Day 4/90 Days of Pleasure

Yesterday I woke up and made myself breakfast & headed straight for the water for a paddle. Starting my day on the water brings me so much joy, I feel so connected to my body and nature after a morning paddle.

I got on the water a little later than I usually do and since it was a holiday there were already people there. I started to get annoyed by 3 women paddling and chatting, disrupting a peace that I clung to fiercely. 

But here’s the thing, a woman in her pleasure can call in peace no matter what is happening around her. So I started to focus my attention on the plants around me and that made me really happy. I felt my body relax.

I decided that it would feel good to meditate in the middle of the water, to allow myself to float and trust that I am safe & secure on my board. It felt so good to close my eyes and connect to the gentle movement of the water, to focus on the movement and sensations that my breath brought into my body, to listen to the sounds of nature around me, to fully surrender to the experience.

I felt at peace with the world and a wholeness in my body, satisfaction. I was reminded of this line from the Desiderata that my dear aunt painted once in a sacred place along the Battenkill river: 

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”