Sources of Inspiration

Tags

awareness, inspiration, sources, spirituality

It is perhaps in seeking a large refill of inspiration that has made the weekly nature walk a lifestyle habit for me. This week, I happened to make a list of some of the sights and sounds that were sources of inspiration on Friday morning.

A narrow bridge between two small mounds of grass. Blackbirds showing exquisite flight control in the midst of a swift breeze. The play of light and shadows under partly overcast. transitioning skies. Remnants of last night’s campfires in fire pits. Lunch tables in the grass, arranged in a circle. A white tailed deer who sighted me and bounded away in the forest. A windmill by the water that alternates between stillness and speeding up to the pace of the wind. A hare that sighted me and scampered across the path to the apparent safety of his brood.

And there were so many more elements that filled me with inspiration in the short walk. Every single element had a lightness, a simplicity, a nonchalance, a spontaneity about it; perhaps that is what made them unique, never to be repeated sources of inspiration. It is when we encounter the unexpected in nature, when we get glimpses of the infinite possibilities of life in our daily living, that we get filled with inspiration, don’t we?

I often wonder if my weekly walks are to remind myself of the truth that the greatest source of inspiration lies within me; nature simply reflects my remembrance of that source. How about you? What are some of your sources of inspiration? What are some qualities of those sources that keeps you returning to them? How do you stay inspired between ‘refills’ from your source(s)?

Kumud

P.S. Join us for our weekly gathering and twitter chat, Sunday May 21 at 9amET / 1pmGMT / 730pm India ~ share your inspiration. Namaste ~ @AjmaniK

Friday morning walk refills me with inspiration

Sources of Light

Tags

celebration, inner journey, light, sources

It was one of those mid-October weeks in Northeast Ohio where autumn decided to dip its toes, and then both its feet into winter for four days or so. Cold, overcast, heavy rain mixed with sleet and a bit of snow, and all the heaviness that such weather tends to bring with it. This state lasted from Monday to late Thursday, and but by Friday morning, you would be forgiven if you landed here from a different city and remarked on the beautiful fall we were experiencing!

The advent of light, particularly when it brings warmth with it after an unseasonal cold snap, does wonders for the body and the mind. Even the trees shedding their leaves seem to breathe a sigh of relief, for they get to slow down in the light to process the inner and outer changes that are happening within them.

Light creates opportunities for transition and transformation within us. Perhaps that is the root cause of our heart, mind and body’s attraction to it? The external sources of light like the sun, moon, stars, auroras, comets and their like create a sense of hope and permanence within us, don’t they? Are we not inspired and awed by the light in the images of distant galaxies revealed by the James Webb and Hubble telescopes? In search of light sources near and far, humans have looked upwards and beyond for millennia. That is the beauty and attraction of light, not just for humans, but for every living being, for light is said to be the sustainer of all life.

Those of us who have practices that prompt us to regularly look within ourselves, are also familiar with our visits with the light within us. Direct experiences of the light within us often create as tremendous joy, sense of peace, and awareness of the Source. As our practice of looking within evolves, we may shift focus to the Source — beyond the light itself. It is when we realize that the inner light is actually an invitation to focus on the source, we open up opportunities to arrive at stillness, the bliss beyond joy, and yes, even deeper space than the galaxies that the telescopes have yet to discover.

The beauty of our inner experiences with the source(s) of light is that they are not subject to the weather or external variations of Nature or scientific instruments. With practice, we can create our own inner conditions of experiencing the nature of the light within, and the nature of the infinite that lies beyond it. Every sunrise, every new season can be a reminder that the invitation to explore the light within us is ever-present.

What will it take for us to accept the invitation? What are some sources of light, external and internal, for you? What is created within you, by you, in the presence of light? ? The answers for each of us are different. May the source be our guide, and may we be explorers of light.

Kumud

P.S. Join us in our weekly twitter gathering and conversation in #SpiritChat, Sunday Oct 23 at 9amET / 1pmGMT / 630pm India. We will talk about light, its sources, its effects on us, and maybe even light a candle to start the ‘Diwali Festival of Lights’ 🪔 ~ AjmaniK

The Festival of Lights (Diwali) returns this week…