"It is in the still silence of nature where one will find true bliss." -Unknown.

Last week, I wrote a post about a beginner's guide to meditation (aka Meditation 101). In retrospect, most readers probably envisioned someone sitting cross-legged on a floor, eyes closed, a straight back, with their hands resting on their knees. Do a Google Images search of meditation, and the results will generate several pictures of this pose. The next thing that ran through a reader's mind was how I should sit for long periods while trying to turn off the constant chatter inside. This problem faces all who seek a more balanced existence of body, mind, and spirit.

When I first began my meditative journey, I found out what an active mind I possess. I have since worked up to 30 minutes, sitting or lying down, with my eyes closed, listening to soothing Zen-like music. If my mind wanders, I acknowledge the presence of these thoughts, return to the breath, and repeat this process. Eventually, I find myself in a calming, meditative state (or sometimes fall asleep for an hour or more). Most recently, I learned that I do not have to utilize these classical poses to achieve the calming bliss to which I have become accustomed. I gained new insight right in the heart of a beautiful parkway.

Judy and I always looked forward to our annual vacation retreat during our working years. In June 2015, we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, where the weather was spectacular: not too hot or cool. One evening, we sat on the Sunset Cocktail Terrace at the historic Omni Grove Park Inn and watched the mountains slip into their nightly slumber. As the show unfurled before us, I took time-lapse pictures of this mesmerizing event over the next hour. I suddenly entered a profoundly contemplative state, and even with the chatter around me, I could hear the silence of the Blue Ridge Mountains calling. While this may sound funny, I could listen to those mountains' silence. The next day, we traversed the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopped at several picturesque outlooks, and I experienced this same silence calling while maintaining a still mind and a calm soul.

The lesson learned here is that meditation does not have to take a classical form to achieve the desired results. Find your meditative place in this world, whether at a beach, ocean, mountains, or backyard. Appreciating our world's natural beauty may be all you need to quiet your mind and awaken the soul. Thank you, Blue Ridge, for showing me the way. I now leave you with the beauty as it unfolded. Until next time -

Namaste,

Tim

Postscript: On that very night, Judy and I looked at each other and said, "This is where we are going to live out our retirement years." In June of 2020, we realized our dream and landed in Hendersonville, and we have never looked back.