Thursday, August 29, 2013

Seasonal changes/ Cambios estacionales

The last few days it has started to rain.

If you live in a rainy country, you might ask yourself: well, this not a very interesting thing to talk about! But here, in the part of Spain where I live, we don't have rain for several months a year, so the arrival of the first end-of-summer rains feels like a true blessing.

The joy and lightness one feels at waking up to a fresh, green, and bright world. If there is one thing I love, it is to awaken early in the morning when it has just rained. Beautiful. The world is full of life and the mountains look so clear. The landscape of dark clouds, greens and sometimes a little sunshine is spectacular.

It is the arrival of seasonal change that I adore. In a place where it can snow nearby in the mountains, but in the summer the temperatures reach up to 35 degrees, the seasonal changes are an extraordinary event if you take the time to observe it, and I welcome them with joy and admiration.

And now, although there is a possibility that the temperatures will go back to its former summer level, I know that the summer’s grip has been broken. I know that there will come an end to this summer. And days like these, so fresh and alive, are full of promises. Promises of new life in the nature, of cooler temperatures and amazing thunderstorms, of the end of forest fires. Of the start of a new season for me to explore the world on foot. Summer is not the best time for hiking if you live in a Mediterranean climate, but when the seasons change, it's such a joy!

I cannot wait to get out my hiking equipment and walk, walk, walk through nature and feel the life energy that is in every plant and animal, in every landscape and in every cloud formation.

How very, very beautiful is this world. You only have to open yourself to its splendor and beauty, and you will see, with both your eyes and soul.



Los últimos días ha empezado a llover.

Si vives en una zona lluviosa, quizás te dirás: ¡bueno, esto no es una cosa muy interesante sobre la cual hablar! Pero aquí, en la parte de España donde yo vivo, no tenemos lluvia durante varios meses al año, por lo cual la llegada de las primeras lluvias al final del verano se recibe como una verdadera bendición.

¡La alegría y ligereza que uno siente al despertar en un mundo fresco, verde y claro! Si hay una cosa que me encanta, es despertarme temprano por la mañana cuando acaba de llover. Es hermosísimo. El mundo está lleno de vida y las montañas se ven tan claro desde mi casa. El paisaje de nubes oscuras, verdes y, a veces un poco de sol, es simplemente espectacular.

Adoro la llegada del cambio de estaciones. En un lugar donde puede nevar en las montañas cercanas en invierno, pero en el verano las temperaturas alcanzan los 35 grados, los cambios estacionales son un acontecimiento extraordinario si tomas el tiempo para observarlo, y yo lo vivo con alegría y admiración.

Y ahora, aunque existe la posibilidad de que las temperaturas volverán a su nivel anterior de pleno verano, yo sé que la fuerza del verano está disminuyendo. Sé que llegará un fin a este verano. Y los días como hoy, tan frescos y vivos, están llenos de promesas. Promesas de nueva vida en la naturaleza, de las temperaturas más frías y tormentas increíbles, de finales de los incendios forestales. La promesa de una nueva temporada para mí de explorar el mundo a pie. El verano no es el mejor momento para ir de excursión, si vives en el clima mediterráneo, pero cuando tiene lugar el cambio de las estaciones, ¡es un momento de gran alegría!

No puedo esperar a salir de senderismo y caminar, caminar, caminar a través de la naturaleza y sentir la energía de vida que hay en cada planta y animal, en cada paisaje y en cada cielo.

¡Qué hermoso es este mundo! Sólo tienes que abrirte a su esplendor y belleza, y verás, con tanto los ojos como con tu alma.


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Living in the now

We are alive. There is no doubt about that. 

But are you conscious? Are you awake? Or does the world go by in a blur, without you noticing all its beauty and splendor? Are you only awake sometimes, only aware of the surrounding world once in a while?

To be truly conscious, or mindful as some call it nowadays, you must be in the NOW. It’s hard, as we humans tend to jump from thoughts about the past, to the past, and then reflect all our hopes, expectations and fears onto the future. We are busier with mentally analyzing the past and creating all sorts of possible outcomes for the future then that we are living in the present.


What I love about the word present is that it has a double meaning;
  • Present, the period of time now occurring.
  • Present, a gift.

The present, this right moment, is a gift. You have nothing else but this right moment. You might think, well, I have a car, a house, a family, money etc. But actually, all that wouldn't be able to exist without the present moment!

Isn't that just beautiful? I find it a beautiful idea. And it’s a powerful idea. Because once you realize that NOW is all there is, you will be filled with awe and marvel, and feel a lot more grateful and awake.

Why not try it? Feel conscious about the fact that all there is is the present moment, and that you should accept it as a gift. Expand your being, until you feel so calm, so deeply in harmony, that it becomes like a meditative state of mind. It’s a little hard at the beginning, but once you get the trick, its fun. And better even, it’s healthy. People who live in the present moment are in general happier!! Now, who doesn’t want that!? http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_killingsworth_want_to_be_happier_stay_in_the_moment.html


But, besides being in the present, there are more fun things to do! Why not try observing our surroundings? Go outside, and observe something that is insignificant for you. Something you walk past often, and never have taken the time for to see nor observe it. It could be a stone, a little feather or even just drops of water. Observe it. Describe what it looks like, where it might have come from, and just look. Does it still seem insignificant to you?


We are surrounded by beauty. Not once or twice a day. Every single moment is beautiful, alive, and joyful. If you feel down, maybe it’s because you’re letting the present slip away while your mind is too busy with the past and future.

Besides, not all people value beauty in the simple things surrounding us. In this period of human history, in which we are bombed with endless pictures and movies of the most beautiful places on earth, we forget to be humble. We forget that beauty is in life itself. We make ourselves believe that the only beauty that surrounds us is found in dazzling sunsets, perfect white beaches and picturesque landscapes.  


Beauty is found in life itself. And so is joy. Beauty and joy is found in Nature. Live in the moment, and don’t waste your years wondering in the past or worrying about the future. 

I have added a few nice quotes to this text , plus a couple of photo's, to show the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. 
Namaste