Greetings, dear Sunny Buddies,
The change in the season is very much upon us here in Scotland. You can feel that inexorable slowing down in preparation for the winter to come. I appreciate that nearly all the leaves have fallen now. And, as the image above shows, the sun has a beautiful translucent quality that reflects the dimming of its warmth.
I so love this time of year when the chilliness is quite visceral. There is a whisper in the air to begin preparations for our retreat space where we can be cosy during the wintertime. To feather our inner nest ready for Winter Dreaming, that precious time of spaciousness when we take the opportunity to reflect and renew.
I wonder, do you sense this too?
The Constancy of Nature’s Cycles
It gives me such satisfaction to highlight the seasonal cycles here at The Sunny Optimist. The seasons are steadfastly predictable—each with myriad variations in textures, colours, sights and sounds.
One of the ways I like to do this is to share my recording of each month’s guided visualisation from Meditations through the Year (Nature’s Cycles of the Seasons in Guided Visualisations) by Dorothea Breitzter-Kings. It is a delightful little book. Dorothea’s writing comes from a deep appreciation of, and love for, the natural world. Her words have a lyrical quality and simplicity that makes it easy to be carried along by her imagery.
In the introduction to the book Dorothea says:
‘‘By tuning into the cycles of that pulsating, ever self-renewing, inconceivably eternal life energy, we can draw closer, and learn to touch the self-renewing, the immortal within ourselves.’
I find these words powerful and energising. We can sometimes forget in our everyday lives that there is ‘eternal life energy’ available to us. So many of our current challenges and concerns can take us away from this present moment focus. Reaching into that ‘pulsating ever-renewing power of life’ is a simple yet profound way to sustain our optimism and wellbeing.
Dorothea calls the November visualisation ‘The Stream’. In it, she takes us on a journey through the life cycle of water. Starting from the source, we, as the water, bubble up from the ground to form a stream.
Then, we merge with other streams to become a river that flows out to the ocean. Dorothea helps us visualise what it is like to be both a droplet of water and the totality of the ocean. She captures what it is like to be buffeted as a wave on the shore. Or to be the slow and steady pulse out in mid-ocean.
She then lets us evaporate and rise to join the clouds that take us back to the land. Here we fall as rain that goes down deep into the ground, ready, in time, to begin the cycle again.
Just lovely. I hope you enjoy it. Click here or on the image above to listen.
Questions for this Week
And so, the questions I offer you this week are:
Do you have a special place where you like to retreat?
What does the life cycle of water offer as a metaphor for your life?
How are you sharing your ‘ever-renewing gifts’ for the good of all?
As always, I would love to hear from you.
Ann
I’m in such gratitude for this: how you’ve drawn us into the coziness of this season and then invited us, with your gentle, enveloping guided imagery and music, to flow in the lifecycle of water. So profoundly comforting and freeing at once!! Thank you for such rich and nurturing spirit paths you provide. I’ve needed this so much, Ann, truly you are a gift, dear one. 🙏🏼♥️
Kind thoughts Ann
I’ve found great solace in music at times of difficulty. Tonight I’ve been listening to the Sixth symphony of Howard Hanson but for autumnal colours I might turn to Sir Arnold Bax with his glorious symphonies that might seem to portray colossal landscapes of stunning brightness to bring hope and elation to the soul. Yes I completely relate to finding a cosy comfort in Autumn I think it’s about allowing oneself that comfort. So important. And yes the year really can get better as it goes on
Wishing you peaceful well being and songs of happiness. Kindest thoughts. Richard x