It’s 8 a.m. on a steamy summer morning; tufts of white clouds lackadaisically drift across the parched blue sky, water lazily laps the shore. Gulls nap in nearby dunes, reluctant to move in the morning heat.
My two trusty 4-legged companions and I move at our usual brisk pace, which is the habit for these early morning jaunts on the beach. They tug at me, wanting to move on to the next enticing seaside scent. But I slow, holding back to explore the sand at my feet, looking for the next treasure: a delicate little shell, a colorful smooth piece of sea glass, a small heart-shaped rock (a sign from my Angels), or a perfect little feather.
The Treasure Search Ritual
This treasure-search ritual has long been a part of my life. I always return home with one or two trinkets to place on the shelf. My beloved Craig always teased, asking, “When will you have enough?” to which I replied, “Never!”
Now, dragonflies flutter and circle, vying for my attention as dogs continue to tug. I glance at the horizon and witness a pod of dolphins gracefully dancing offshore. I am momentarily suspended in time, lost in a deep reverence for the magnificent beauty surrounding me.
There are treasures found everywhere, some huge in sunset vistas, some tiny in the palm of your hand. Some you place on the shelf, others you tuck into your heart.
Love Is Everywhere
I find myself joyfully skipping and jumping with my 4-legged friends as my heart opens. I chant a little tune of gratitude:
There is so much magnificence
Peter Makena
Near the ocean
Waves are coming in
Waves are coming in …
Love is everywhere, fully feeling the wonders of life, like in the salty sea air that fills my nostrils. We experience this love while witnessing the dolphins dancing and the dragonflies flitting about. We feel love’s essence while hearing the chirping of the wren or the cry of the mourning dove.
Love stops to watch the dandelion dancing in the wind, sending her seeds in all directions. It moves like the graceful oak that sways with the ocean breeze.
Love is the recognition of our Oneness: one energy, one soul throbbing, pulsing, inviting us into this amazing dance of Love.
Around us, life bursts with miracles — a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Love is everywhere. Can you be aware enough to experience it? Can you stop at this moment and feel, see, and hear it all around you?
Love’s Awareness Practice: The Treasure Hunt
The spiritual concept of love is not a feeling or emotion. It is a state of awareness.
Anthon St. Maarten
This simple practice brings us into Presence; from this space, we more clearly see the precious treasures surrounding us daily. As you move through each step, keep your awareness on what you see, smell, hear, and feel. This is how we grow blessings.
So, get comfortable, find yourself in a safe space with little or no distractions, and have water, your journal, and your pen near you.
Breathe: (https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/about/teachings/breath-work-beginner-embodiment-exercise/) Hold in your hand one small treasure, perhaps a stone or crystal or a photo of someone you love. As you breathe in, feel the energy of the object. Do this several times while softly chanting this prayer:
Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Breathing in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful Movement: Take a slow, mindful walk in nature, noticing what you see, hear, and smell. Keep your awareness on the breath, and notice how the air feels against your skin. Just notice, nothing more.
You walk as if you kiss the earth with your feet, as if you massage the earth with your feet. There is a lot of love in that practice of walking meditation.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Body Awareness: A mindful meditation teaches us to be present with our body and the physical sensations within. Notice each part of the body: feet and toes, legs, belly, chest and heart, spine, arms, hands and fingers, shoulders, neck and throat, mouth, jaw, nose, ears, eyes, and the top of the head. When you notice a particular sensation, stop and breathe into that feeling. Gently ask yourself, can I allow this to be here now? Watch your reply.
Body awareness guided meditation audio: https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Body-Awareness-20221216.mp3
Self-Inquiry Journaling: (https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/self-inquiry-journaling/) Take time to reflect on what you feel right now. Ask: What treasures did I discover?
Life is the sacred mystery singing to itself, dancing to its drum, telling tales, improvising, playing.
Manitongquat