The Quality of Your Life...

One snowy night, I gently slipped into a yoga studio, taking my place sitting in a circle with ten women for a practice of meditation. I felt brave. I had never done this before. We were instructed to grab a pillow and a blanket or two, whatever would make us most comfortable. We sat side by side in assorted configurations, legs crossed and spread out, a few feet between us. The curve of the circle embraced women of all ages. Our instructor, Janet, took us slowly through the process, the sound of her voice gentle and quiet. Sighs could be heard around the circle as shoulders dropped as softly as raindrops on a tender grassy meadow in spring. We absorbed the moment gratefully. Tension carried in from the day drifted above and beyond us as Janet faintly spoke these words…

"The quality of your life is determined by the focus of your attention"

She repeated.
"The quality of your life is determined by the focus of your attention"

“Inhale…slowly….exhale slowly”

What janet said next has stayed with me all these years.

It’s ok if your mind can’t be still, the chatter that pervades one’s quiet moments is ok.
It's normal.
You deal with it. You are in charge, not the chatter.

The experience was relaxing, centering... and healing. It will always be with me.
"The quality of your life is determined by the focus of your attention"

inhale... slowly... exhale...slowly

Jeanne xx


PS…
The story behind the photo...a little bit of magic. I see this boulder in the far distance of our field from our kitchen window. When it snows, I find it odd that one patch is always without snow. One day I decided to investigate. I did and admit I am not closer to an answer. A mystery to me and a beautiful one. My first thought was that it looked like an angel in flight. I will continue to ponder this for some time...and will smile from my kitchen window as I do.

"The quality of your life is determined by the focus of your attention"
Cheri Huber