A few days ago, visiting Denver’s Botanic Gardens, I encountered my own version of William Blake’s “To see a World in a Grain of Sand / And a Heaven in a Wild Flower…”
I discovered the Universe in a frozen pond.
Leaves and other plant parts that had been blown into the pond during winter’s freeze cycles were beautifully preserved in ice and illuminated by the mid-day sun. Fascinated, I got down on my knees and spent the better part of an hour losing myself in that microcosm of a solar system.
My heart whispered, “Pay attention, Martha!”
Why did the ice and the beauty it captured feel so meaningful?
We all go through periods where we feel frozen and immobilized, unable to shift our habitual thought patterns, behaviors that don’t serve us, or how we are showing up in our relationships or in the world at large. We want to move, to take action, to feel more alive. But we’re stuck.
We feel like a fragile leaf skeleton trapped in an icy cage.
My broader perspective as the Observer of the landscape allowed me to notice thawing at the human-made pond’s concrete edges. Not only could I see the whole picture of Nature’s temporary states (frozen ponds will invariably thaw as the seasons change), I could also see the exquisite beauty of the leaf shining through the ice.
Upon closer observation, I noticed that the leaf wasn’t completely frozen after all. My macro lens allowed me to see swirls of water beneath and around it, and even tiny organisms swimming in that chilly bath. The more time I spent focusing my attention on the leaf, the more movement I could see.
That ice wasn’t as thick as it appeared to be at first glance.
And again the question: why was I so captivated?
I realized it was because the work my clients have been doing in our morning meditation programs and Mental Fitness coaching groups has sparked the type of transformation that was happening right before my eyes at the edge of that frozen pond.
By honing their Observer mind skills to broaden perspective, taking in all that is truly happening in the present moment (not just the stories their inner saboteurs are telling them), and strengthening the mental fitness muscles that enable skillful and laser-focused action when needed, our community is thawing whatever ice has been hindering forward movement.
It’s such a joy to witness the growth, transformation, and connection that our participants experience. I’ve never been happier in my work and feel utterly privileged to accompany people on this journey.
Interested in thawing whatever is getting in the way of ease and flow in your life?
My next 15-Day Meditation Refresh session kicks off in April. Learn more and register here.
If you’d like to be added to my “interested” list for PQ® Mental Fitness training, sign up here.
