{Cloud Meditation} Peaceful Projects

The sky is (a lot of times) representative of many peaceful things:


heaven
freedom
warmth
and in MY mind, closeness to GOD


so I thought it would be fitting to share this email, titled Cloud Meditation, that's copied below.
Just looking at the title, I had to open the thread and see what it was about (obviously, it couldn't be asking me to meditate on a cloud!?)


But that's exactly what it ended up being... and it really helped me clear my head. Check it out...






Cloud Meditation
Head in the Clouds

Following a cloud with our eye and drifting through the sky with it can be an easy and relaxingmeditation.

When people use the phrase “head in the clouds,” they usually refer to a mental state that appears to be drifting rather than concentrating. For this reason, putting our heads in the clouds can be a wonderful meditation tool. Whether puffy and white or tinted with the colors of dawn and dusk or shades of gray, those vaporous sky dwellers can remind us of so many things about life and about ourselves.

For this meditation, we can find a physical place to relax and look upward, or we can look to the skies from within our imaginations. Directing our thoughts to the endless of expanse of sky that clouds inhabit, we feel our souls expand to reach beyond any seeming limitations. Following the clouds, we are free to unleash our imaginations. We may choose to merely drift along with them for a time, enjoying their distanced perspective on the world. Or we can look for messages in their fantastical shapes, or feel the joy of bounding between their immense billowy puffiness. However we interact with them, we do so from a peaceful place. Clouds drift above the hustle of the world below, knowing they belong to another realm that cannot be affected by its frenzy, reminding us that peace is always available to us. By directing our vision beyond the ordinary, clouds also remind us of the illusion of appearances. While appearing to be solid, their vapor and mist appear like cotton balls ! from below, giving little indication of the heights they reach. Sometimes they may cast shadows, leaving us in shade, but like life’s difficulties clouds change shape and move onward, revealing the shining sun, twinkling stars, and blue sky that are behind them.

When a ray of light breaks through the clouds, their dramatic filtering only makes the light more beautiful by contrast, just as we can shine more brightly in the midst of life’s challenges. When we allow clouds to offer us a welcome respite, they help us visit the realm of illusion to see the truth beyond. 







I hope this helps you have a more peaceful day!


- Lady R.

Peaceful Projects: Make time for yourself

I love sleep.  Its really one of my favorite things to do.  If I could have a magic wand grant me one wish it would be to have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night from now on.  Sadly, it will probably be a few years that wish can realistically be granted.  My infant son doesn’t sleep through the night yet, and recently my daughter has decided that 4 AM is a good time to come into the bedroom and check up on her parents.  A full night of sleep is just not in the cards, and getting up early in the morning is the last thing that I want to do. 

In spite of all that, I need make some time for myself.  And the only time to enjoy a peaceful, quiet house is to get up earlier than everyone else.  To give myself some structure, I joined Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.  Read more about the challenge here . 

If you are interested in creating some peaceful time for yourself in the mornings, try taking these small steps:

1. Write down everything that you do in the morning (wake up, take a shower, make breakfast, get the kids dressed, etc.)
2. Review your list and identify things that can be done the night before (pack lunches, get clothes ready, etc.).  This should buy you some extra time in the morning and take the stress out of getting everyone out of the house on time.
3. Set your alarm clock for 5 minutes earlier than you usually get up. 
4. Start your morning spending 5 minutes enjoying the peace and quiet of your house.  Use the quiet as a time to fellowship with God and get your day started on the right foot.

As I mentioned, I hate getting up early in the morning.  But, when I do get up and start my day with prayer, praise, and exercise, I find that I have more energy all day long, that I feel better about myself, and I feel a strengthened connection to God throughout the day. 

So give it a try.  Start out with 5 minutes just for yourself, then move on to 10 and so on.  Before you know it, you’ll be looking forward to getting up in the morning.  Inspried To Action also has a free ebook on Maximizing Your Morning.  It is a great resource.  Check out the ebook here . 

--Lady S. 

Peaceful Projects - DIY Bath Salts

Do you want to come home and dive straight into the tub, but realized you don't have any "smell-good" products? Here is a fun, EASY-PEASY project to make your own bath salts *courtesy of ehow.com*

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup epsom salts
• 1/2 cup sea salt (course or fine)
• essential or fragrance oil
• liquid colorant
• Measuring Scoops
• small glass jars to store your salts
• metal spoon or funnel
• Epsom salts
• 1 or 2 baking sheets
• liquid colorant that is skin safe
• wax paper
• Medicine Droppers (if oils don't have thier own dropper lid)
• Sea salt
• Essential oils or fragrance oils
• large metal bowl

Instructions

1     You will need a clutter free,  clean work surface to mix your bath    salts. A kitchen table covered with a plastic garbage bag for protection works perfectly.

1. • 2
     Measure out your Epsom and sea salts and pour into a large, metal mixing bowl.
   • 3
     Add your essential or fragrance oil and your colorant (optional) and begin mixing the salts thoroughly with your hands. It will take some time for the scent and coloring to incorporate with the salts so be patient.
   • 4
     Once you are satisfied that all the salts have been coated pour your bath salts out onto your wax paper lined baking sheet. Use your hands to spread the salts out to as thin a layer as possible for quickest drying time. Allowing your bath salts to dry before placing them in a bottle with lessen their likelihood of clumping in the jar. Allow them to dry for at least six hours.
   • 5
     Once your salts have dried they are ready to be packaged. The best container for bath salts is a glass jar with a tight closure. You want to seal your scented bath salts as tightly as possible to avoid excessive exposure to the air. Exposure can cause clumping from humid air, which is common in a bathroom, or can cause premature fading of the scent. storage. Dollar stores usually have little jars that are perfect for this.

Hope this helps you have a peaceful day or night!


- Lady R.

Peaceful Projects - Tune in...

With so much going on in the metropolis' within and without, we need something that can give us at least a minute of peace. There are many beautiful things all around us that we don't tend to notice because of our fast paced lives. An excerpt from an article in Redbook  magazine suggests we slow down just for a second to appreciate the little things:

Sights and Sounds around Us

Though this feature has a plethora of ideas for relieving stress, honing in on the things that we have around us daily is something that we can all do... *It's takes a special (flexible) lady to do some of the yoga-related practices* (=

Hopes this provides a little bit of peace for you ladies!

- Lady R.