Awash in Time: Meditating on Banderas Beach

Join me for a walk on this ocean beach. Match the pace of your imagined steps to the rhythm of the waves. Align yourself with nature’s healing rhythms. Allow in a sense of comfort, rejuvenation, and relaxation.

In her book, Weathering: How the Earth’s Deep Wisdom Can Help Us Endure Life’s Storms, Ruth Allen writes, “we don’t only live in landscapes and impact them; they also impact and live in us. Instead of asking only “who am I in this place?” we can also ask “who is this place in me?” Or, put another way, “what is the effect of this landscape on me? How can being here help me understand myself and my experience better? How we internalize and explore the outer landscapes of our lives may be of fundamental importance in how we navigate our own inner terrains, and rarely is this as important and resourcing as it is during times of weathering grief and loss.”

As you slow down, allow time to wash over you while you watch, interact with, and absorb the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the sea, and allow yourself to imagine and experience the scent and taste of the salty air, you can consider Allen’s questions: what is the effect of this landscape on you? How might it help you understand yourself and your place in the world a bit better, with more clarity, with renewed vigor, and with greater purpose?