14th January, 2015
Almanac ...
Rooster Call :
A few inches of snow at Carrowcrory that is forecasted to wash away at lunchtime. Not feeling great this morning, not even to build a snowman, so a rest day for me and wallow in these weather changes and beauty.
Wishing you a day of joyful moments..
Weather :
The few inches of snow and freezing start at Carrowcrory, about to change. A bit warmer, 7C, 46F this afternoon and evening looks like bringing in heavy rain to wash the snow away then very strong wind. Snow showers forecast now changed, though, as it looks like no more snow until Saturday. Then a cold blast that looks like hanging around until after Brighid's Day and Imbolc, when there may be some more snow showers, though also clear sunny spells too ...
Moon :
30% waning moon .... at Carrowcrory, Ireland ... sets 12:13 am, rises 03:14 am (15th)
sunrise 8:45 am, sunset 4:39 pm
News ...
Stress Relief :
Mindfulness sells millions of books
There is a lot of very welcome focus on mental health, at present. It is so important to remove stigmas that have been aligned to it, as I think most of us agree with that.
The concept of what is now called 'Mindfulness' is very, very simple, and something that should be instinctive, but somehow it seems to have been discouraged from us.
The simplicity I like to explain is that is is about trusting in 'presence' trusting in every present moment.
Our mind focused on the past is challenged and tormented by concerns and guilt which we call 'baggage' and it seems to corrupt our esteem, so why do it?
Our mind focused on the future dabbles with fear and anxiety. Our management of this we tend to call 'control' and it causes us to become islands rather then be integrated with anything, especially sharing love. It falls into what John Lennon said 'life is what happens while we are busy making other plans".
The guidance of 'mindfulness' is said to be the realm of clinical psychologists who tell me is not a simple as I explain. These people are part of teams that aid people of mental illness, and this is not simple. Their work is dedicated servitude ... but I am convinced this thing called 'mindfulness' is as simple add on to their work as changing the sheets and making a bed for a patient.
So, I find myself somewhat boggled by the idea of reading books about 'mindfulness' ???
To me it gives a sort of picture of toddlers reading books about potty training.
I suppose many of us have entered lives where we seem to have been expelled from the present and even feel its an undeserved luxury to spend time there. We seem to be educated and primed into serving the future needs and past reflection of others.
Personally, I have two 'environments' where I find I switch automatically into this 'mindfulness' lark. Actually, I do not like the 'mindfulness' word but the word 'presence', or to extend it to 'presence of love'.
These are being immersed in a woodland, and the other in the tree labyrinth we have here, which seems to work very well for helping people release their past and future shackles and immerse in the presence, and love present.
There is a third 'environment' but as this is a family friendly blog, I will move on ...
Seashores I find are great too, and being on a boat on water. Some people find being up mountains serves this well.
One environment that does not work for me, though, is indoor reflections, such as meditation, yoga and music in a room or building. To me that excludes the flow of all that wonderful nature orchestra. For some people, indoor meditation and yoga is for them due to controlled conditions such as temperature, light and sounds.
I just don't like my presence to be 'controlled', I suppose. I want my senses to be alert and synchronized to all that is around without conditions, expectations or according to someone else's interpretation of a 'sacred' environment..
Each person has to find their space where they find they can switch to the present instantly. By doing so all stress goes away, depression goes away, loneliness goes away, there's just nothing 'wrong' with anything. Think of how much mental health could be sorted by that? Drugs, alcohol, pornography etc. just cannot do this.
But this idea of books on 'Mindfulness', and how they are best sellers
... I just don't get it ???
Perhaps, I do 'get it' - People need this thing they call 'Mindfulness' but I feel saddened that people feel books are the way to this rather than enjoying the company of some guides and exploring some spaces personally.
The voice of a guide may sometimes be that very thing, that jump start, that awakening, we need to return us to the natural and human instinctive condition of 'presence' that we suppress for all kinds of self sabotage reasons.
Sustainable Living :
Eco Eye film on the Economic Value of Nature
Anja Murray, the presenter this time as Duncan Stewart is taking a back seat.
Anja does a great job here exploring the issue of putting a price tag on nature. She asks how we would cope if we did not have the free ecological services that the natural world provides us with.
I'm not sure of that man, near the end, who digs up trees on bogland, saying the trees are 'not natural'. If a bird or animal drops a seed and it becomes a tree it IS natural. Leave the trees alone, man! If that tree becomes a wood on what was once bog, all the better for us.
Carrowcrory Cottage :
Our first snow this winter
Yes, we had snow arrive yesterday in small showers, and it gave us a thin layer of snow. So I loaded a few pics of that, around Carrowcrory.
I wake up this morning and its a few inches now, and took more pics, though they are grainy as they were taken before sunrise, but shows the atmosphere for here.
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