One-Minute Meditation: Garden Fountain

Is it just me or has this been a long week? If you need a little moment of peace, sit back, zone out and zen up with the sweet, soothing sounds of this ornamental garden fountain.

You know, my husband often catches me gazing intently out the window or across our yard and asks me what I'm staring at.

"I'm meditating," I tell him.

You don't need a yoga mat or incense or a guide to get to a place of stillness. All it takes is being present and allowing yourself to melt into the world around you a little.

Enjoy the fountain. Enjoy the melting.

One-Minute Meditation: The Waters of Glacier Bay

It's been quite awhile since I last posted a one-minute meditation video, so I thought you stressed-out souls out there might enjoy this footage from our recent trip to Alaska. It's a look at the beautiful, serene waters of Glacier Bay National Park. If you're a nature and water lover like myself, you should also check out my good friend Mary Beth Leisen's recent endeavor Honor the Waters.

One-Minute Meditation: Raindrop Rings on the Patio

The temperature in my town is supposed to rest around 90° all week. I'm a summer girl at heart, so I don't mind too much, but I would love for another storm or two to make their way through town—partly to quench my thirsty state, and partly just because I love the rhythmic sight and sound of a good rainfall.

One-Minute Meditation: Blowing Grasses and a Birdsong

I was helping the husband do a little yardwork in our old backyard a few weeks ago, when I decided to try to capture the rare moments of serenity that can be found in the city of Hollywood. The reeds blowing in the winter breeze are nice to watch, but the bird symphony in the background is the real treat in this video.

One-Minute Meditation: Fire on a Winter's Day

I grew up camping and have always been mesmerized by fire. There's just something about watching its lapping flames and orangey glowing embers. Like witnessing some sort of hero's journey—and you can't look away because don't want to miss what's going to happen next. I wonder if the cavemen found it as meditative to sit by as I do...

One-Minute Meditation: Final Dance of the Apricot Leaves

Chill out with a little video commendation for the apricot tree's final performance—before winter's chill stole its leaves from our yard. Nature's wind chimes come in so many lovely forms. (Even silent ones!)

One-Minute Meditation: Bees in the Rosemary Bush

Every day these dedicated little buzzers work away at their very important jobs pollinating our garden. I think I could sit for hours just smelling the rosemary and watching the bees.

One-Minute Meditation: Cloud Tracking

Remember when you were a kid and you'd lie on your back and stare at the sky, watching the clouds drift and collide and change shapes? I'm taking you back to those days for a minute.

Settle in, let your shoulders loosen, and watch the clouds go by.

Need a few more minutes? You can watch my previous one-minute meditations here and here. 

One-Minute Meditation: Afternoon Rain

This week's One-Minute Meditation is probably better as an auditory experience. My hand isn't super steady, so the camerawork is a little shakier than I'd like it to be... Click play, close your eyes, and listen to the soft rhythm of the rain as it makes its first autumn mark on California's Central Coast.

And when you're finished, hop over to The Path to Wonderful Facebook page and check your settings to make sure you're receiving all of my posts. Apparently Facebook has changed its algorithms again, so we have to make some minor adjustments if we want to make sure we're seeing everything our Liked pages are posting.

1. Mouse over the "Liked" button and be sure that "Show in News Feed" is selected.
2. In the same drop-down menu right underneath "Show in News Feed" you will see a "Settings" option. Click on that.
3. Then check "All Updates."

Thanks for stopping by to share another meditative moment with me! 

One-Minute Meditation: Wind in the Trees, Santa Ynez

In the spirit of the OWN network's Breathing Space videos and a blog my friend Janice once wrote about meditating on a blowing tablecloth, I shot a one-minute movie of the breeze in my backyard yesterday.

Take a second out of your busy day to just breathe and watch.

Listen to the wind—it almost sounds like the ocean.

Let yourself relax. Just for a moment.

Repeat as often as necessary.