First Crocus -A Harbinger of Health, Healing, Recovery

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

I saw the first crocus of the season recently: a startling purple clump arising out of the over wintered brown leaves. The shock of the color woke me up and in that moment I took a deep breath and looked around to find dozens of green shoots coming up around my front yard. I drank in the earthy smell of the moist earth and leaves, felt the warmth of the spring sun on my face and remembered that there can be joyful moments even in the midst of the pain of the recent loss of my father.

I often repeat that I teach what I need to hear – and in this time of my grieving the lessons that I teach in our workshops “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” and “Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression” serve me as well.

In those workshops* we employ the breakthrough methodologies developed at UMass Medical School by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Our participants learn to draw on their inner resources and natural capacity to actively engage in caring for themselves and finding greater balance, ease, and peace of mind.

Yes, a simple, mindful breath can wake us up to the moments of our lives, give us the pause needed to remember and experience our life in its fullness. It does not mean we do not feel the pain in our lives - I feel the pain of my loss every day – yet it does allow for moment-to-moment experience, the actual truth of each moment when we are mindful of its gift.

So, these purple symbols of new life arisen amongst the dead and decaying leaves bring a moment of delight and a reminder of what has been developing and simply waiting under the surface until the right action arises of itself.

I invite you to take notice of something beautiful today. It could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting from someone's kitchen, or the sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the light appears at dusk, or the smile of someone behind a cash register. Please look for these things, and be mindful of how your experience of the moment can change. There’s no time like NOW.

“Life is not measured by the numbers of breath that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” - Overheard in a mindfulness moment

*PCYH is now accepting new participants for our 8-week MBSR and MBCT workshops. People participate for reasons as diverse as: stress — job, family or financial; chronic pain and illness; anxiety and panic; GI distress; sleep disturbances; fatigue; high blood pressure; headaches. For complete details, call Deborah Metzger at PCYH: 609-924-7294 or email pcyh@mindspring.com. Also, look for monthly Insight Meditation Open Houses.

Join us for Free Classes for New Visitors Week at PCYH
Monday, May 4 - Sunday, May 10.
Be Our Guest!
If you’ve never attended classes at PCYH, please join us for free sample classes to learn which programs suit your needs. A schedule of sample classes will be posted online during Intro to PCYH Week, from Monday, May 4 January 5 through Sunday, May 10 January 11. Visit our website at www.princetonyoga.com. You may also call the Center 609-924-7294 for details.