This morning, my nature meditation took a new turn. In contrast to yesterday’s meditation which gave me an expanded awareness (see yesterday’s post), I was drawn to notice small and momentary details. Each small detail was what I would call “ensouled.” I found that my heart was in each tiny detail that I perceived. Often there is a tendency to associate details with coldness of heart. This was a whole new world revealing itself to me. I have a tendency to be drawn to the larger picture, the sweeping nature of things. Yet here I was given the experience of seeing details from the heart.

The flash of sunrise on a UPS truck, a duet between chickadees, the needles shed by our Christmas tree in the snow bank along the front walk (revealed as the snow melts). These were some of the ensouled details contained within the five minute meditation of seeing with the eyes of the Heart.

It makes me think of Natalie Goldberg’s oft-repeated injunction regarding writing practice: “Caress the divine details.”

http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/

I also think of the fairy tale of Red Riding Hood. Remember what the wolf-disguised-as-Granny says? “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” “All the better to SEE you!” The result of this totally sensory seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting? We all know what happened to Little Red Riding Hood!

She was cut out of the wolf by the huntsman, though. I used to be afraid to really look, because of the wolf! The huntsman has appeared! I am climbing out of the belly of the wolf.