Summer Mindfulness

When I moved from Minnesota to Florida a few years ago, my friends from the north wondered how I was going to “handle” the summers.  Much preferring the months of heat and humidity to the months of frigid cold, I welcome all Florida weather.   Summer is a time to bring awareness to what our glorious environment has to offer.  We can allow our senses to be thrilled by the abundant summer light, the brief and intense rain showers, the brilliant orange of the Royal Poinciana trees, the smell of ripe mangoes, and the urgency of stepping quickly across the hot sandy beach until we reach the warm ocean waves.  We can pay attention to how summer affects the mind and body and use meditation to reflect on these qualities; staying with both the pleasure and discomfort the powerful tropical weather brings.  It is all basically good.