Grounding as my go-to magic wand

Meet Micky, our fierce protector, wonder hugger and best eyes gazer

Often times people ask me about my dog. I simple adore them and take many photos with them. I feel they are my siblings too and there is so much to learn from their silent big big love, that they throw at me with every occasion. Micky here can stare at me for long minutes in fact mostly because I also whisper all lovely words back at her and embrace her back in my own way. Micky also does not like taking photos and if I try to much to capture a moment, she will simply turn not only her head around, but leave me me to my own trickster technology …. Must say to herself. If I stay longer around her, she would have her own coded language and often give me signals to take action - if she senses a danger or she does not know for example where my mum is. She keeps crying and showing me the gate “ Let’s look for her. Common. Follow me and let’s find her”. We usually find mum on her way back home as Micky already knows that well. She simply wants to be our protector and chaperone. So much awe in being close to dogs.

To also answer the question, I do not have a dog on my own here on the island.I consider my friend’s dog Mara as my sister, she also talks to me in mysterious ways and we lock eyes often just for a gazing therapy session. Ever since I was spending holidays at my grandmothers, there were dogs and cats that I loved to cuddle all day long to the desperation of both my grandmothers, trying to save me from catching any fleas mainly. It was hard work - that one.

How I started and how is going? Really well - dogs and pets of choice are miracle workers in grounding. I still keep dear to my heart that I have my own dogs and my own courtyard ,flowers, space to run around and all. A rustic fireplace inside the house where we sit by and read.

Even this dream it is in itself a grounding technique for myself. I never consider it wishful thinking.I never treat it as a far away dream. I know this is my home. Time is so relative on its own that I never hang into its constrictive near dimension. I feel today here and now, with obvious realities that my dog is not here with me and I have an amazing balcony, overlooking someone else’s courtyard, I live in the other space of my own creation. We can always get one step closer.

Someone really must have read my mind and designed this corner for me already.Thank you so very much. (Photo taken in a magical space in Spain.)

It might all sound at first sight as far away dreams.

Some would really want to still counter balance that with the other word “reality” and might even want to paint a gloomier nuance to my trials to live in a space of joy.

I am learning to simply say sometimes only to myself, not even as a form of dialogue, that this is me. This is what I love to do to ground myself and find my own anchors in today. It is a matter always of perspective by turning my lenses towards what makes my heart feel nourished.

At times, like Thursday and Friday this week … the yesterdays, brought me closer to another good friend in grounding.

Music.

Music is magic.

Music has healing powers.

Music and words chosen with care have the power to hold me.

Music makes my heart vibrate and feel stronger.

Music comes at the right moment and speaks through yo, speaks to you.

I only have to pay attention and connect, right there. .

I chose two highlights for sharing with you.

Coldplay, WE PRAY …in all its versions - Elyanna version, TINI version, Single version. This song holds me in a way that would be difficult to even comprehend and hence would not dare to explain. Like anything that carries its connective vibrations through ,I simply call it magic. It connects. It connects me with the song creators, with their emotions and search for belonging. For grounding. Bravo masters musicians!

Ooh

I pray that I don’t give up,

I pray that I do my best,

Pray that I can lift up, pray

that my brother is blessed,

Praying for enough….

This is how the song starts…and when it moves into :

(And so we pray) for someone to come and show me the way

(And so we pray)for some shelter and some records to play

(And so we pray) we’ll be singing” Baraye”

…La lah la la lah ….. we pray we pray we pray.

Coldplay, WE PRAY

The effect for me when I connect to music is pure lifting up. Sometimes I let myself dance to it, sometimes I encourage my voice to pick the vibe and sing along, out loud. It is a huge difference for me to sing inside my head and sing out loud. This song in particular brings tears right way into my throat. And everything gets a bit heavier before it gets lighter. Before I just say yes! To the message, to the music, to the rhythm, to the connection, to praying. And so we pray….

This song is in itself a mantra for me. A prompt to a musical mantra.

I chose to lift myself up with it. If tears of joy or if tears of sadness are present, I let all be. I embrace this not only as a grounding way of connecting. I embrace this as both grounding and cathartic modality with its own merits. My own modality to be here and now and accept that some of my emotions need to be “inside out” more.

Cheers to all of you who connect the same way to music. And thank you so much Coldplay.

Next in line… a week punctured by reading.

I have been reading on the boat daily this really cool book. Taking it quite slowly and also trying to find a real pencil as this is also a hardcover copy. Here I am in heaven. Thank you.

Last pages will be read today, in the next hour by the “fireplace”, overlooking the bay, and enjoying another cute cup of Turkish coffee…

Dear author, Dear Ethan …. Not entirely sure if that is an adjective you would expect, yet here I am.

Ethan Nichtern, The Dharma of the princess bride

The book is now shortlisted to have a dedicated post on its own.

For today and for the sake of talking about that has grounding effects on me this very week, real and palpable, I have to nominate this book’s companionship.

Why do I find it cool?

In my own quest for reading on mindfulness and the power of awareness,I have reached out to many teachings, authors, teachers and luckily for me now there are not only many translations available on Buddhist teachings but equally many new interpretations on this extensive resource.

Ethan Nichtern, takes these teachings even one step further. Translates them in connection to his immediate life, his own journey including dating and finding a long term partner.And he does this almost effortless I would say- yet know well there is no such thing. All seems effortless especially because all the hours put into it and careful consideration. His humour is very relatable.

He also takes teachings and relates all from a movie perspective.A movie that grounds him and it is his go-to magic wand. “The Princess Bride”.

A movie I have not watched yet or to begin with before reading the book.

A movie that also entered my shortlist possible today, also by my lovely” fireplace”.

There are always these questions “but what is best to watch the movie first, to read the book first” .I related to it strongly and at some moment in time, I almost wanted to take a break from reading and go to the movie first.

Continue reading won in the end.

I connected more with not knowing and “the beginner’s mind” concept. I treated the book simply as a beginner and with fresh eyes. Ethan Nichtern has took time to explain all the details as if we were watching the movie there with him in a way.

The coolness comes exactly from its relevance and connection with our lives today. In the form of things we love.In the forms of things that we pursue. Not separating a philosophy from our times. Not isolating a highlight on awareness from a theoretical point of view, yet strongly anchoring the teachings and all the references in today. In how we are today.

So, I would live you here with this quote. Thank you for listening and more to come from this book. See you next week.

“Seeing my friends is not the thing I do after my practice. ( e.g. mediation). Seeing my friends is part of my practice. Friendship is not something to be mastered.It’s a slow non-linear parade of interactions with a chosen comrade, a peer who chooses to engage in the process with you.Like any other process, friendship includes loads of discomfort, piles of mistakes, and the need to work with both regret and forgiveness.”