
Reading in the Garden

I have been rebuilding my meditation habit with the Headspace app. When I meditate I feel more centered and able to step back from the flurry of thoughts that are part of my everyday life. I also know that the more I make meditation part of that daily life, the less I’m sucked into those frantic, volatile patterns of thinking. This used to be a part of my routine but got knocked out by a lot of travel, visitors, and other disruptions; returning to meditation is like getting a gust of fresh air or a spot of sunshine back into my day.
I remember rifling through my mom’s basket of essential oils as a kid. I couldn’t tell you all the things we used them for, but the tactile memory of handling the tiny bottles and twisting of the caps to get a sniff is very much still with me.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to get oils of my own. Maybe because I know how much each milliliter is worth. Maybe because I couldn’t decide what scents to start with. Maybe because I didn’t think I could replace that basket from my childhood.
But I finally did get a handful of bottles, and tonight I mixed eucalyptus and lavender with a bowlful of rice to refill my homemade heating pad. It needs to sit a while and absorb the oils, but I can’t wait to sew it back up and try it out.