Living at the edge of the forest certainly has its benefits. We get to explore and soak up the goodness that surrounds us. Enjoying my first spring living amongst the trees, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Ontario’s official flower, the trillium. On each and every walk with Robb, Will and the pups, I would crane my neck looking for evidence of their pending arrival. I would often mistake a bleached spent leaf off in the distance for my beloved flower, only to be proven wrong. “Oh well, they will be here soon,” I would tell myself and those long suffering companions of mine. *wink*

With the excitement of a child anticipating Santa, I was beyond excited when I was rewarded with my first siting. At first, the brilliant red trilliums graced my presence. A few days later, the fresh white trilliums made their appearance. Then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the forest floor was covered. Oh my, happy sigh.

As I literally danced through the forest, it occurred to me that these brilliant blossoms are only here with us for a short time. We need to embrace their short-lived performance. It reminded me of a recent lesson in a course that I am taking. When we acknowledge that “something will be over soon”, we are more inclined to appreciate that experience. For example, university students who were told that their time remaining at university was expressed in hours had more impact than when the equivalent time was expressed relevant to a year. In other words, when we think something will be over soon, we’re more likely to appreciate it and find joy in it. It forces us to be more fully present. As humans, we get “used to stuff”, and, as a result, we tend to become a bit dissatisfied (that new car quickly becomes old).

For this reason, we also tend to experience more happiness with experiences vs “stuff”. When we know that something is finite, we are more likely to appreciate it. Enter trilliums. They are beautiful but short-lived. They remind us of impermanence and, as such, a healthy nudge to wake up and notice the beauty that surrounds us. xo

While we may not yet be able to gather in groups, we can go for walks and, in some cases, enjoy local parks, forests and ravines. I hope you have an opportunity to really explore the beauty that surrounds you, and experience the joy that comes with it.

Thank you for sharing your yoga journey with Kind Living.

Warmest regards,