“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh
I woke up in my own bed here at our farm, following a long trip home last night in our ute packed high with the things we will need for our coming retreat.
After our city stay, this country morning is a revelation.
Still dark. Cold. Frost riming the grass blades like diamond-edged swords. My breath fogging in front of me. Crystals of ice in the dogs’ outside water bowl. The air heavy and quiet and pressed in around us.
The morning so still that I can hear the occasional distant roar and grind of trucks changing gears as they climb the steep hinterland hills.
The birds are just waking up. One or two call to each other or sing happily, their feathers puffed out against the chill.
After my meditation I am stretching, and breathing air into my lungs. It is cold enough that the air stings my nose, and burns my lungs in a good way. A clean way.
The kettle on the stove is hissing and clicking as it warms the water for my pot of tea.
On my kitchen bench sits a lemon and a bunch of dewy herbs collected from the garden, ready to throw into the makings of a pot of homemade chicken soup.
Ben still asleep. Dogs still asleep.
A wallaby nibbles on the grass around the lemon tree.
Cows wander down the hill towards water, their new calves pressed tight to their sides.
My sweet peas in their pots at the back door have grown a foot in the time we’ve been away. While I wait for my tea to brew I weave their tendrils into the trellis that will support their blooms.
All this fresh cold air, this clean quiet morning is good for my soul.
hot summer is here too…100 degrees predicted I think…but, we are fine…love cold mornings and warm soups…and the lemon sounds good in the soup…I agree!
There truly is no place like home… Your words are balm and comfort to a weary soul
What a delightful way to start the day!
Your blog is good for my soul. Thank you 😊 Nx
I’m am sharing your delightful morning with you …aren’t mornings alone the best .
Cherryx
Ahhhhhhhh … XOXO
You have a lovely way with words. I enjoyed this.
Always nice to come home from a trip and find something in your garden thriving wildly! Congrats on your sweet peas.
I have just started practising the Buteyko method, which is a form of reduced breathing to enable better oxygenation of the blood, and so every time you mentioned breath it jumped out at me 🙂
How lovely to be home! I love that first photo – the early sun seen through the fence slats. Gorgeousness
Beautiful! It reminded me to breathe. I forget a lot. I wish I could be a snow bird and travel to where the cold is. We are heading into the hottest summer on record. I no longer do heat well. I will be very still when it’s warm. And maybe remember to breathe. Do you put the lemon and herbs in your chicken soup??
Yes, I put them in my chicken soup! So sorry to hear about your hot summer. Do take care xx
Thank you. I have never heard of lemon in chicken soup but it sounds like a wonderful idea. I did all my cooking today for the week. When it gets hot, I don’t want to eat much less cook. So I do it ahead. Hopefully it only lasts the 7 days predicted. A good chicken soup sounds so good though. Enjoy your cool and being home for a bit.
Oh what a lovely morning it sounds like
Oooh that sounds lovely, even the cold !! I want to be there too ! What drew me was the peace, quiet and beautiful vistas. xxx