Who Is Sand?

All my life I have enjoyed the feel of sand on my bare feet. Beach sand is more than it seems as I have recently discovered. I always thought of it as stones, rocks or “beach stuff” that was just fine and silky– and sometimes stuck to the areas under my swimsuit. Moving to the Florida Keys and away from the northern shores of the Atlantic, I was shocked as I stepped upon the brittle broken coral, which blankets a favorite beach of mine in Key West. This made me take a whole new look at the sands of various beaches I have walked upon. As I thought of other coastlines I have explored such as California, Cape Cod, Aruba, Israel, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey and recently in Scotland, I was reminded of how unique they are. How could I have thought that the brown sugary sands of my childhood home in southern New Jersey would appear worldwide?

As I sat upon the shallow ocean floor one day near my home in the Florida Keys, I was amazed at what I found. I began that glorious trenching of my hands into the soft ground below and all around me. I let my hands sift each handful and watched as it scattered like dust making the clear water glitter. I was startled as I looked into my hands in wonder and utter surprise. This didn’t look like sand at all. I saw tiny fragments of bone, shell, coral, plant, animal…life.

Water meditations are often filled with unusual messages and on this day I sat in the shallow sea and closed my eyes. I gathered the sand and held it in my palms and began my meditation. The lights shimmered across my mind's screen and I began to open up to them. Who are you? I thought. When did you live and from where have you come? Slowly I let the sand settle not wanting to disturb it. A new awareness of what I was treading upon­ came to me. An understanding of what my bare feet were connecting with. I finished the meditation and continued to sit in silence soaking up all that I had just experienced. 

Asking questions during meditation can sometimes bring replies, but not always during the time you are seated. Slowly I got up and thanked All that IS. I knew I was not alone and that feeling of love wrapped itself around me as the sun warmed my skin. I marveled at the sand as I felt it more alive to me, yes, I thought, who are you?

And as I walked back along the route I had come I looked down at my footprints and they spoke softly to me…I am you.
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To learn more about meditation please read my book.

Red Coral Messenger

Living by the sea has taught me many lessons. I have learned that storms come bursting upon the scene without warning. The winds cause the ocean to heave and grown as the waves become whipped up in a frenzy. The birds take cover as the clouds grow darker. Much like the tempests that beset man time and again.

The storm ravages the sea bed and hurls it onto the beach. Marine creatures and plant life are ripped from the safety of their everyday lives. It is the natural rhythm...it is the heartbeat of our planet. The coming and the going. The birthing and the dying.

The storm begins to pass and the birds slowly return to forage on the bounty now washed upon the shore. They call to one another as they squabble for the choicest selections. The clouds quietly depart as the sun comes out from her hiding. The day returns not missing a moment or a second as the waves keep time sighing… in and out…in and out. Life goes on.

As we move forward along our journey we can begin to see that much like nature we too are carried along in the storms. We face the onslaught, the battering down and the recovery. A divorce, a loss of income, a death. Our emotions become swept up in all of this and if we are not careful we become ill.

Meditation is not the "end all be all" answer to our problems, but it is a wonderful tool that can help you weather the storms. There are days when your emotions are brimming and you cannot contain them, nor explain them. You are feeling this uncontrollable energy that overwhelms and ravages your sea bed and tosses it up upon the shore. Scattered memories, floating missed opportunities, and bits and pieces of dreams that will seemingly dissolve leaving you feeling empty and powerless.

If you find that you are waking daily to these overwhelming emotions then perhaps it is time to listen to your body as it is calling to you. Let them out yes, but connect with what they are telling you.

If you are able to sit beside a shore then find one. If you would rather do a walking meditation then find a body of water and slip into this energy–feel the natural pace as it connects to your heartbeat. If you cannot do this then find a natural sea sound audio file, put some headphones on and quietly let your mind float along the sounds of the waves. If you are able– look  for elements from the sea such as red coral, shells …anything from the sea that holds the natural energy to use it in meditation. Perhaps you live near a river, a waterfall, or even a park water fountain. Draw close to the energy of water. Soak in a tub, stand in the shower or find a pool and immerse yourself. Connect to water and all of the healing properties it holds.

After you locate your special place with water, begin meditating with purpose. If you are doing a walking meditation then simply do this with your eyes open – the method is still the same.
Begin with a prayer or invocation for protection and blessings and state your intention- "I would like to connect with the energy of water. Please help me to blend my spirit with the healing elements offered to me and allow me to hear the message it contains." Slowly begin breathing and feel the energy of the water. Let all thoughts dissolve away and just become one with the water. Stay in your meditation for 15 minutes. When you are finished say a prayer of appreciation to the water and the universe and close.

As a side-note, I like to use red coral as it has that wonderful property connected to our root chakra and provides an excellent grounding effect that is so necessary when dealing with emotions.

The universe has provided many ways to find inner peace. Meditation is a simple tool that can be used by all ages. You can do this with music, in silence with your eyes open or shut. Some do this alone or in a group. It's not important which method you choose– only that you DO IT.

To learn more about the meditation style I teach, please read my book.