....butterfly lessons

Yogis,
It’s August so it must be butterfly season!

You would think I would remember. Every July I look around the garden with dismay at the lack of butterflies. One here and one over there, but less than I am expecting. What have I done wrong? Are the butterflies gone? Is there a predator nearby? Maybe I need new plants.

Then August hits and suddenly the garden air is dotted with a rainbow of color. Multiples eager for the same branch of butterfly weed. Large yellow swallowtails sip from the zinnias while their black cousins flutter above. The black and white stripes with streaks of red make the zebra swallowtail easy to spot from across the yard. The vibrant orange monarchs flutter from the front gardens to the back.

There is something so joyful about a butterfly……..

I am a believer that everything in nature has important lessons when we pay attention. Rocks remind me to remain grounded. The trees show me the importance of standing still and noticing where I am. The sky gives me a glimpse into the infinite possibilities I am offered every single day, while the rain whispers that a thread of grief is woven into this human life and it’s ok at times to get drenched.

Now the butterfly….she teaches us many lessons. The one she is known best for is the ability to transform. To become whoever it is that you want to be, and the trust required to take that journey. But this summer as I spend late afternoons around them, feeling the vibration of their wings as they brush against me, the word that comes to mind is freedom.

The elegance of the flight of a butterfly is something to behold. With nothing weighing her down, she lands with the utmost grace and within seconds, lifts effortlessly into the air once again. Not allowing herself to be burdened with the challenges of being a butterfly, it’s as if she floats through life. Gentle and kind, she leaves as quickly as she comes, quietly disappearing into the tree cover above, like a balloon whose string has slipped through my fingers. Carefree. Taking flight.

Sometimes our lives can seem the opposite. The daily challenges like overpacked suitcases making us feel burdened and trapped. Heavy. But there is nothing except the constraints our mind artificially creates that hold us down. The butterfly looks back over her wing and winks. Let go of your worries and follow me.

Freedom does not require you to leave home or a job. It isn’t a place and it isn’t someone else’s to give you. Freedom is an inner vibration. A state of mind which is close by whenever you consciously choose it. When you are ready, freedom can be found by closing your eyes and letting go into the very next breeze…..

Last night at the beach it poured and poured. A much-needed gully washer. I had been listening to it drumming on the roof all evening, but before bed I chose to slip out alone into the night, shorts and all, and let myself be completely drenched. Freedom!

Phoebe was a little worried…….

Butterfly magic,
SARAH