And today that blog celebrates its 6th anniversary. On this day 6 years ago, the search for an outlet to amalgamate my reflections and expressions, culminated in the birthing of radhikasreflection.
A surge of happiness runs through me when I look back at this journey. A journey that has taught me so much. Reading exceptional work of bloggers from across the world, learning different styles of poetry, attempting challenges hosted, trying a hand at fiction writing, articulating my thoughts on topics close to my heart, making new friends here, publishing my maiden book of poetry, and across different anthologies and poetry portals, I am absolutely thrilled to see my curve of learning go up.
Truly in gratitude, for all the likes, comments and feedback I have received during this time. Thank you to all my followers and readers from across the globe. Feels so wonderful to have a global connect. Looking forward to your continued love and support.
I have always been in awe of nature and her multifaceted persona. To me she is an epitome of flawless beauty. Through eons, nature has buried untold emotions within her soul, yet she continues to bless and heal.
The theme of Nature and I, for this year’s challenge, was a reflection of my growth under her benign gaze. Starting from the basics of breathing right, to allowing her light to guide me to be mindful, help me introspect and enjoy the sounds of silence, teaching me the art of letting go, reminding me to pause and just be, being ok with accepting my imperfections, I felt a deep paradigm shift. The balance and connect with nature, has enriched the quality of my life.
On this challenge, I was delighted to have found many like-minded people, who shared a similar sentiment. They accompanied with me on this enlightening journey and I’m so grateful to them for their company and the inputs they shared.
I was also privileged to read a rich array of work here. From musings, to technology driven content, fiction, parenting gyan, poetry…I was impressed by the ingenious styles, research and literary verses that flowed here. Extremely happy, that I have added more friends from the community to radhikasreflections.
Completing the challenge, gave me a supreme sense of satisfaction. I would also like to congratulate my fellow bloggers for doing so, with aplomb.
Hope the fragrance of my gratitude reaches your heart!
You can read all my posts of A to Z Challenge here.
Finally, she said Yes!! My joy knew no bounds. We were going on a date that night, to celebrate this happy day. The soft romantic number playing on the radio, complemented my rapturous mood perfectly.
I took care to dress well. Looking at the mirror, I chuckled. “Hmm, not bad” I said to myself. I splashed some extra cologne and was all set for our celebratory dinner. Looking at the watch, I reminded myself not to be late. She would be here any moment.
As I was coming down the stairs, the sound of the gunshot pierced into the stillness of the evening. I saw her body collapse onto the floor by the front door. A dark figure, furtively darted into the fading dusk outside. I sat there numbed with shock, too dazed to move.
“Cut!”, called the Director. Good shot Morgan! Let’s pack up for the day.
Today is the last post of the A to Z challenge. This journey with nature has mellowed me, opened up layers of my personality hidden deep, helped me release my emotional baggage and accept life and its offerings with grace. I am thankful that my connect with nature has been an enlightening experience for me.
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In the lap of nature, the connect ignites a trigger
the mind delves deeper within the confines of self,
arriving at the inner unexplored sanctum.
The layers of ignorance unravel slowly,
multitude of thoughts, gently settle into sedation.
Bedazzled by the radiance of the mystic aura,
it revels under the new found feeling of bliss,
soaking in a beauteous facet emerging.
Tuning in to the faint susurrations of the cosmic energy,
floating in the stillness of that embryonic light,
the soul listens to the sounds of silence,
resonating with vibrations of infinite peace.
You can read my earlier posts of the challenge here.
A big thank you to all my readers who stayed with me on this journey and showered their love on my work. Stay safe, connect with nature and always be happy !
Yugen is an important concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics. There are moments in life, where words seem inadequate to describe your experience.
Yugen means a profound awareness of the universe that triggered feelings too deep and mysterious for words.
“To watch the sun, sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of geese seen and lost among the clouds…” Zeami Motokiyo
Today on this penultimate day of the challenge I take you along me on a morning walk in the woods, where I experienced a wondrous feeling of Yugen.
The walk along the muddy trail of the forest was a revelation. An amalgam of verdant tan, the trees breathed an organic scent. The verdure paradise was slowly awakening from its deep mossy slumber into a moist misty morning. The raw breeze and foggy veil had an mystic allure to it. Their entwined roots and strong embracing boughs were a testimony of their primeval connect.
The twigs crunched under my feet as I ambled along the wet brown path. The woody heaven came alive to the sounds of the forest. The chirps of the avian, scuttling rabbits, rustling foliage, scurrying squirrels, hissing reptiles, trill of the insects, sounds of arboreal creatures and the cry of the wild, all playing at their own rhythm yet orchestrating a perfect harmony.
The ambience of the forest stopped the clock. I lost myself into her welcoming arms. Under the canopy of a green palette, I inhaled the freshness of natural wonder, soaked in the beauty of flora and fauna, admired the medley of diversity, and listened to the pure and earthen tales of the wilderness. What started as a mere amble, culminated in an soul stirring experience which was hard to put down in words.
You can read my earlier posts from the challenge here.
Success in life today is defined by materialism, numbers, TRPs, increased revenues…and the list goes on. Gadgets and screens dominate and demand a massive chunk of our time. Despite so many machines to ease our work, we are stressed for time and hide under a cloak of busyness. Deadlines blare at us from all sides. The fate of our decisions always lies in a cliffhanger. We are constantly living life on the edge.
Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. – Dolly Parton
We seem to have forgotten the art of breathing deep and relaxing. Breaking away from civilization, connecting with nature, spending time in the mountains or wilderness helps the body and mind to work in tandem.
With every breath of nature’s depth, she was becoming more herself. – Angie Weiland Crosby
Pause for a while. Be aware of your breath. Mindfulness can shift the focus of your life from shallow and short-lived happiness to a more holistic one. The difference experienced in the quality of life may be profound. We have read about a lot of people who burn out early, realign their life to the treasure trove of the ancient wisdom of conscious, purposeful and sustainable living to experience a profound shift in their quality of life.
Breathing in I calm my body, breathing out I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment. – Thich Nhat Hanh
When you are overwhelmed by life, just step into the lap of nature, exhale your stress, inhale the organic freshness of the place, rediscover the joy of breathing slowly. Feel the rush of oxygen rejuvenate your spirit. Being one with nature, experience its wonderful miracles work its magic on you. It washes your soul clean.
Throughout this series you must have observed the thread of nature with its nurturing and healing powers, bind my thoughts and experiences. Many times, we are just caught up in the rigmarole of circumstances and responsibilities. Only we can’t seem to navigate our hearts desire to live our life away from the chaos. All one needs to do is connect with any of the elements of nature. Her energy rejuvenates us instantly.
If nature is your teacher, your soul will awaken – Goethe
Next time when life overwhelms you, remember to pause and breathe deep and connect.
In nature there is no Wi-Fi, yet the connection is better 😊
You can read my earlier posts from the challenge here.
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