Heart-Based Practices

For me, Mindfulness is the state.. the intentional awareness of what is present, with equanimity.  Meditation is setting aside time to practice this. 

@Paige PIlege How sweet she is! I have two myself and they are so precious 🙂 

@Jess MarieSnakes are not my favorite but anything small with lots of legs that move fast scare me.  Like cockroaches, spiders etc.  Just watching the little legs moving all over is so nasty to watch.  I grab whatever is around and smash, smash, etc.   No mercy there.  Sorry little things.  I get scared.   My dreams are scary also, even today. I am surprised I am still afraid of things. 

@Gillian SangerIt always is great to "know" that spring will come.  That seasonal "knowing" . a consistency.   A pattern, or habit of Mother Nature.  This helps settle my inner self to believe in things.  I "know" spring will come and the colorful world will burst out.  The buds on the trees and bushes.  White and red, berries etc.  Even the weeds turn a great color and try to exist inside everything else.   Today I walked outside to gather all the puppy toys.  I got her a bunch of beanie toys she loves.  Her mouth is small so she just tries to find a squeaky in it.  It is funny to watch her biting it.  She will run outside with it and toss it in the air and catch it to toss again.  Running in circles.  Run as fast as possible around things outside.  Or a big circle.  She is a Peek-a-Pom.    The ground was wet from rain.  So were the toys but she doesn't care.  she still wanted them.  The air smelled so "good".  Someone must have cut their grass because it smelled almost like fresh alfalfa being cut.  A sweet smell.  Takes me back to my childhood riding on a raker.  I am excited for spring, in about a month now.     Here is Teddy. She is a clown.

Boundaries can be difficult.  Learning to uphold my own was very hard to learn.  I always gave, helped, shared and never new about them.  After a few things happened that were not planned, then it became much more apparent.  Growing up our parents help us determine how close people come to us and sometimes what we communicate about and see.   Keeping it short.  I teach now that a boundary helps us know what we can expect to control.  Without being overwhelmed by "everything".  It is much easier to understand a smaller space and not the whole world.  I teach to concentrate on how wide our arms reach.  If we can control what is within this boundary, our self in the middle, then try to go outside this boundary.   For me being empathic I have to stay home to set boundaries.  People have a tendency to come to me and discuss their life issues and want help, find a path to resolution.  Or I feel obligated to help them so I set the boundary.  It is very painful if I do not and want to help the world.  I am trying to control and help myself first.   I do not expect people I do not know to be within my arms length.  Only close loved ones, dear friends.  People I know.      Other boundaries are health, politics and religion.  I limit all these things and rarely bring them up.  I usually don't have to because there are always those who feel the need to.  I feel these are personal items.  I have my opinion on it, but rather than get tangled up and stressed out it is not worth wasting my energy.  AND joining all the organizations that help the planet, animals, and other needy causes.  I understand that they have to be done, but other people are much better able to than I am.  I have no problem admitting that.  Due to my live and events it does not work.  I want to but, no.   I still battle this control of within my arms.  This creates a responsibility.  Sometimes I lack in this area.