized the world was spinning madly through space, did I not still feel the ground beneath my feet? Is it okay to examine beliefs? Is it okay to let go to change?

My feet are still on the ground. I take control of what I can I plan my garden. This is indeed taken care of myself. I have learned not everything I try works. And now in the spring, it is time to let go of the things that no longer serve us. It is time to create new habits and time all paths become overgrown. I will let them I plant new seeds in the barren areas. I let the places where I once walked become opportunities for new growth. I remove the weeds. I dig into the soil. I plant I arrange rocks. I fertilize. I plan as I go. This is work but I am prepared for it. I want to decorate my soul restoring a sense of balance to this little corner of the world that makes me feel whole, complete, connected at peace.

It is time to plant your garden and to decorate your own soul. Whatever our journey, let your journey be clear. Be open and willing to make the simple changes or the complex changes necessary to move forward. It is time to let go of that which you do not need to feel your body to connect body, mind and spirit. It is time to plant your garden. Don't be afraid of the work because we are all worth it. I leave you with this simple thought. Let's choose to be better today than yesterday. And far better tomorrow than today, I plan to move forward. One step at a time. Be one with yourself. Trust in all that you have learned - reconnecting to body, mind and spirit. Allow yourself to just bask in this moment of power and stillness to allow your thoughts to be yours to simply breathe. Peace.