just breathe.........

 

I was on a walk yesterday with my significant other (OK, most wonderful husband!) in a beautiful park. This park covers over several square miles and is full of wildlife, trails for horses, has at least five larger lakes in it; in short, it is a gem for our county to provide us with this. I was talking up a storm with my husband when I had to stop to take a breath. Just to our left was the most beautiful scene of the lake and next to the scene was a sign. It said, "listening spot." It encouraged all who passed by to just listen....to be in the moment. Had I not even stopped for breath, I would have missed that. So, I stopped...and listened. I heard several species of birds. I heard children who were splashing in the lake on the beach side. I heard the rustle of the leaves as the gentle breeze touched them. I heard my own heart beating. I squeezed my husband's hand and said, "isn't this wonderful?" The sky was so pretty, a deep blue, the intense green of the vegetation combined to make it memorable. Against the backdrop of the sky was a Great Snowy White egret and after that passed by, I saw a bald eagle, soaring on the breezes...going ever higher.

Had I not stopped to listen, I would have missed all that.

What do you miss when you don't stop? 

Take time today to stop...look and listen! Then...inhale deeply and just breathe. It is a known fact that we only use 10% of our total lung capacity. TEN percent! No wonder we are tired all the time and stressed out, our poor brains are deprived of life giving oxygen! It is like a mini vacation for our bodies. Just breathe, just BE in the moment. You will notice the improvement almost immediately. In the mornings, I take a cup of coffee outside. I sit on my porch and quietly watch the day begin. I hear birds and can identify many species just by their calls and chirps. I have squirrels that I feed regularly. Once a coyote came within twenty feet of me as I sat quietly. Another time I got to within inches of a baby fawn as it slowly came towards me, unaware that I was a human. 

You can either miss so much or see so much. Just take your time. Just breathe!