Listen to the wind, it talks.
Listen to the silence, it speaks.
Listen to your heart, it knows.

-Native American Proverb

Welcome to the Reflection for August!

In our modern world, studies have shown that many of us spend up to 90% of our day in buildings, whether it is an office, a shopping centre, or our home.  Spending so much of our lives indoors also means that our senses get accustomed to man-made sounds, like TV’s and the white noise of machines.

Our Spirit Garden Reflection this month offers an invitation to join in the practice of rewilding our senses by paying attention to the sounds of nature.  Simply listening to the layers of sound found in the natural world we become refreshed and relaxed.  It has also been found that spending time in nature can improve our attention span.

As Frank Lloyd Wright has said, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature, it will never fail you.”.

I hope that this Spirit Garden Reflection will draw you out into nature, or invite you to sit by an open window and allow yourself the gift of being nourished by the sounds you hear.  I have also included a 12 minute recording of the sounds of nature that I hope you will find soul-soothing to listen to.  I can almost guarantee that you will enter a state of deep relaxation when you listen to this!  In your reflection questions, there is a beautiful poem, called The Magic of Nature, that I encourage you to take the time to read.

As we enter these last few weeks of summer, may the harmony found in the sounds of the natural world nourish your soul.

With soul-soothing blessings,
Kathy

Listen to the Rain

These summer months are a time for vacations and stepping away from our day-to-day routines.  For many of us, we spend more time outdoors during these months.  We soak up the sun and enjoy the fresh scent of summer breezes.

Over the past few months, my husband and I have made a number of camping trips to a favourite campsite beside the Bay of Fundy waters.  The summer has brought a mix of weather from sunshine, to mist, to rain.  There is nothing like the sound of a summer rain gently falling on a tent trailer.  I am often disappointed if a camping trip doesn’t have at least one day of rain.  The rain seems to give us permission to settle in with a good book, a journal and pen, or better yet, take an afternoon nap.  A rainy day can quiet down the need to be out doing things in order to welcome a moment of quiet and solitude instead.

These images of rainy summer days have been the inspiration for this poem I am sharing with you today.  It is called, Listen to the Rain.  You will find a recording of the poem, as well as a printout of it, by clicking on the buttons below.

May listening to this poem invite you into a gentle pause in your day.

With the blessings of summer rain,
Kathy

In Closing

As we enter the season of late summer, may you accept the invitation to rewild your senses and may the magic of the sounds of nature sooth your soul.  

Blessings,
Kathy

Connect & Share

Please share any comments about this Reflection in the comments below. Make sure to check out what others are posting and encourage each other!