Tacos and Tiaras

I'm just being all-zen-and-shit

Storytelling aka Blog

Meditating with the Birds

Gratitude, In Media Res, Mindfulness, Perspective, Prayer and Meditation

American Goldfinch and Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I enjoy birdwatching, and I overlooked how it’s a form of meditation.

Yep.

With respect to mindfulness and being fully engaged in the present moment, I am meditating when I watch birds.

  • I put down my phone to remove the distraction. If my eyes are on the screen, I am not paying attention to what I need to, and I might miss a bird’s arrival, short stay, and departure.
  • When a bird is visiting, I’m trying to snap pics with my camera. I am fully in the moment. And the purpose of using an actual camera is to get a somewhat clearer image than what I can get with my phone. Sometimes my mind gets caught up in the idea that my pics aren’t so great, but when I allow myself to remember my purpose, I stop comparing my pictures to others, I know mine are enough.
  • I’m spending time outside, which is how we get grounded. Spending time with nature. (Recently a friend reminded me that solar is Divine Masculine, which balances my conscious efforts with lunar, Divine Feminine.)

The birds remind me of allowing thoughts to come and go in meditation. When we meditate, we may acknowledge a thought or even engage with it a little bit, then let it go.

If you’re like me and thought to yourself, “I need to make time to meditate”, maybe one of your habits or hobbies IS your way of meditating.

Birdwatching also reminds me of manifesting. (And yesterday it reminded me of Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”)

I have to have consistency and patience.

  • In The Goldfinch Speaks, I mentioned how I had to train myself to always bring my camera outside and treat it as though I expected to have a pic-worthy sighting.
  • I have to be consistent and show up regularly.
  • I have to be consistent with cleaning and filling the bird feeders to attract them. I also have to provide the types of feed that attract them.
  • I have to be patient. I have to allow the birds to come when they do, and I have no control over their schedule. I can only control what I do to attract them to visit.

A few days of waiting for the American Goldfinch and a month of waiting for the hummingbird has been more than birdwatching… and for that I am grateful.

Luceat lux vestra.

The Goldfinch Speaks

Divine Orchestration, Gratitude, Happiness, In Media Res, Luceat Lux Vestra, Simple Pleasures

Let me jump right in as if I was talking to you right now. Disregard conventional or formal writing because if I stay within those guidelines, I’m going to lose my flow. “Better beautiful than perfect anyway.” 😉

Earlier this week, I didn’t have my camera ready when I thought I saw an American Goldfinch. I hurried back in the house to get my camera, and the bird was gone.

This happened several times the past three days, and I had a good laugh with my friend, Suzie, an official crazy bird lady. I was able to snap a few pics of “yellow bird sightings” with my phone, knowing that Suzie would appreciate it because last week she lamented about an encounter with an Indigo Bunting sans camera.

Bird Babble with Suzie

Earlier this morning I decided to bring my camera out with me whether or not I planned on watching birds because it’s always those times of being unprepared that the “sought-after” birds come and visit. That’s when I caught a few shots of a pine warbler at a feeder.

So I had seen a female American Goldfinch as well as a pine warbler, but not the male American Goldfinch that I thought I saw on Monday. At this point, I was no longer certain that I saw him.

I was sitting here at my laptop after downloading bird pics off my camera’s SD card, feeling grateful for simple things, like bird watching, because my daily routine includes sitting outside first thing in the morning to listen and watch for all of my visitors. Please visit my Instagram account where I try to keep up with posting bird pics.

I felt pleased with myself for stopping my pattern of not bringing my camera outside. I felt grateful for the pics I took this morning.

And then I heard it. Outside. The series of chirps.

The American Goldfinch call.

It’s not the sharpest pic, but I feel happy because of what I learned in trying to be present when he comes around to visit.

I laughed and asked, “Why is everything a fucking metaphor?” Seriously. My week has been one amazing thing after another when I am allowing them to come to me and happen instead of trying to make them arrive on what I think their timeline should be.

And the calls or messages are out there waiting to be heard if I listen.

I’ve also been experiencing a lot of reinforcement regarding how I have all the answers within me. Again, I keep chasing those and want to find clear-cut or obvious answers to my questions. I’ve been realizing that when I’m having conversations with someone else even when it’s not exactly on the topic that I’ve had on my mind, my answers to my own damn questions to come to the surface. And I feel gratitude for the divine continuing to present me with what I need from within… building my trust in following divine guidance. I feel thankful for more assurance that coincidences do not exist and even some of the pieces that seem least connected actually do come together in a bigger picture.

Every time I consciously and earnestly say, “Thank you” I receive more for which to be thankful.

And it didn’t escape me that maybe hearing the call of the goldfinch was more than listening and following a call, both literally and figuratively. Maybe the American Goldfinch speaks and provides guidance in his presence alone.

Luceat lux vestra.