A Healthier Lifestyle
We all yearn to live a healthier lifestyle. One that suits us better and makes our bodies strong. We all want to strive toward optimal health.
Yesterday it rained. It wasn’t a pounding violent rain. Instead it was a steady pattering rain.
But today the sun is out. Before the sun even lightened the sky the morning glories were already open to greet the day.
The sun did not even have to kiss the blooms to wake them from their slumber.
I watched the rain all day yesterday as it kept coming down. There were puddles in front behind the bushes. The sparrows were nowhere to be seen.
I don’t recall taking a photo of the actual rain coming down, but yesterday I captured this.
Can you see the rain? It is the vertical lines you see in the photo above. Then they gather on the leaves of the tree and hover there for a time.
It slowly seeps down the leaves, pausing there before it falls. Like beads gathered for a necklace.
I love the rain. The sound and the sight and the scent of it. It is sometimes the lullaby that rocks me to sleep. And it is the nourishment that feeds my plants.
You can watch plants after it rains and see that they stand taller. They look happier.
Rain is their music and they softly dance to the melody until it is over. Then they glisten in the light that remains after the rain ceases.
The Intricate Design Of The Passion Vine:
The above photos are the passion vine as it starts to bloom. It is a fascinating progression. In the first photo it looks like low-hanging fruit.
Then it begins to open at the top. And the petals fall downward in layers. The center is like a jack in the box that pops up as the flower stretches out.
The passion vine flower is one of the most intricate and fascinating flowers I have had the pleasure of photographing.
Every time I see the opening of a flower, it is a miracle to behold. And a delightful experience.
You could call the way I live my life slow living.
From Wikipedia:
Slow living is a lifestyle emphasizing slower approaches to aspects of everyday life.
People every day are constantly living at a fast pace which is making them feel like their lives are chaotic – but with slow living they end up taking a step back and start enjoying life being conscious of sensory profusion.
You can read about the Slow Movement here.
Slow living is being mindful of our movements and activity. It’s about pausing and enjoying the small things through sight, sound, and smell. Stepping away from the rat race.
I read somewhere that pleasure is an evolutionary gift. And that to the best degree of scientific understanding, all animals can experience a feeling of pleasure. But only humans can experience happiness, according to scientists.
Scientists think that neurologically, pleasure comes from specific areas in the brain called hedonic hotspots. This is according to Kent Berridge, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan.
When these hotspots pick up signals that we’re feeling pleasure, they release their own drug-like neurotransmitters. Nearby receptors pick up the neurotransmitters.
At the same time, these hotspots work with other parts of the brain to coordinate wanting. This is triggered by the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Thus we develop a conscious understanding that we’re experiencing pleasure. And this brings about a deep desire to keep that feeling going, and to want it again in the future.
I encourage you to begin the practice of slow living today and enjoy the benefits it will bring to your life. In the same vein you can also read about the slow food movement.
When you decide to slow down and stop taking the world by storm, you may settle into something called slow living.
I recently read somewhere that slow living is a set of values that says faster isn’t always better.
In other words, when you put something in your mouth to eat, don’t be in a big rush to swallow it.
Instead, savor it. It’s a good thing, I suppose, that I have to take it slow these days.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
Wow! Just look at the beauty of that bloom on the passion vine.
What a beautiful surprise inside the petal when it opens.
What a nice thought, to consider slow living. I feel as if I am always on the go, there’s always so much to be done….I wish the weeks away, yearning for the weekend, and then on the weekends I have such a list of things to do I don’t take near enough time to relax.
I think that taking life slowly and enjoying the moments are the paths to contentment. Your photos are wonderful and a good illustration to the slow life.
I love how writing on your way of expression of the rain. Also how you tie it in to our daily life’s. A beautiful way to express and look at rain in a different type of elllustration. When I experience rain again this will make me look at a different way. I enjoy your blog but the first time I have made a comment. Thank You for sharing.
Slow living, that is how I have always lived especially on the weekends. I like to be home, enjoying my space, baking, reading, time with family and my pups. I have never been one that needs to go out and about all of the time.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos! Have a wonderful Sunday!
Your photos are amazing, beautiful , and just so GORGEOUS. BEAUTIFUL words.
Brenda, your photos of the Passion Vine are spectacular! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that plant. But now that I’ve seen yours I think I have to have one! It’s structure is just amazing and you have captured its essence I think! Tell me, does it winter over or do you bring it inside? And does it have just a few blooms or quite a number of them?
Slow everything is better, I think. Maybe it’s just because I have always been more or less a slow person! I am not comfortable moving and doing at a fast pace. It upsets me when for some reason I am forced to. I’ve felt many times that there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t easily function at a faster pace. But, now I think it’s more healthy and sane to live on the slow road. You certainly can see and appreciate the world around you more and thus experience gratitude for all the beauty and awe-inspiring sights and sounds. I’m going to be checking out the “Slow Movement” links you posted. Thanks for sharing them.
Gotta go to bed now or I’ll be moving slower than usual in the morning! Have a great and relaxed weekend, you and Charlie.
The Passion flower is just beautiful. I love soft rains too. Everything looks so pretty after a soft rain.
Happy Weekend.
Hugs,
Kris
I love living a slow laid back life. Your blog today is very inspiring, your flowers are so beautiful and I can almost hear the rain. It is all so relaxing. We have not had rain for awhile and I am looking forward to it.
Peace be with you
Marilynn and Hayley
I am trying to include some slow in my life lately. It is very challenging some days working in a school. Have you read thehomespunheart.blogspot.com? Monica has lots of posts about finding beauty and slow living. She even wrote a book about it which i think is titled Slow Lane. Enjoy a slow weekend with little Charlie.
Love the article! That passion flower is beautiful. I’m all in favor of slow living. A simple, uncomplicated life is the best.
Carol and Molly
xoxoxo
And the healthiest, Carol and Molly!
Your flower photos are beautiful.
I was more than happy to leave the rat race six years ago and be fully present at home.
And it shows, Melanie. You are content and that shows in your posts.
It’s a pretty sad commentary on the state of people’s lives today when they have to learn how to slow down and smell the roses, for goodness’ sake! 24/7/365 is now how we are built to live. Nobody is. Meanwhile, while I was out cleaning up the patio from the nut shells my tribe of squirrels leave behind, I noticed the robins are back! They disappear around the end of August and were essentially gone almost this entire month. I could hear one every now and then – one of the robins who hangs out in the neighborhood and winters over – but the earlier sounds from spring and early summer had disappeared totally. Once again, though, Mother Nature is on track even if we humans are not.
It is sad. Things were not this way many years ago, yet life was harder because we were less industrialized. It is the hurry, hurry, hurry we get into our heads and have to sometimes force ourselves off the treadmill.
I loved reading about slow living. I hope you will do more posts on this in the near future.
I will. It is a lifestyle that really appeals to me.
What a beautiful post. The words so poetic, the photography so beautiful, and slow living such a meaningful, thoughtful way to live. Thank you for today’s post. Very uplifting.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Slow living, the art of observation and attention, seems to me to be where poetry begins.
Mary
What lovely words. I agree.
Slow living has a good sound to it. Yesterday we planned to go on a drive to a park when my husband got home, as a way to celebrate the end of the work week. But it started raining and we stayed home and sat for awhile on the covered back porch with cups of tea while our cat watched from a window. Then we went in and had some leftover chili for supper. It was a lovely, slow way to spend a cool, rainy evening. This morning I woke up really early and decided to make some pumpkin bread. The cat kept a close watch on that activity too! The bread will be a nice treat throughout the rest of the weekend. I hope you continue to have peaceful slow days.
Sounds like you’ve already got slow living down pat. Enjoy your weekend and your bread!
I also love the rain your photos of the passion flower is just beautiful. I hope you have a great day.
Have a happy slow paced weekend!
I love this post. and the pictures especially. I am a rain lover too.
maybe one has to live in a climate where you get so little of it perhaps.
but then I’ve lived all over and I still have loved the rain ever since I was a child!
just the sound of it. and an open window. and a good book. and the scent of the rain.
I live a very small and slow and wonderful life. isn’t it wonderful!
It truly is. I am so grateful to be able to live a slow life.