“The nuances of time” are on full display in my garden. The winter hazel— the first to bloom— arches its branches skyward, covered with frizzled, red-auburn flower clusters. The shy hellebores are flowering in profusion and over time have replicated themselves to fill an entire garden bed. The shrubs are covered in shining green leaves with generous fragrance wafting everywhere from their tiny white flowers. And pushing up from the earth into light are yellow daffodils, perfect in their timing just beyond frost. There is such joy in this taking of time to be present. My heart fills, my breath unfolds, and I feel deep gratitude.
Washington, United States
My
sadhana continuously presents new experiences, new feelings, new situations. The variations are subtle. While engaging in the moment, I have choices. So how do I choose? I listen inwardly to my heart, which has a wisdom that goes beyond the mind and soothes my mind. When I focus on the current nuance that is unfolding and align it with my heart, my heart feels so happy.
California, United States
I’ve been cultivating a daily practice of studying Shri Gurumayi’s teachings from “In the Presence of Time.” This poem came to me after engaging with today’s teaching
, “The nuances of time.”
A wisp of cloud drifts,
unfolding in the open sky.
Time moves like this—
a quiet shift, a soft becoming,
form dissolving into form.
To chase it is to grasp mist,
to resist it is to stand against wind.
But to know it—
to truly know it—
is to stand in the stillness within,
watching the dance unfold,
rooted, yet free.
New York, United States
Today I had a beautiful experience of “The nuances of time” within the continuum of my sadhana. In the morning, on my way to work, I made an intention to protect my inner state of stillness and contentment by remaining centered during work without getting thrown off by any potential issues.
Throughout the day, I observed myself closely and was able to realize immediately when I was about to react negatively to a situation. Because of this, I was often able to hold myself back in that moment by taking deeper breaths. Focusing on these little nuances in my reactions meant that despite a full day at work, I drove home in the evening in the same contented state that I had been in when I left for work in the morning.
Konolfingen, Switzerland