Breathing Space

It's all downhill from here

*Bay View Trail

This is a common saying that can have both a positive and negative meaning.  I was cross country skiing the Alligator Hill trail with friends this weekend in Glen Arbor and we met some fellow skiers at the look out. As they were leaving to get back on the trail, one of them said, "It is all downhill from here," which on skis  is usually a good thing.  If you are going downhill in your health or in life, it is not typically positive. From a high point in life, going downhill is not usually the choice you would make but going uphill is not always good either.

Skiing downhill is fun and exhilarating, as long as you don't fall, but of course you can always get up and start over again if you do. If you never fall it may mean you are not learning anything new and you won't have the chance to start over again either. You can always just coast along, but that often gets boring. Going downhill "fast" can be good or bad and sometimes it may be bad but may end up good.  

*View from a high point on the Bay View trail in Glen Arbor. It is all downhill from there.

OM

In the beginning of a hike recently, I noticed a small wood sign posted on a tree in the woods with the word "OM" on it. "OM" is the universal sound that is often used for chanting in meditation, it represents the union of mind, body and spirit. Being a yogi, I took it as a sign to take a deep breath and completely enjoy the walk. Signs are everywhere if you are open and observant. Little messages are there to remind you to be present and appreciate each day. We sometimes get so caught up in going from one thing to the next that we forget to notice some of the small signs and even the big ones.

As we walked along the trail a little further,  I mentioned the sign to Tim and he told me it meant 0 miles, or the beginning of the trail. Oh well, we had a laugh and every time I now see the sign I laugh and take a deep breath. I guess the signs in life are always up for interpretation.

http://yoga.about.com/od/howtospeakyoga/g/om.htm

First Snow in February

Backyard in Stevensville

There is nothing like the first snow of the season. The earth is blanketed in white and seems so still and calm. I woke up this morning to a lot of new snow and it is still snowing.Even though by February we begin to look forward to Spring, I must say I was excited to see so much new snow. 

Things were beginning to look so gray and lifeless and we all know that spring is still pretty far away. I have an early spring birthday and I remember wearing my new birthday clothes as a kid even though mother nature did not often cooperate with my Spring fever.

We did not have much snow to speak of during the holidays this year, so we might as well enjoy it now. Go out and play today and remember the feeling you had as a child in the first snow.