Day 2 - Silence

I woke up at 5 am today and got out of bed at 5:30, went into our tent room to meditate. Soon after, both dogs, Nico and Luna, followed and together we listened to the birds and stared out into a peaceful green backyard.

Excited, and a little nervous about keeping my commitment to myself, I took a photo of my view just in case I forgot to take one later today.  I thought about the importance of silence.  It felt so good to be silent...like an emptying out of worry and stress.  I am a fairly new consistent "meditator" and the more I meditate the bigger the gift I am giving to myself feels like.  It's so easy to wake up and hit the "automatic" button of the day.... but now, it's getting to the point where it's much easier to wake up and think about 'not thinking' before I "do" anything in the new day.  After meditating, I went for a walk and listened to more DavidJi and then some Heart Meditation music on Pandora, which I really love.  It reminded me of the days when I used to take my Walkman (remember those?) and walk from my apartment on E. 91st St. down to the village,  Bleecker St.,  to see a band at Preachers or The Bitter End in NYC.  I would listen to instrumental music mostly, and it would make me feel like I was in a move and the music was the soundtrack to my movie.  Yes, listening to Jan Hammer, who wrote Crocket's Theme for Miami Vice and the Alan Parsons project.  Today, I felt present, and the combination of soothing music and noticing the flowers and trees, was delightful.  It's June gloom here in Southern California and the diffused light really makes the greens rich and the purple on the jacarandas is stunning.

 It was so early, I caught the crows hanging out on some street and when I got closer they flew up onto the roof of a house.

I like my silence, I like my solitude. I'm learning that the more I fill up on it, the more I have to share with others in my life and the more I can be present.

You take yourself to be limited, but you are not.
Discover this.  Stay silent and attentive.
Be earnest about it.  Just be aware of your being here and now.  Reality will find you. ~Nisargadatta