Tag: Ocean

A Writing Exercise

Published on by Jan Sikes27 Comments

When I attend workshops, I always have a notebook with me to jot down things I may not otherwise remember.

So, at a recent conference, I was thumbing through the notebook I had packed and ran across this.

It was part of a writing challenge in some other workshop several years ago. It was called impromptu writing with no theme given. The instructor told us to write about a place we could go in our minds and describe it. I went to the ocean. I thought I’d share. I hope you enjoy!

The warm healing rays of the sun caress and dance across my skin. As far as the eye can see, waves roll and crash, one behind the other, only to recede and begin again.

I stand at the water’s edge and my toes sink deeper into the sand with each repeat. Overhead, seagulls screech as they search for nibbles of muscles, clams and fish. Sprigs of graying green seaweed poke their heads through the bleached sand.

All the muscles in my body relax with each refreshing spray that hits my face. I lick the salt from my lips and join as one with the ebb and flow of the tide. Completely still in constant movement.

That was it. For those of you in the midst of winter, I hope this little trip to the beach brought warmth!

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Stillness

Published on by Jan Sikes15 Comments

This post was inspired by Annette Rochelle Aben’s Angel Message today.

Even in complete and total stillness, there is movement.

Stillness

My last post was a story about Willie Nelson, and in the thought of stillness, I’m reminded of his song, “Still is Still Moving to Me.”

“And it’s hard to explain how I feel
It won’t go in words but I know that it’s real
I can be moving or I can be still
But still is still moving me…”

I love to sit in a state of quietness where all I hear is my breath moving in and out. It puts me in mind of the ocean tide – ebbing and flowing.

We find ourselves in a busy and noisy world. There is always some clamor about something or the other – radio, TV, our phones, conversation and on and on.

I live in a big city and from my apartment, I can hear the traffic on the freeway. We learn to tune out certain sounds. Even away from the city, there are noises. It’s just that they are more in synch with our own inner babble and it more often than not, gives us a sense of peace.

So my challenge to you today is to find five minutes – yes only five minutes in a twenty-four hour day – to sit in total and complete stillness. Use earplugs if you need to and just breathe. Ah……feel it? Hear it?

music of stillness

Thank you for participating with me.

As Tina Frisco says, “Namaste.”