Significance

Look at those people there in the distance he said pointing the finger down the hill’s slope, the magnitude of nature makes us so insignificant, don’t you think…?

Feeling the freshness of the highland air, the boy sat down on the edge and placed his hands on his knees with his palms facing up. He was about to breathe. He was about to deliver himself the daily dose of relaxation and grounding. He was about to appreciate the wonderful landscape around him. Sitting by the parking lot, he gazed at the Three Sisters, the three mountaintops located somewhere on the Scottish mainland. Cars zoomed behind him, racing down the meandering valley road, all the while he started breathing deeper and calmed his body down. Relaxed and refreshed he exercised the three sets of ten breaths and arriving at the standstill with his breath completely dispelled he grounded himself gazing at the vastness of the landscape. His heart raced, slowing down gradually, as it always does when his breathing brings up all the tension within. He listened to the sounds around him, focused on the sensations in the body, and observed the beauty of nature surrounding the valley. Everything glistened and sparkled in the afternoon sun decorated with the few low hanging clouds of mist, which got stuck between the high tops of the mountains. The space is so vast he thought, one feels so small about it…

*

Sensing his body temperature rising, he closed his eyes, focusing his whole effort on keeping his breath out for a little longer. His lungs longed for oxygen, but as it was a part of the breathing exercise, he wasn’t going to give it to them too early. It’s all a part of the practice he reassured his distressed small self, you’re okay.

*

Finally taking a breath in, he continued with his series of meditative inhales and exhales. His friend walked about the parking lot, took a few photos, and decided to take a photo of the boy with the overwhelmingly vast background. He breathed deeply allowing his muscles to unwind, relax, and oxygenate thoroughly. He gazed at the colourful mountain with appreciation. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty. His inner voice counted the breaths and invited the body to exhale and stay in the state close to meditation. Observant and aware of the vibrance surrounding him, he felt the tension arising and releasing it slowly he experienced the calming effect of the practice. Staring at the space in front of his eyes he spotted a group of people emerging over a nearby hill. They looked like little dots splashed against the huge screen of the world’s page. They look like pixels, a thought touched his mind, so small…

*

With the second round done and the last one to go, the boy relaxed his shoulders, turned around, and invited the girl to join him for a moment, as his exercise was about to finish. She sat down next to him and checked the phone, looking at their friendship group chat. Wonder where are the others she must have thought. The boy continued with his deep breathing, allowing the body to fully oxygenate and relax into the final stage of the practice. He loved the third round the most, recognizing that with each consecutive round the feeling of overwhelm and stress dissipated more and more, allowing the body and mind to settle and ground into here and now. He counted the breath cycles silently, as the girl put away her phone and looked at the landscape. The boy finished the cycle, exhaled deeply, and smiled at the sunbeams caressing their sunburned faces. We have been so lucky with the weather his awareness underlined, so blessed with it all…

*

Finally done, he felt the deep grounding within his physical experience. He turned to face his friend and smiled softly allowing his thoughts to express themselves clearly. Look at those people there in the distance he said pointing the finger down the hill’s slope, the magnitude of nature makes us so insignificant, don’t you think…? The girl followed his gaze, smiled, and nodded a few times. We are but a speck of dust in the grandiose of the universe she chuckled, but how lucky are we to be…

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#prose #creativewriting #thoughts #significance #nature #scotland #bigwideworld #mindfulness #breathing #wimhofbreathing #relax #contemplation #meditation