Smoke and Light
Melting the ice of our stress, with the sunshine of our awareness
Guide me with your light
Take me through today
I’m tired and losing sight
Might you light the way
Lemn Sissay
In Search of Glimmers of Gold
The light of the morning sun welcomes me into a new day. A golden horizon lights up the sky, and clouds shimmer with bright golden edges. The glimmering light ripples across the surface of the water, as if sprinkling glitter back up into the sky, like stars.
I breathe in the light, the beauty, and let it sparkle in my heart, filling my entire being with the light of the natural world. These are the precious moments that I hold on to and carry with me through my day.
The stillness of the mornings in Greece, provided me with a moment to pause, breath, and be. To find space, clarity and peace. The light, the warmth, the beautiful colours melted my heart and brought me home to myself.
As I reflect back on my time teaching in Greece, I remember how I sought out the golden moments, the glimmers that lifted my heart, the warmth of friendship, kindness and connection. It was nature that provided me with the magic and wonder I needed. Now in the middle of a grey, wet winter, I am missing my friends of the sun, sky and sea, the swallows that danced across the sky, and the beautiful flowers that brought me such joy.
All of this was only possible because of the sun, the fire energy that melted the ice of my fear and sadness, softening my heart, and soothing my soul.
Fire creates smoke and light, helping us see the shadows of our stress and the grey, soft, mist of our mind. It offers us the light, and an opportunity to transform and heal, so that we can move forwards and begin to radiate our own light.
Melting the ice
In the winter months, I am teaching about connecting with the element of water, to help us find the gentle spring within, and begin to flow more easily through life (see my post “Flowing like water”). But we need the light, the fire element, the warmth of the sun to melt the ice of our stress and lead us back home to ourselves.
This true home within ourselves is a clear and calm space, a place of freedom beyond our worries and concerns. It’s full of unconditional love that understands our burdens, compassion to see us through the dark times, and wisdom that knows exactly what to do to help.
But how do we get there?
Lighting our way home
We start with mindfulness, our spark, our lantern, our light, it opens a door to help us see the unseen and guide us softly back home.
Mindfulness can help us rest into a quiet stillness, connect with the softness of our breath, and feel into our body and the sensations we experience.
With soft mindful awareness we can notice our thoughts, watch our memories, see ideas form, and let it all flow without hesitation, without holding on or pushing away.
We just rest with ourself and the unseen, allowing emotions to flow through the body like waves. We do this without judgement, fear or criticism, instead we offer kindness, compassion and understanding. We rest into a space of observation, so that we can experience a new way of being, and a new way of seeing our inner world.
It may take time to develop these skills, but with practise, we can use the sunshine of our awareness to understand ourselves better, to be kinder to our feelings, and to transform those difficult experiences into a guide that can show us the way back to light, space, and clarity.
This is where the gold is, hidden deep within us, and when we discover this newly found treasure, we realise that we are rich beyond measure.
Taking time to find the gold
Can you take time to search for glimmers of gold, using your mindful awareness as a light to guide your way?
What could you look out for today that would soften your heart and bring you back home to your true self?
It may start, as it did for me in Greece, with looking for sparkles of light on water, or the golden light of the sunrise, or perhaps you will find it when you stop and notice the birds, the flowers, and nature around you.
Maybe you would like to take a moment to tune inwards, to listen to your body and be kind to your mind, if so, you may like to try the guided mindful meditations in my post New Beginnings.
May these offer you a light in the darkness, a lantern to guide your way, and a little spark to start you on your journey back home.
If you would like to discover more ways to be mindful, please visit my website:
https://createharmony.co.uk/learn-mindfulness/
Looking for the "glimmers of gold" - they are there if we keep our eyes and hearts open. A beautiful invitation and a most vivid, picturesque essay. Thank you.
Such a lovely gentle invitation