zooming in
lately i have started a new meditation practice of zooming in. i choose an object in nature and for a few moments (up to 5 minutes so far), i observe it very closely. for example, i have a flowering bush in my backyard. i spend 5 minutes every day observing one of its flowers, and what happens with it during that time.
it won’t come as a surprise when i say that the amount of life activity happening on that flower in such a short time is astounding. but what i particularly enjoy is how my brain activity changes. within the first minute i feel intrigued by the detail, and a sense of calm starts settling in. it may be the brightness of the colors, the prettiness of the geometric patterns, the twinkling beads of nectar, or the occasional quick bee, but i start feeling joyful. my mind empties what it was carrying before, and i feel myself pulled into noticing even more detail.
by the end, i feel lighter and almost always smile. seeing how much life stirs quietly in one small part of nature somehow makes the burdens i gather through that day feel less important.