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| Chase Bird |
Soft, slow music, no words. A cat purring his own music. Meditation.
The other evening, I did all the right things. I made myself a mug of tea. I spread out my notebook, pen and mug on the dining room table. I made myself ready to sit, think, record.
I got sidetracked. A cat wanted my attention.
So I sat down on the couch with Chase Bird and turned on the TV, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to watch something mindless until I could get to my real goal of the evening, meditation.
Larry had used the TV last, and I discovered he had left it on one of those music channels that come with the satellite service.
Quiet instrumental music. I liked it and decided to listen for a few minutes.
Chase moved back and forth, first sitting on my lap, then kneading his bed beside me, then back to my lap. Back and forth.
I scratched his ear and neck and talked to him about the pretty music, and he purred loudly. He finally settled down on my lap.
Soft, slow music, no words. A cat purring his own music. Meditation.
The answers are already there.
Like the line in Mary Oliver’s poem “Thirst”:
“I walk out to the pond and all the way God has given us such beautiful lessons.”
What do you discover when you get quiet and still?
Aw Tina! Chase Bird is beautiful. I can almost hear her purr. :) And you made it to a meditative state though you didn't formally sit! Great for you. That's wonderful. A kitty's purr is such a therapeutic sound. And classical or instrumental music works wonders for me too. I'm glad you found such a peaceful place in your mind for awhile!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. Chase Bird definitely helped me reach a peaceful state. He is such a sweet cat and loves to sit on our laps.
DeletePretty kitty!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had some peace last night.
I like Enya music (specifically her "Shepard's Moon" CD) for soothing music.
Thank you, Elizabeth. I like Enya's music, too. We have one of her CDs. I haven't listened to her for a while--time to pull out the CD!
DeleteThere are few sounds as relaxnig as the sound of a purrnig cat. My cat Ruby is very unpredictable when it comes to her cuddling moments (she's mostly anti-cuddling but every once in a while she likes to) and I always love hearing her purr. So when she does purr I appreciate it even more. As far as your question, when I get quiet and still I discover that the stress of the day just slowly melts away.
ReplyDeleteKeith, Cats can be unpredictable when it comes to how much attention they want. Our Sam doesn't sit on our laps, but she likes to sit close to us and put her front paws on our laps. Even just listening to the kitties breathe when they sleep is relaxing for me!
DeleteThat sounds very relaxing :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was, Lisa. I didn't expect to sit for long, but the music and the purring drew me in.
DeleteSUCH a peaceful post, Tina!
ReplyDeleteI'd love a moment like this!
But, my anxiety and depression have been trying its best to tucker me out- so when I do rest, I seem to not really reast- because anxiety is in my chest. I'm sure you know how that feels!
Chase Bird is so cute!
... i've been thinking that some meditation on a scripture verse and deep breathing- the very slow and relaxed kind is absolutely needed for me very SOON.
Have you ever noticed when you might seem to hold your breath through out the day? That's me, here lately only to add to the anxiety.
SO HAPPY to read this peaceful and relaxing post- it's encouragenment to my soul!
Blessings, Deanna
Thank you, Deanna. I'm so sorry you're feeling so tired from anxiety and depression. Yes, I know what it feels like to have anxiety in my chest--not fun, so I empathize. I think meditating on scripture is a wonderful idea.
DeleteI do find myself holding my breath or breathing very shallowly. I try to take deep breaths during the day to relax, but it's hard for me to remember to do it in the rush of the day. Hope you are feeling better soon! :-)
Oh that sounds so wonderful! I like to sometimes just listen to my kitty purr while she sits on my lap. Often times, when doing that, I will be really overwhelmed by God's creative hand and how He fashioned all these sweet little animals for us to love. I'm glad you had that sweet time with your kitty.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sunny. I, too, am particularly grateful for my kitties when I watch them and really notice how beautiful they are. I love animals so much and am so grateful for them!
Deletei am rarely quiet or still and i'm not sure that's a good thing but i like being busy!!
ReplyDeleteit sounds like this worked well for both of you!!
Thanks, Debbie, it did suit both of us!
DeleteI think that is why "Pet Therapy" is so successful. Just having our dog sit close to me and to feel her warmth was such a comfort. There is something about petting an animal that brings about real peace to me. I miss it intensely, but we travel too much and I don't think it would be fair for us to get a new pet right now.
ReplyDeleteI have many quiet moments and too much noise overwhelms me. Like if I have the tv on but I can hear the radio out in the garage going, I will turn the TV off. I don't even like to have company over to visit with the TV on, unless it is purposely to watch a football game or something, because I feel like too much is competing for my concentration and attention. I know that sounds weird.
Krystal Lynn, it doesn't sound weird. I'm like that, too. I don't like a lot of noise, and I don't like a lot of different noises (or activities) around me at one time. A lot of the time, even in the quiet, my mind is racing. With meditation, I try to slow that down, too. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteTina, you must have been reading my mind. I'm planning on writing a post about OCD and pets for next week! Your time with Chase Bird sure sounds like meditation to me!
ReplyDeleteJanet, thank you for your comment. I will look forward to your post!
DeleteI am passionate about how my pets have helped me with my OCD and depression.
Hi Tina, how wonderful! You had some time to relax and enjoy the moment, and I am certain your lovely, purring feline enjoyed it equally! When you mentioned a channel with soft music I thought about a couple of channels that I listen to. One is called "The Spa", and the other is called "Nature". The spa one has soft and soothing music and the nature one has the same, but the difference with the nature one is that it sometimes simply has nature only sounds...with no music. You can hear birds chirping, waterfall or ocean waves, rain fall, rain storm, etc. I often put it on to calm myself in the evening, it is just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteNow to your question. I discover so much when I get quiet and still. I am able to focus and concentrate better without all the 'background' noise, and I can hear things that I might miss otherwise...such as the birds chirping outside. As well, I am often to make my best and wisest decisions when it is quiet. Thank you so much for sharing.
Linda, thank you for sharing what works for you. That nature channel especially sounds wonderful. Getting rid of all the background noise helps me, too. I find that I think more clearly when it's quiet.
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