by Connie Habash | Apr 19, 2024 | Openness, Seasons, Spring
Spring is the season of opening – allow yourself to unfold like the flowers around you.
By now, the aliveness of springtime is bursting everywhere. I am astounded, every year, at the glory of the flowers opening around us. The colors, the fragrance, the bees buzzing, and the birdsong fill the air with that essential aliveness. Spring is about that aliveness in each of us.
Spring is very much about opening. The flowers open their buds, the chicks hatch out of their eggs… and we’re opening to new ideas, new energies, new adventures.
Our hearts can powerfully open at this time of year, bringing us deeper into connection with others, with ourselves, and with our sense of the Divine.
Our minds can open to imagination, to new ways of perceiving the world, and to new directions that life can take us.
What a great time to be encouraging our bodies to open – whether through yoga, a few laps in the swimming pool, a hike in the green hills, or a spontaneous dance in the living room! But only if we’re willing and aware of the potentials waiting inside to blossom, will we open.
What is waiting inside you to blossom? Is there a door that’s patiently beckoning you to open it and step inside (or outside)? Is there something you’ve always wanted to try that’s tapping you on the shoulder? Have you been resisting a new idea or way of doing something? How about simply opening to the unexpected? Let yourself be receptive to the positive energies of spring and what they might bring into your life, even if you haven’t a clue what that might be.
There’s a wonderful song that I’d like to quote, to keep in mind for the magic of this time: “I am opening up in sweet surrender to the luminous love-light of the One.” This is a beautiful affirmation to play with during spring.
Affirm your openness to the Divine, let go of your defenses & resistance, and know that the energy of Spirit leads you to something far better than you can imagine. Allow yourself to open like the brightly unfolding petals of a flower. May springtime bring inspiration, love, and light into your life in a wondrous way!
by Connie Habash | Jul 31, 2018 | Animals, Gentleness, Openness, Patience, Persistence, Presence
On a pilgrimage to Mount Shasta, butterflies became my spiritual teachers.
One of my favorite places in the world is Mount Shasta, and of all the sacred and beautiful locales around this mountain, I love a particular meadow about half-way up the slope. The source of its beauty – that nourishes the abundant life there – is a pristine spring.
This is where I like to sit when I visit, right next to the spring. Not only am I able to hear its sweet trickling sound and dip my feet in the freshly-melted-from-the-glacier water, but I’m able to look over the many wildflowers blooming around the tiny stream. And along with the flowers come the butterflies.
I’ve only been to a couple places that had more butterflies (I have seen Monarchs on their migration). There’s a lovely variety of them, too – orange and brown, white, periwinkle. They tend to linger nearby on the warm step stones, not just on the flowers. And this is when I get excited, because I love to coax them onto my fingers.
Butterfly Encounters
I don’t know if I just get lucky or I have a gift at this, but on my last visit to the area I had a special encounter with a small periwinkle butterfly (actually, several who seemed to herd together, for lack of a better word). I delighted in the thought that I could connect with this gentle and beautiful insect again.
Two of these petite periwinkle butterflies came to light on the stepping stone near me. I was determined to invite one onto my hand. It couldn’t be forced, though. I had to let go of my expectations – and demands – and simply encourage it to step aboard.
The 5 Lessons
The first thing that it taught me was, of course, patience. It wasn’t keen on my finger nudging it at first. I had to move very slowly with my hand, eventually putting it right next to its foot. Then wait. And gently nudge it again. And wait. If I forced the issue, it flitted away.
Which led to the second lesson – persistence. I could have just given up after the first few tries. But I knew this was possible. And so I was determined to persist, to keep trying, and slowly let it know that I was safe and wouldn’t hurt it by just placing my finger nearby.
But if I lost my focus and turned my attention somewhere else, the butterfly would hop away or fly off. So it wasn’t just being persistent and patient. I learned to stay present. All my attention and energy needed to be right there with the butterfly, my finger, the warm stone, this moment. I worked to clear my mind, emptying the unnecessary thoughts and just being, without attachment, with this delicate and wondrous being.
My presence, in order to build trust with the butterfly, also needed to be gentle. I noticed that sometimes my intent was so strong that it was a little heavy-handed. Too much intensity and the butterfly didn’t want to participate. So I learned soft, gentle presence. From the place of gentleness, my presence was more like a cotton ball, gently there, placed next to the periwinkle butterfly, with a kind invitation.
After several minutes of being there, nudging the little creature with my finger, and sending out a gentle invitation, success. The sweet little being crawled onto my finger and remained there while I stood up and showed my husband and daughter. I few people came to visit the spring and were greeted by the butterfly on my hand and the big smile on my face. I felt so blessed and full of joy to make this connection.
As I meditated on this, I realize that the butterfly had one more message, one more quality to add to the list. It let me know that it was essential to remain open-hearted. My love for the being, as well as my openness to receive its gifts, messages, and wisdom, were part of allowing the experience to happen. I don’t know if being open-hearted actually convinced the butterfly to join me, but I do know that by being open-hearted, I received a lot of joy and insight from the presence of the lavender-winged friend on my finger.
Teaching Me About Deep Connection
So I give thanks to this sweet little butterfly (and the other butterflies that I had similar encounters with on this special trip). I realized that these 5 teachings were essential for meaningful, heartfelt relationships of any sort (human or not). And they are essential qualities to open us to a relationship with the Divine, too.
Patience
Persistence
Presence
Gentleness
Open-Heartedness
With these 5 qualities, new doors of deep connection and transformation can open for you, too.
Have you had a special encounter with a wild creature? Comment here and share what you learned!
by Connie Habash | Mar 15, 2018 | Animals, Beauty, Hiking, journey, Joy, Life, Nature, Openness, Seasons, Trust
A couple weeks ago, I had planned to hike on a Thursday morning with a friend I hadn’t seen in months. We were looking forward to being together and venturing into one of my favorite forests at nearby Huddart Park. The forecast was for rain – not just a little drizzle. Did we want to venture beyond our comfort zone, even if it was pouring?
I was game, and so was she – what an adventure! Going outdoors brings me great joy, but there’s always an element of being uncomfortable. Will I get muddy? Will my new rain pants truly hold up? What if I slip and fall? How about the cold? Being in nature mirrors to us the fact that life is unpredictable and uncomfortable sometimes.
We met up and drove together through the windy road to the park entrance, then on to the grassy field near the trailhead. On with the jackets, hiking books, and mittens (yep, it was chilly!), and off we went into the redwood forest.
It’s hard to describe the sensations of joy I feel in the forest. It’s a physical sensation of heightened senses, elation, and ease all at once. The rain only served to intensify it, especially the feeling of ease. The soft patter of drops falling from branches and contacting redwood sorrel and other greenery below the canopy contrasted with the deep silence behind it. Peace spread through the woods, enveloping me in a gentle embrace that quieted my mind.
Oh, the smells! The rich, wet earth, blended with moist wood and decomposing bay laurel leaves intoxicates me. I instinctively inhale deeply, as if trying to taste the rich scent by drawing in more of the wonderful scents of the forest. It feels so fresh and clean, and deeply alive. I, too, feel deeply alive as we journey further down the trail.
Our hope was to spy a bunch of banana slugs – one of my favorite creatures to spy here in our local ecosystem – but much to our surprise, they were nowhere to be found, even in this very wet weather. But guess what was out in droves in their place: newts! We counted 5 California newts at various times on our adventure. They waddled across the leafy compost the way a toddler ambles across the living room floor, but on 4 legs instead of two. It was fun to catch a well-concealed newt in the act amongst the camouflage, like picking out Waldo from an eye-boggling scene.
And the earthworms! 10, 20, more… I lost count over our 2 hour jaunt. We took care to avoid stepping on them, sometimes 4-5 littered across the trail like long strings of confetti. I imagined they came out for a party from their underground cover, enjoying the newfound freedom in the rain’s shower.
At the bottom of the hill I was greeted by the creek, which was delightfully full, rushing over river stones large and small, tan oak branches, past fallen Douglas firs, and downward to join many spontaneous rivulets racing to merge in union. After crossing the stream, we chose a trail I had not ventured onto before to follow up the other slope.
It was rare that I saw birds in this forest – usually I only heard whispers of them high above us, atop the redwoods. But today we were treated with a dark-eyed junco couple directly ahead of us on the path. We stopped to watch in silence; and to await how close they would approach us. One hopped towards us, then paused to peck at the group; the second would then take a few cautious hops in our direction. Chit-chit, chit-chit they called to each other, contrasting with the soft sound of the rain. They came within 9 feet or so, then worked their way back in the other direction, eventually off into the brush.
Two hours passes in timelessness. We had put our cells on airplane mode, happily walking without distraction, without checking watches or thinking about “the world”. This was the world. This was alive, abundant, vibrant. Full of surprises and delights. Pausing for occasional downpours so that we could watch, hear, feel, and smell the gift of the rain. We didn’t need more than what nature offered us with every step, around every corner.
Kindly, my friend had packed some lunch for us, and we found a decent picnic table to sit down and eat, enjoying conversation and the drops that landed on our hoods and in our salads. Fresh food never tasted so good out on the land. I appreciated every fruit and vegetable, marveling at what nature provides.
My clothes? The rain pants were fantastic; my legs were cool but not wet. Water dripped off my rainjacket harmlessly onto the ground. My hiking boots held up fine. Just my fingerless mittens were soaked, easily rectified in the dryer back at home.
As we drove away and back into “civilization”, I was filled with gratitude. Nature fills me in ways that nothing else can. I feel Spirit alive in every rock, tree, and raindrop. I recognize that my needs are truly simple. What more do we truly need than this precious beauty, this flowing water, this bushy-tailed squirrel that eyes me as she eats seeds from a cone? The more present we are in nature, the more the mind becomes serene and we experience the Oneness with life that truly fulfills us.
Returning home, the aliveness of the forest was alive in me. I stood in the driveway and turned my face up to the clouds, feeling the drops on my cheeks and forehead. I am a leaf catching the rain, and nothing feels more grand. I was OK being a little wet, a little cold, and stepping into the unknown. Going past my comfort zone opened me to new joys that I hadn’t experienced before.
Feeling the call to immerse in the beauty of nature? Join me at my upcoming Women’s Spring One-Day Retreat or this fall for Mindful Hiking (coming this October)!
by Connie Habash | Sep 7, 2016 | Aliveness, Courage, Fear, Freedom, Openness, Risk
There was a book written by Shirley MacLaine by that title, back in the 80’s – you may remember it if you’re old enough. One of the first new age/spiritual books that I read, and it deeply touched me.
As the name implies, she was writing about going in a direction most people don’t go – in her case, into spiritual and psychic phenomena. I am relating to the title in a different way, though, right now. Perhaps a bit more literally.
Over the long holiday weekend, my family and I went to Point Reyes National Seashore, a diverse and beautiful piece of coastal wildlands preserved for those lucky people who take the time to drive out there. The three of us were that blessed to explore the secluded beaches, hiking myriad trails through brush and forest, and enjoying the quiet and pastoral countryside.
My daughter was finding every climbable tree in sight and embarking on a gingerly ascent. You can see her and my husband here on one that didn’t require climbing, just carefully walking across the fallen trunk above a stream.
She brought out the explorer in me. Although I was mainly the person holding the camera while she climbed each trunk, I also scaled some small ones with her. We found a bay laurel with a couple cozy niches in the center of its trunk, which she mused would be perfect for crawling into with a good book.
She also relished stepping off-trail to a small waterfall to wash her feet, or to scaling the reddish-brown sand of a crumbling cliff, determined to seat herself in a depression high on its wall. Don’t worry, it wasn’t that risky – the crumbling created a soft, red, sandy slope that lead gently down to the beach. Still, it was edgy for me to climb up there nearby and take her photo, beaming delight to be in her throne carved into the cliff’s face.
You may know, from my last newsletter, that I’m been exploring the edges a lot lately. It’s still uncomfortable. But when I hold back from fear and don’t at least try, I feel a gripping in my body. A tension, as if I’m simultaneously holding something in and pushing something out. When we give in to fear we often freeze, and in that freezing lose something precious. We lose aliveness.
I could feel myself at times squeezing that life out of myself, because I wasn’t willing to venture out on a limb. And at other times, when I went past the fear and “just did it” (thinking restrained, rather than my body), something opened up and flowed, and aliveness was there. Openness in my chest, movement of energy, and the mind falling silent.
Have you noticed that tension when you hold back, when you run away from the edge and shut down? What does your body long to do? Can you feel what shifts when you step into something new, something daring – not by force, but by joyful choice? What is it like when your body is open, free, and alive?
Maybe you’d rather not actually climb a tree. But you can imagine what it’s like to sit out on a limb, just high enough to see the blackberries growing on the other side of the fence, and the ocean in the distance. Lean back against the support of the trunk, feel the breeze in your hair, and let your body feel alive. Close your eyes and try to feel the freedom in your chest, your back, your belly. Take that feeling with you into your journey. How do you want to go out on a limb in your life?
by Connie Habash | Jan 6, 2014 | Awareness, Inspiration, Manifestation, Openness, Possibilities, Potential, Presence, Receiving
I know you’ve made goals and resolutions. You’re thinking about a fresh start, because it’s the new year. Most of us have a long list in mind of what we want to have, create, and achieve after January 1st.
But sometimes, it helps to let go of all that planning, resolving, manifesting, and goal setting. The truth is that All That Is arises from the Ineffable – the Great Mystery.
We often think of the universe as being created with a “divine plan.” This may be true, but I don’t think in the way we have believed it to be. I don’t think there’s a big Being in the sky who wrote out a “user’s guide” (and if they did, why didn’t we get one?!) or a flow chart of how It wanted everything to play out.
Instead, the Source of everything is unknowable and undefinable – a Great Mystery – because doing so would limit it. In the Tao Te Ching, the ancient Chinese text of wisdom by Lao Tzu, it is said that “the Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.” Infinite, unlimited power, presence, and potential cannot be narrowed down to even a name.
This Tao – the Great Mystery – expands and expresses itself out through everything that is. Every thing that exists has that Divine intelligence within it, and is unfolding from that consciousness into the Infinite potential of what it can be.
It’s not planning itself out. It’s not writing goals, or being a great “manifestor”. It is allowing its own Divine intelligence to unfold into greater potential in each moment.
Consider that something even greater than your best laid plans might be ready to express through you. But if your consciousness is filled with having to set, work towards, and achieve particular goals, check them off your list, and define new ones, there’s no space for unlimited potential to show up.
This year, I have my new year’s intention. But I’m letting go of exactly how that looks. I’m releasing a specific picture of what I want. Instead, I’m opening to the Great Mystery. I am focusing on how I want to feel within, and letting the Great Mystery, which can’t be limited by my imagination, bring in the highest and greatest potential for me.
Ahhh. It feels great. And I’m happier that I’ve been in some time.
Ring in the new year – Ring in the Great Mystery. Tonight, allow yourself to empty out and receive the Great Mystery. Allow it to bring into manifestation your highest good. When you let go and surrender into the Source, greater things appear than you can conceive of.
by Connie Habash | May 31, 2013 | Acceptance, Inspiration, Openness, Release, Wind
I admit it, I’m not fond of cold wind. It aggravates me and sometimes even causes me to feel light-headed, off balance, and disturbed. So whenever there’s a cold wind (which there often is when I pick my daughter up from school), I tend to get a bit whiny and complain.
But I thought about it – the wind is important! Without the wind, we wouldn’t have fresh air. No rainstorms would travel through. Pollen and seeds often wouldn’t find new places to plant themselves and grow. And how would you fly a kite?
Sometimes, we need wind to blow through our life. Let it clear out the staleness and the emotional smog. Allow it to bring in the rain and give new life to your inner self. Breathe in something fresh that has blown your way, or exhale out whatever you want to throw to the wind.
The wind is like the force of Spirit stirring you up, fanning your inner spark of inspiration, carrying new ideas or experiences into your neighborhood, or spreading your influence far and wide.
Yeah, I love the wind!
Spring is the season of opening – allow yourself to unfold like the flowers around you.
I know you’ve made goals and resolutions. You’re thinking about a fresh start, because it’s the new year. Most of us have a long list in mind of what we want to have, create, and achieve after January 1st.
I admit it, I’m not fond of cold wind. It aggravates me and sometimes even causes me to feel light-headed, off balance, and disturbed. So whenever there’s a cold wind (which there often is when I pick my daughter up from school), I tend to get a bit whiny and complain.
