I was taking a bath.
Soft spa music playing quietly in the background.
I had lit a small candle and placed it on the corner of the bath, the flicker of warm light was keeping me company while I tried to sort out the monkey brain, chattering on in my head.
With realisation of this chattering monkey, I began to take deep breathes and move myself into a meditative state, a state of being completely present.
After a while in my moment of presence my attention gazed over my little candle in the corner of the bath.
I started to admire the little decorations on the side of the candles glass container.
Small childlike images of flowers and leaves seemingly dancing around the candle like a little celebration of nature and life. I started to feel a sense of immense love and gratitude for this candle and the people who made it.
Our lives are so sped up, so disposable, it would have been easy for me to purchase this candle and think of it as a mass produced, affordable soy brand (Aromatherapy & Co I think it is) and think oh its a candle thats nice and relaxing for ME and MY bath, until it runs out of wax and I recycle, repurpose or throw away the glass that housed it, without considering it, without recognising that I own this candle and its a lovely thing!
"I can look at a teapot and feel its aliveness, it's not shouting at me but there is a subtle thing there, it has a presence" - Ekhart Tolle.
I guess my point is about having a mindful relationship with our things.
Our things are there to give us what we need from it and things are so readily available to us now days that we forget to enjoy and appreciate them for what they are. They hold value by their price tag, background story or whatever way the thing served us, without considering the item and feeling gratitude for its existence in our lives.
Drawing or photographing objects in the art world is called 'still life'.
I never really understood that title until now.
So now after my relaxing bath, as I sit here inspired to write about my bath time revelation, here at my desk next to the soft keys on my keyboard, a little candle burns.
Sending gratitude to all who read this.
The Healing Spaces Project - Lauren Shiels.
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