Meditation: Chopra, Creating Abundance: Living Synchrodestiny Length: 15 minutes Where: Fryman Canyon- TreePeople Amphitheatre, Los Angeles How It Felt: Hard to Concentrate
Day 15 Centering Thought: “As I live in present moment awareness, I live the magic of Synchrodestiny.”
It was a gorgeous, sunny day in the 70s, so I decided to go for a hike. It’s been a minute since I did that- or since I’ve spent much time at all outside, really, I’ve been so busy working- so it was extremely therapeutic!
I listened to an amazing audiobook I started a while ago and just started back up called “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The subtitle is “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants,” which gives you an idea of the tone. Kimmerer is also a poet, so not only are the stories she tells about her culture and its relationship to the earth absolutely beautiful, but they are told in the most satisfying way.
Those accounts are juxtaposed with the stories of how our government worked hard to separate her people from the land, from their knowledge and history and culture and wisdom. It’s heartbreaking but necessary to hear.
I tell you about this book because my whole hike experience was so spiritual today! I was in the most beautiful place, sweeping views of the city, lush green all around, the bright blue sky above, listening to the author explain the complexity of the pecan tree’s nuts, or how the earth gifts us food and medicine freely, generously, without us having to ask, or why sweetgrass cannot be effective for ceremonial purposes if it requires payment in exchange for each bundle.
I feel I’ve been learning so much about abundance in nature, and how giving freely is the path to a happier, richer life, and this book fits right in. I can’t recommend it enough! We as a species are reaching a tipping point when it comes to our relationship with the planet, and we need to adapt immediately. It’s refreshing to watch our culture move back toward slow living, a sharing economy and makers communities, farm to table restaurants, farmers markets, locally sourced ingredients, more support for abolishing factory farms and less support for constant consumerism. Everyone I know is thinking about how to live more sustainably, which is a challenge in a capitalist system, but we are trying.
So, I was thinking about all of this as I wandered over to the TreePeople Amphitheatre today. It’s a little wooden stage with bleachers, of sorts, stacked across from it, nestled away in a little pocket of Fryman Canyon that you won’t pass unless you know where to wander off the main trail. In pre-Covid days you could find Paula Poundstone doing a set here, or a reading by actors you’ve seen on TV. At the moment, it’s quiet. Perfect for an actress who misses being onstage desperately to camp out and send good vibes to the universe for 15 minutes.
My mind was busy, however. I tried to get comfortable, though I was a bit chilly when I stopped moving and got still. I was thinking about the book, about society, about my local Buy Nothing group which gifted me a pair of electric salt and pepper shakers today. I was thinking about how beautiful everything was, how refreshing to pull off my mask and suck in deep, greedy breaths of fresh air. I was thinking and thinking.
I tried to listen to the explanation of a term Deepak has coined “Synchrodestiny,” which refers to the everyday “coincidences” we experience when we are in our flow, on a good frequency. It’s that thing where you think about an old friend and they call you the next day, or you have an idea and a week later you meet someone who has a piece of the puzzle to make it happen. I’ve experienced this frequently and usually take it as a sign that I’m right where I should be.
I love that the Centering Thought today referred to being present in order to experience the magic of this phenomenon. It was a great reminder to slow down, be where I am, and pay attention to the miracles all around. I’m into it! I wasn’t 100% focused on the lesson or the mantra, today, but I still felt the mental benefits of taking the time to get still, and I still feel grateful for the reminder to watch out for these small signs. To appreciate them instead of shrugging them off.
I need to get out in nature more. It’s causing me some anxiety to be outside in a big city during a pandemic- I already sort of hate interacting with strange people in general, as a total introvert (and woman)- but I know it’s important to my mental well-being, so I have to make it a priority.
On another note- STEVE COMES BACK TOMORROW! This long-distance life has been complicated even more by Covid, so his flights are fewer and farther in between, which is something we had to agree to in order for me to return to Los Angeles. I needed to be here, though. To be with my people and do my work and make some mental space.
Plus, Michigan in the winter? No, thank you. I am a huge baby about the cold!
Final thought- if the book above sounds interesting to you at ALL I can’t recommend it enough. I’m not a huge audiobook fan but I’m truly enjoying the experience, especially since it’s read by the author. Get in nature and give it a listen, or curl up with a physical copy next to a houseplant, even. Some truly breathtaking wisdom and food for thought in those pages!
Let me know if you pick it up!
My Year of Meditation 