The Ebb and Flow
Annemarie Lovdahl, RScP
“May we all find our balance, that neutral sweet spot, and know that with any “negative” situation or circumstance, there always exists the “positive” to bring the Universe into balance and to provide us a space of comfort and joy.”
– Annemarie Lovdahl –
Friday I was having breakfast in my friend, Leona Rustin’s backyard. If you’ve ever been in Leona’s yard, you realize it is a very magical place. There are beautiful trees and shrubs, and bright, blooming plants, that all wind along peaceful pathways. Popping up in several surprising locations are whimsical cactus planters, made from her grandchildren’s tiny outgrown shoes.
Quaint fairy and gnome gardens, bird houses, feeders, bird baths, sculptures, colorful glass ornaments, all surrounding tranquil seating areas.
As soon as we settled in for our coffee, the show began. We were joined by sparrows, doves, scrub jays, hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and squirrels, all feasting, chirping, singing, buzzing, flying, fluttering and splashing about. The entertainment was incredibly lively and quite noisy.
Every so often, however, the animals would suddenly stop moving around and become silent. There was this amazing lull and stillness where previously there was sound and commotion. This would repeat again and again…movement and sound, then stillness and silence.
The flow and ebb of energy in that garden was so powerful and similar to the continual push and pull surrounding each of us. Just like the tides receding with a whisper and returning to the shore with a crashing roar, all of life shares a rhythmic cycle of ebbs and flows. The Yin and the Yang, Day and Night, Decline and Growth, Expansion and Contraction, the In and Out of our breath, and the beating and resting of our hearts. We are physically, and constantly immersed in the Ebbing and Flowing of opposites.
But it’s in the space between the Ebb and Flow, where we find true peace and joy. This is the space of neutral or balance, where there is neither forward nor backward, loud nor silent, good nor bad, but rather a place of perfect balance between the opposites. This is a place of great contentment and deep spiritual connection, the place where the neutral or balanced mind finds its refuge.
In meditation, it’s often the space that exists between the exhale and the inhale of our breath.
As you move into the silence, I invite you to contemplate the Ebbs and Flows around and within you, without judgement or labeling. Become aware of that space between each inhale and exhale of your breath, that place of peace, joy and balance, in the infinite Now.
May we all find our balance, that neutral sweet spot, and know that with any “negative” situation or circumstance, there always exists the “positive” to bring the Universe into balance and to provide us a space of comfort and joy.
May we all Ebb and Flow peacefully.
Namaste’
Annemarie Lovdahl, RScP
Annemarie holds degrees in Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy. By her late teens she was an accomplished Spiritual Intuitive, providing insights to various clients. Later, drawn to practices of Energy Healing, she became an accredited T’ai Chi Chih and Seijaku instructor, as well as a Reiki Master Teacher, and Laughter Yoga Leader and Teacher. She also worked in the aerospace industry and raised a family. Following her aerospace retirement, she became a Licensed Religious Science Practitioner, working with private clients, conducting workshops, and teaching in private and group settings.
(Featured Photo used in the blog by Efe Yağız Soysal and Solen Feyissa on Unsplash)