Village of Scarpia in Valle d’Otro, Alagna Valsesia, Piemonte, Italy

 

How many times do we just STOP?

Really stop?

Stop and breathe, deeply.

Really open our eyes and take in what we can see around us. Smell the air, hear the faraway sounds. Feel the temperature on the hairs of our skin. Feel our physical presence in this moment. Be, fully, really truly, in this moment. Feeling this snapshot of aliveness.

I rarely feel as present and grounded and in my body as I do when I am in my favorite place in the whole world: Valle d’Otro in Piemonte in the Italian alps (more on this magical place in future posts). Here Time slows down and right now, as I write these words, it has stood still. I am in complete Stillness and it is deeply healing.

The only sounds in this moment are the faraway gurgling of the river’s running water and distant waterfalls. Continuous soothing vibration, caressing my ears and finally calming my nervous system deeply. I can feel my whole body slowing down, my active ‘monkey’ mind finally coming to a standstill, in awe of this moment.

My breathing has naturally become deeper and slower, and it as if I am being cradled by my own breath and Being. Embraced by my Soul. And I feel myself opening up and falling in love with nature and my True Nature all over again…

I am in love with this Moment Right Now and this brings tears of gratitude to my eyes. In love with the pure simplicity of this moment, with no need of anything, fully content with things exactly as they are.

TRY IT:

Whatever is going on for you right now, whatever the circumstances or place you find yourself in, this Universal Stillness is available to you if you wish to access it. Simply Stop. For real. Put everything away: phones, to do lists etc. Breathe, deeply, slowing down the outbreath. Fully observe the world around you with all your senses, noticing and letting go of the background analysis and judgment that your mind will naturally want to engage with. And just take it all in, the sights, sounds, smells, touch, as if experiencing it for the first time, like a small child.

Here in this place, in this fleeting second, you will find your true freedom. And the more often you taste this, the easier it will be to drop into this state, at will.

My adventure today was re-visiting with my Tree Friends in the little wood right near our flat just outside Frankfurt, Germany. I had been absent after 10 days away in the UK, followed by a ‘clearing’ flu, and today Spring was in full bloom, the sun shining strong, the breeze calling to me…

So after my morning meditation and energy work, feeling re-fuelled, off I went to reconnect with nature and myself. At the same time I decided to finally start the 30 day Re-Wilding Challenge (http://rewildyourlife.com), and the theme for Day 1 was to Free Myself and set an intention for the next 30 days of reconnecting with the natural world. And that was exactly my intention – Reconnecting with Presence and allowing myself to be nurtured by Mother Earth.

Along my path to the wood, I passed bright yellow fields of rapeseed, glowing in the sun, opening my heart to the full beauty of Spring having finally arrived.

As I approached the wood, the trees started swaying in the breeze, and I got the distinct feeling they were excited to see me! It dawned on me that they may have missed me too… and as I started walking down the path embraced by the abundant foliage that had seemingly grown overnight, I realised: these trees are my friends! Whenever I feel lonely in this new country, I can come and be with the trees and feel held and loved.

And as I walked down the path, an incredible beauty filled my eyes…a thick carpet of white wildflowers had bloomed in my absence and covered the whole ground at the foot of the trees…it was stunning!

 

In my latest visit to the UK I had been reminded of how much I would miss the uniquely English bluebells in the woods, and, as I often fall in the trap of doing, I had been comparing once more the UK to Germany, with rose-tinted glasses for the country I had left behind, already nostalgic for the bluebells I would NOT be seeing back in Germany…. When here my eyes were being suddenly gifted with a whole other flower and scent in this German woodland. And I got the message…

When we remain attached to what we have left behind, we miss seeing what is New, right in front of us, and we deprive ourselves of new gifts and unexpected beauty…

I feel this new land seducing me, inviting me to feel at home here, and with the gorgeousness of Summer beckoning, I suddenly do not feeling like travelling away so much… I think I am starting to feel at Home…