Image credit: P. Cormier

Yesterday, while preparing for my guiding mindfulness meditation class, I pulled a card from a deck of cards I use, which said: Step Lightly.

The description urged the reader to spend some time intentionally moving through the day with an attitude more like a feather than a brick. It mentioned how so much beauty in the world is delicate, like butterflies, snowflakes, and the little dandelion seeds that float in the breeze.

I realized that I often find myself powering through my action list, crossing items off it with a deliberate slash of my pen, moving onto the next item with focus and determination, like a machine, a heavy brick-like machine.

The suggestion to step lightly, in order to embrace the delicate, landed quite nicely on me. Like a feather, in fact.

So, I used this as a theme for the meditation today. And while doing so, the image of butterfly came to me.

A butterfly,
resting on a narrow branch,
moving gently in the breeze,
watching the day unfold,
wings flexing,
eyes seeing,
and antennae sensing.
All the while watching,
noticing,
and observing
everything in front of her.

After my mediation session, I googled butterflies and found this.

An adult butterfly has two wings, six legs, and a long body that has three segments: the head, the thorax and the abdomen. The two wings are divided into the forewing and the hind wing and attached to the thorax. Butterflies also have two compound eyes and two antennae.

The Biology of butterflies by Emily kearney, cornell Univ.

Thus informed, I carried this stepping lightly attitude a bit further into my day. I left the room, stepped outside, and went for a walk, and in doing so, moved into the day.

Stepping lightly, noticing fully.

Sources:
Mindfulness Cards: Simple Practices for Everyday Life by Rohan Gunatillake.
The Biology of Butterflies. https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/7/3643/files/2013/09/Butterflies-I-1em8d6o.pdf