Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass greener?
Lessons from a monastery - part two is the grass always greener?
In my previous article, I discussed how I benefited from some time away from my digital devices during my recent stay at a Buddhist Monastery. One of the benefits I noticed when less connected to my phone, was a deeper sense of connection to nature. The monastery was situated in a beautiful location on a river and the grounds of the monastery were planted with beautiful colourful flowers. I really enjoyed taking the time to just sit and look at the river, the gentle flowing water was calming and the nature surrounding me was restful and restorative. It was calm and peaceful and undisturbed by notifications from my phone.
With some of my free time I enjoyed a beautiful walk following a marked trail which took me off road along a track up and down on a winding undulating path. Along this path were wild flowers and grasses full of birds and bees. Often as I walked along, a flurry of little birds would fly out. The sounds of the river accompanied my walk as I enjoyed looking at the hilly views and at the path ahead.
When I was looking up ahead, I noticed how beautiful and curving the path looked as it rose up into the hillside and thought it looked much more beautiful than where I was currently standing. However, when I reached that part of the path, I turned around to look at where I’d come from, and the path I'd just walked along looked equally beautiful from my new vantage point. I stood and had a little chuckle to myself because I found it amusing that I could have imagined it would be so much more beautiful here than where I'd been just a few minutes before!
This made me think about the saying that the grass is always greener, and how it's often untrue. With the brain's natural negativity bias it can become our default to complain, to feel jealous of other's good fortune, or to focus our attention on the negatives in life. I've been using a gratitude practice for a few years now, and I'm sure it's helped to shift my focus towards the little wins, joys, or glimmers in my daily life. This gentle reminder on my walk has bolstered my intention to be content with what I have, rather than to be constantly wanting more - my overflowing wardrobe is one area that still needs work! A goal for the upcoming change of seasons is to de-clutter my wardrobe and take unwanted items to the charity shop.
During recent Pilates classes, we’ve been using the image of a gently flowing river to help guide our relaxation session at the end of class. I'm grateful to have a new river to visualise, thanks to my stay at the monastery!
If you’re looking for a gentle mat-based low-impact class with a beautiful relaxation at the end, feel free to get in touch as I have a few spaces available at the start of this new term. New starters are welcome to join at any point in the term, spaces permitting, and I look forward to hearing from you if you’re interested in joining us at a regular weekly Pilates class held in Hook Village Halls. The full timetable can be found here.