Water has long featured in stories and rituals of renewal and healing, and natural springs and waterfalls are often venerated as holy places. The sound of water moving - murmuring, gurgling and splashing - puts you at ease and soothes your soul, plus it catches changing reflections of light and muffles sounds.
Still water also produces a feeling of serenity, and the smallest pond or even a dish of water in a courtyard will create a cool, calm, private atmosphere where you can connect with yourself and with nature.
Even if you have no garden, the tranquil effect of water need never be excluded through lack of space - a courtyard, a balcony, even a hallway, all are suitable locations for a water feature. Nor does it have to be expensive - I once made a water feature out of a discarded laundry tub and a second-hand submersible electric pump. Small readymade kits for wall-fixed fountains or simple spout-and-trough features can be assembled and bolted to an existing internal or external wall in less than an hour, creating an oasis for meditation and contemplation.
Every so often, float a single flower, a handful of petals or one or two floating candles on the surface of your water garden. As you do so, still your mind and think for a moment or two about how the sound of the water pacifies you, and how the cool moisture helps freshen the air you breathe. Dip your fingers into the water as you pass and feel the moisture cool and evaporate on your skin as you move.
The writer H.G. Wells said, 'We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.'
Nothing increases a sense of panic and frustration more than clock-watching, and yet - courtesy of wristwatches, TV, radio, mobile phones, laptops, Palm Pilots and car clocks - we are surrounded by reminders of how little time we have. Reduce time-induced stress by minimising technological monitoring, tuning in-to natural rhythms and setting more realistic goals of how long it takes to perform a particular task. Here are some strategies that may help.
Play the 'double time' game Use a stopwatch to time your next lunch-time walk, the dash around the fruit market, dinner with the kids. Then, next time you do that same activity, leave the stopwatch, the wristwatch and the CD-radio at home, and deliberately plan to take twice as long as you did before. Notice how a rushed chore becomes a more measured, calming activity.
Cut down on clocks Tour your home and office and take an inventory of the clocks on display. Don't forget to count the digital display in your car or on your mobile phone. Chances are you are prompted by at least ten daily reminders of how quickly time is escaping from your grasp. Banish all nonessential clocks from sight. Try to have a clock in only one room in the house, and position it so that it isn't readily visible. Use the clock on your mobile phone rather than a wristwatch - and keep it in your pocket or handbag.
Go back in time Each week, pick one task or activity and decide to do it the old-fashioned way. Eat dinner by candlelight instead of turning on the lights. Walk to the shops to collect bread and milk rather than driving. Spend a quiet, pleasant hour picking out books at the local library, instead of surfing the Net for the information. All these activities help you to focus on the process as well as the outcome, and so heighten the pleasure of connecting to the moment.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Celia Rumbers at 06092010
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