A Meditation on Renewal

Article by Donna Isaac

Renewal brings hope. Each spring and summer, as life renews itself and flourishes, perhaps you also feel renewed; you have more clarity and focus as the energy of nature feeds you. I hope you wake, look at the world with awe and wonder, and feel a renewed sense of your purpose in each day.

In 2020, these seasons have arrived with nuanced meanings. As you celebrate longer hours of sunlight, notice how spring and summer give you more time to assess and plan for the new directions recent events in history now offer. You (and others) are likely experiencing a renaissance and awakening to the importance of private moments of self-awareness.

Rebirth is part of the natural cycle and rhythm of nature. It reminds you to think about how you are renewing your individual self. Recognize your own resilience as you look to the future. Connect with who you are, and all that you have learned about yourself and your community during these past few months. It is a time to awaken to new possibilities—and to decide to act on them.

Create some time alone and allow yourself to bask in the quiet. Breathe into it. Your breath always brings you into present moment awareness. Allow the breath to support you as you breathe consciously, recognizing your unique presence in the world.

By bringing yourself into stillness daily and by using silence to deepen your awareness, even for a brief time, you renew ourself. The practice of meditation is essential. It allows you to go deep within yourself, without expectations, and to observe and recognize yourself as you are. Attention to breath and mindfulness go hand-in-hand as you use the quiet to center and ground yourself to move forward into your day’s activities. Mindfulness is bringing your full awareness to the present moment without judgment. Daily practice in mindfulness brings peace, strengthens your love of self, and allows you to become more resilient.

One excellent way to spend time in mindfulness is through a walking meditation. Begin with a five-breath standing practice. Stand tall and feel your connection with the earth beneath your feet, even if you’re wearing shoes. Close your eyes if you are comfortable. Feel deeply connected through miles of earth to this planet’s very core. Take five deep breaths in through your nose and release long exhales out your mouth. Try for a count of four on the inhale and a count of six or eight on the exhale. A longer exhale enables you to calm your nervous system and make it stronger. Notice how you feel. You can repeat this grounding practice as many rounds as needed to bring yourself into a calmer state before you begin walking.

Walk slowly and purposefully around your yard or neighborhood. Without identifying anything, walk with your eyes open to colors and patterns. A walking meditation forces you to be present in each moment, as you place one foot in front of the other. Feel the air against you skin. Look at the patterns of leaves, tree branches, flowers, sidewalk cracks, neighbors’ homes, insects, animals. Hear the natural sounds around you. Breathe normally. And—enjoy the walk itself—your own self-powered forward motion.

This walking meditation can be done for about 10 minutes. The connectedness you feel with the natural environment is very real, nurturing, and calming. Deepak Chopra suggested that people go outside each day, preferably in bare feet, and feel the energy that connects the body to the earth. When you have returned to where you started, use the five-breath grounding practice again to regain your center. Stay in the stillness around you, before returning to your day’s plans and schedule. This practice can offer you serenity and clarity.

One of my favorite poems about renewal is by Edna St. Vincent Millay. It is titled “Renascence,” it has over 200 lines, and it was written in 1912. Here is an excerpt (find the entire poem at: www.public-domain-poetry.com/e... 

Enjoy your own awakening to renewal and remember that the grounding breath exercise can be used at any time when you might feel anxious or off-kilter. By centering yourself and calming your nervous system, you are always ready to move forward and find joy.

Donna Isaac is the founder of Mindful By Design: www.mindfulbydesign.info. She is a meditation and mindfulness coach and teacher who works with nonprofit organizations and their boards to facilitate mindful leadership practices.