Looking at what's there

I have not ever been able to quiet my mind with seated meditation. Well, I've tried it, I've done it I guess, but the end result is me being exceedingly bored - a feeling I hate - and not really having said meditation achieve it's goals.

So I have been exploring other options. Vinyasa yoga is a really nice balance of focusing on the breath connected to simple movement and mindfulness. My mind is intense, really intense, and that's at the root of not being able to just shut it down - it needs a focus.

Another thing that's been working is an enhanced detail orientation. I'm starting to look at my world in layers, to pick it apart, but to start with something simple, so that meditation does not turn into a problem to solve or a mystery to unravel.

So this weekend I focused on this tree for a bit.

The way the light interacted with it. The way the wind blew its needles. The knots on it's trunk. It's distance from my location.

I think we all need different ways of centering, and in this slowed focus on what's already here, simple, and beautiful, I find a greater appreciation for the present moment.