I work as wellness consultant and specialize in helping clients integrate qualities of mindfulness to bring more balance into their lives.   I find that nature is a wonderful tool to bring us back to the present moment and to be with what is here and now.  In order for me to be an expert in these areas, I have to engage in these practices myself.  This summer, I packed my bag with a few athleta bikinis, skirts, running shorts, and of course running shoes.  Then away I went for a week in the beautiful caribbean  islands of Turks and Caicos.

I have been to many of the caribbean islands since I was a child living in FL.  It was an easy escape for my family vacations back then.  Now that I live in the bay area, it’s a little more of a jump for me, but completely worth it.  The islands of Turks and Caicos had the most amazing blue green waters and this was something you can even see from 20,000 feet high in the air.  The months of July- October are apparently the least visited time of the year due to the humidity and you could feel it, but who’s complaining I am on vacation.

Upon arriving on the northwest side of the island, I scoped out my new home to find out where I could go swimming and running nearby.  I am truly an outdoor enthusiast  and on vacation I like to spend as much time being outside and active.   Running or swimming in a new territory feels like an adventure all to itself.  I love being able to explore new trails and vistas that I have never seen.  Additionally, I set up a snorkeling trip so that I could introduce myself to the marine life in the area.   I took a 5 hour snorkeling trip on one of the most calm days on the island.  The wind was so minimal that as I laid on the roof of our boat, the ocean water looked like a mirror, not a ripple in site.  Amazing!  You could see the flap of eagle rays from above the water as they swam happily below.

I found while on vacation that there were many opportunities to be fully present in my experience.  I have many clients who tell me that they are busy from morning til night and they ask me how they can cultivate more peace and quiet in their lives.

Peace I find is something that comes from your heart, not from outside.  Peace doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are not disturbed from the inside.  If you’re truly at peace, then no matter what situation you find yourself in you can enjoy the silence.  There are moments when we think we are silent and all around is silent, but we are constantly planning or talking inside our heads.  The practice of finding more balance in our lives is to cultivate a deep sense of peace in all the activities that you do.  We can start by simply noticing what is around us.  With this practice,  you will not strive to be anywhere other than where you are.  This is peace.

While we can cultivate this feeling at any moment, sometimes being in a more relaxed setting such as on vacation is a perfect place to start.  I found I could practice presence while swimming in the ocean, running on the beach, eating amazing mango, listening to the waves, walking barefoot in the sand, and lastly gazing at the stars.

After a relaxing day, try star gazing and you can choose to connect more with what is here.  The sky might seem quiet, but there is always something going on.  On any night, away from the bright lights you can see a few “shooting stars” per hour.  Shooting or falling stars are not really starts at all, but usually pebble sized bits of rock burning up as they race through the Earth’s atmosphere some 50 miles over your head.

July/ August

Meteor Showers

Best time to see meteors is between midnight and dawn.

July 28th-29th- Delta Aquarids- An average of 20 per hour

August 12-13th- Perseids- An average of. 60 per hour

October 21-22nd- Orionids- An average. 20 an hour

*The nights of Oct. 20-22nd, Comet Hartley 2, best to view east before sunrise.

May you enjoy the long days of summer with presence and peace no matter where you venture.

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