May what I do flow from me like a river,
no forcing and no holding back,
the way it is with children.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

Welcome to the Reflection for May!

In the season of spring, May is the month that I always look forward to.  Where I live, this is the month when the weather begins to warm and the natural world begins to burst forth with new life.  When going for walks, the branches of trees hold a hint of green that speaks of newborn leaves.  There is an anticipation at this time of life beginning to blossom.

This year, I find myself reflecting on the gift of water that nourishes all of this new life.  We have had plenty of rain this May and the day after the rain, you can see the buds on the trees growing and expanding with life.  It is this gift of water that quenches the thirst of trees, the flowers, the grasses and the earth.  This life-giving water brings nourishment and replenishment.

In these weeks of sheltering at home, I have been pondering what is watering my spirit these days.  What is nourishing me so that I can blossom with new life, just like the trees?  How about you, what is watering your soul?

Water is often associated with feminine energy and on this weekend, when we celebrate the gift of mothering that comes to us in many ways, and from many different sources, I felt inspired to offer you a reflection on Living Water.

As you listen to it, may you ponder the ways that you have been ‘watered’ throughout your life.  May you also ponder the ways that your presence provides refreshment for others.  Each of us, in our own way, nurture the plants, the animals, the friends, and family around us and help them to blossom.

Guided Visualization

This month, as we shelter at home, I wanted to offer you a guided visualization that would take you into an experience of receiving living water.  May you be nourished with a gift that feeds your heart and soul as you listen to this visualization.

Poem “The Well”

This month our Spirit Garden Reflection focused around stories of wells and finding living water.  Below is I am sharing a poem that I wrote a few years ago called ‘The Well’.

Once again, you may like to set aside 10 minutes for a quiet pause in your day as you read this poem and perhaps journal what arises for you.  Enjoy!

Filling the Well

In these days of dealing with Covid19, it feels so important to make sure that we are not allowing our well to run dry.  I have seen many articles floating around the internet about Corona Fatigue.  I certainly know that I have been experiencing this myself.  It is not easy to ride the waves of transformation that are happening all around us.  It is not easy to have many of our routines and daily rituals disrupted.  We have all been on a steep learning curve and we are all feeling the effects of this life-changing event deep in our bones.

So today, I would invite you to consider what fills your well.  As Rebecca Campbell says, “What nourishes you is your medicine.”  So what is nourishing you these days?  What fills your cup?   Have you been taking the time to do these things?

I would invite you to write a list of at least 5 things that nourish you at the soul level.  These are the things that act as a tonic for your spirit, they restore and replenish you in life-giving ways and help fill you up to over-flowing.

Here are some examples of mine:

•    Going for long walks in the forest and along the beach with a good friend,

•    Creating in my art journal,

•    Sitting on my front deck early in the morning and meditating with the birds singing all around me,

•    Reading books that are inspiring,

•    Phone calls with friends and family.

In this time of change and transformation, some of our familiar means of filling our cup have had to shift and change.  It may be a time to get adventurous and discover new possibilities for soul-nourishing activities.  These activities are different from distractions, like scrolling through Facebook or Pinterest for hours.  Brene Brown refers to that as numbing ourselves.  What is nourishing are the things that touch our heart, that make us breathe deeper, and give us inner spaciousness – these things feel sacred.

The other day, I was walking along a trail and heard a rustle in the leaves, I looked up and saw a deer looking at me through the trees.  She was trying to cross the path I was on, but didn’t know if it was safe.  We stood and looked at each other for the longest time.  I tried to convey to her that she was, indeed, safe to cross.  After some deliberation, she eventually bounded across the path in front of me.  It is moments like this that fill my cup.  This brief experience of communion with that deer was living water.  Her attentiveness to her safety reminded me of my need to be attentive to my sensitivity and gentleness as part of my soul-care.  Often it is these simple things that run so deep and generate a welling up of life from within.

In the days ahead, may you connect to the medicine that nourishes your soul and may the waters in your well be restored.

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!