My Beautiful Sky
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Day 5  We break and we mend

24/9/2017

 
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I went for my walk on Sumner Beach today and as I was walking I collected fragments of 'sand dollars' (I wonder why they are called that?) and seaweed. I put them together to make a sand mandala with pentameral (fivefold) symmetry. Sand dollars naturally grow with pentameral symmetry, but it is rare to find one intact. They are so delicate that they are easily broken apart by the sea.

These beach mandalas are fun to create out of whatever you find. Though broken, the sand dollar fragments had a beauty of their own. I could see the inner workings – such intricate detail. Truly beautiful!

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I wondered about what medicine this mandala had for me - and I think it reminds me that though we may be broken, we can be put back together again. Also, in our brokenness there is a deeper beauty, rarely seen.

When the harshness of life leaves you feeling battered and bruised – even broken – remember that there is always a way to mend. It is part of life, the mending. It humbles us and teaches us how to be stronger.

We may be breakable, but we are mendable, too.

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These seaweed 'seedpods' are so delightful! Just a capsule and a frond and off they float into the ocean, hoping to land in a rock crevice, where they can take hold.

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Day 3  Go with the flow

22/9/2017

 
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The tide was fully out this morning when I did my walk and there were lots of patterns in the sand made by the flow of water. The water was just 'doing its thing' and leaving behind such beautiful markings. The beach was pretty empty as it had just been raining and it felt good just to walk and to 'be'. Just to see what I would see...
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... like this clump of shells thrown up from the seabed. And I've just noticed a couple of bird footprints on the left. Keeping to this walking, mindfulness practice gives me a real sense of spaciousness that lasts through the day. It is only for half an hour but it makes the rest of the day seem less pressured. I wonder why? Maybe it is because it give me time to be quiet and reflect.

I picked out a card from 'The Wisdom Oracle' deck yesterday and it was 'To the sea!' ~ well that told me (as if I didn't know already!) I knew it was time to start my beach walks again. But the card has another meaning: going with the flow. It reminds me to be patient, to keep on keeping on. Like the flow of the tide, I just need to do my thing. And so... another day of my practice. And oh do I feel good!

'Learn patience from the sea.
Never hurried, always making progress.'
~ Beautiful Sky


I hope you are having a wonderful day and looking forward to the weekend.

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Look after yourself as you transition

20/9/2017

 
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A crab mandala! Recently while walking along Sumner Beach I came across these crab shells all at the same time. They were undamaged and so it was clear that they had been shed by the crabs. It was quite unusual and made me wonder whether crabs have a moulting season? I don't know much about crab biology, but I do know that when they shed an old carapace, they are very vulnerable until the new carapace hardens.

It seems to me that as we learn, grow and change we will shed many layers or 'shells' of ourselves – and while we are doing this we need to take extra special care. When opening up, make sure those around you are nurturing types. Don't expose your soft, partially formed body to challenging or 'toxic' people (you know the ones). Be kind to yourself, too. Transitioning from old habits to new ones takes time – and patience. Even a habit like negative self-talk, which we KNOW is unhelpful, can take a while to change.


During such times of transition be like a crab and hide in the seaweed for a while – go on a retreat, meditate, walk in nature, or just make sure you take time every day for yourself. Feed yourself with things that lift you up and support you. Write a journal, keep a gratitude diary. Make space for these things while avoiding noise and bustle and negative people. You will be able to cope with them when you are feeling stronger. But for now, you need to look after you.

Connect with me on Instagram @mybeautifulskyphotos and Facebook. Namaste.


Look for open doors

19/7/2017

 
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'If a loved one closes the door on you, you have to respect it. If they did it out of pain – they need space. If they did it out of spite – they need even more space! But don't keep knocking. Life is short and there are plenty of open doors.' ~ BeautifulSky


Find your inner butterfly

25/1/2016

 
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"We all have a butterfly inside us. Transformation takes courage." ~ BeautifulSky

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