Harmony through Nature: Seven Steps to Stillness

Ecotones: Appreciation of the In-between Spaces

Ecotones are the in-between spaces. They’re the places of transition where ocean and beach meets dunes or marsh meets dry land. The one does not abruptly end so that the other can begin. Instead, they flow gently into each other and the boundaries are blurred. In the in-between space, the space of transition, the beach is not yet dune and the ocean is not yet beach. These spaces represent areas of life transition where two things that we might consider separate, in fact, coexist. Reflect on the ecotone areas in nature and in life. Feel the way that energies comingle and play together in their relationships and how two can become one.

Starlight Meditation

The light of stars can only be seen by the human eye at night. In the darkness, their light shimmers and dances through millions of miles and years to fall this very instant on the retina and reveal their presence. They take us outside of our small worlds and remind us that we’re a tiny fraction of something big, cosmic and Divine. The way they pass through the sky with order and grace gives confidence that something purposeful and very wise is guiding the movements of each individual thing in the universe. Contemplate a star and its origin. The mystery and magic of it are awe inspiring. Your life, your coming into being is no less of a miracle to recognize and celebrate.

Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Read her Beliefnet blog Awake in the World, and visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.

What is Guided Meditation?

What is guided mediation and what can it do for you? Guided meditation can be done alone by listening to an audio recording, in a group setting, and can be done by a narrator or teacher. Read next feature >