Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu

Going from one spot to another takes ages for a snail. Perhaps from the snail's perspective, it takes exactly the right amount of time. Seasons change at the right time. The rain falls when the time is right. The day turns into night exactly on schedule. The bees come out to pollinate the flowers when the flowers are in bloom. As per the timetable, the birds begin their migratory journeys into warmer or cooler parts of the world. Just when its time, the baby turtles come out of their shells and make their way to the ocean. Exactly on time, the baby bear goes on its own path, after being nurtured by mama bear exactly as long as needed.  

Nature knows its rhythms. Nature is its own clock. It accomplishes a myriad of things simultaneously; all without being in a rush or in a hurry.

As humans, our experience of time seems convoluted. First of all, the concept of time itself is enigmatic. 

When does it begin? When does it end? But even without dipping deep into the philosophy of time, we seem to be on wobbly feet when it comes to designing our life in full harmony. As our world is getting plump with new activities, more actions, more and more of more, we are constantly hopping from one task to another. I have just returned from a trip to the US last week and already I am scrambling to get a moment to reflect, as new things are screaming for my attention. 

 

Yet, there are a lot of things in our lives that simply happen "right on time". It seems magical how we have timely meetings with new people who have an impact on us. There is a kind of divine timing how our life and the events in it unfold.  

So can we tap into this harmonious cycle of time that Nature seems to embody so 

beautifully? Can we actively design our lives to be in divine harmony? At the least what I can do is set out my intention for a life that is on time, with empty spaces of meditative introspection and meaningful action.

 

I wonder how my experience of life would be when it is fully in alignment with myself and functioning on the principles of Nature. My intention is to create a way of living that is in divine harmony, is active yet balanced- a lifestyle that is rich with moments of introspection, flush with meaningful activity and garnished with joyful relationships with people. I intend to create my life that allows me to experience the phenomenal beauty of nature constantly and live my dream of being of service to people, making meaningful contribution in their lives at all times.

What are you thoughts on this? How do you experience time? How do you envision your life in harmony? What is your intention for your life? You are welcome to share your comments below.

-Sophia Ojha

  

When rain falls on a leopard, it wets him but does not wash off his spots. -African Proverb

This quote is very special to me.

Some nine years ago, when I was a tour guide at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, a colleague of mine brought a piece of cloth that he had picked up from the visitors area. Apparently, one of  the tourists had forgotten it or actively left it there. My colleague asked if any of us would like to hold on to it in case the tourist came back looking for it. I volunteered to be the steward of this cloth until its owner returned.

Years passed by. No owner ever came. And I continue to be its steward till this day.

I held on to this cloth, but what held me on was the African proverb printed on the cloth. As a lover of big cats of all sizes, I loved the reference to the leopard and the proverb itself found a place within me.

Every now and then, when facing a challenging situation, the leopard and her spots enter my awareness and remind me that absolutely NOTHING can wash away the beauty, resilience and spirit within me.

Isn't that true for you, too?

-Sophia Ojha

Thank you Daniel from Madiba.de for contributing this amazing image from Southern Africa of the illusive animal standing with such grace. Madiba.de offers you a chance to witness the beauty and mystery of nature up close whether it is South Africa, Namibia or Mozambique. Check it out!

The most important thing in the world is to be willing to give up who you are for who you might become. -Marc Gafni

I experienced an amazing feeling, today. This feeling was that of exhilaration and satisfaction topped with surprise, empowerment and desire. It all came from my body in water.

Before I could experience all of those wonderful things though, I was required to give up an idea that I had attached to myself in my head. 

I love being in the water. I love it because I can goof around making funny movements like a frog jumping around vertically or a clown going for a walk in water. Splashing water on my friends or being an underwater human chair is something I am really good at, I have found out. I have enjoyed a few yoga positions too in water which look as if someone forgot to tell me that there is water around me! And last week, my seven-year old neighbor and I challenged each other to hear what the other was saying under water. I barely made out that she was saying “hello” and she barely made out that I was saying “Monkey”. All we could hear underwater was a gurgling sound. Yet, we had tons of fun giggling about it all.

But today, was different. I had come into the pool to train. The pool belonged to me and I belonged to the pool. My challenge: Can I make five laps in the pool? 

I realised that it was an ambitious goal for me. I said to myself, “I need the next three to four weeks for hitting this target”.

A moment later, I decided that I needed to test how far I can make it. 

Off I went. The first lap is a breeze. The second is a no-brainer, too. As I began the third lap, my lungs come alive. Now I am at more than half way point. I have to keep going. During the fourth lap, my lungs and my legs and my arms are all starting to give out a unified internal scream. I was so tempted to stop and give it all up. As I considered my fifth lap, all I hear myself saying in my head was: “You can because you think you can...you can because you think you can”.* It was an hallucinating mantra going inside my head as if by itself. It felt as if my body would dissolve in the water any moment. I just keep on paddling. Now at this point, I was just kicking and gasping for air. My legs were flying all over the place and my arms were just making the movement, with apparently no strength. 

It did not matter now. Because I had just finished my fifth lap.

Then came the rush of joy and satisfaction.

I had actively given up the thought I identified with just a few moments ago: that I need three-four weeks to hit this target. I actually needed 5 minutes of realising that this was a carefully crafted hoax created by some force inside of me that had taken root in the crevices of my mind. Once I dropped all of that, the path was paved for me to feel the amazing feelings from the entire experience.

I had come into the pool to train my body. I left knowing that I had learnt to train my mind. 

-Sophia Ojha

* Before my swim this morning, I had glanced at this quote, “They can because they think they can” from Virgil laying on our window sill.

Marc Gafni is an American bestselling author. Check him out on Wikipedia as well as his amazing works on Amazon.

Wanna be a kid again?

The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and the Destination Center in Asheville organized a fun family night yesterday. Park Ranger Emily and Ranger CM talked to us about the richness of the Blue Ridge. Emily spoke to us about how hawks use the thermals and updrafts to fly up high in order to save energy on their long migratory flights. This fall we have a chance to see many of them flying South from the various lookout points on the mountains. And after a bit of nature lesson, CM showed us how to make kites in her uncanny humor that just made us laugh out loud. I did not know kites were used in the past to carry people and the first kites were made in China. We also made the stick contraption for making bubbles. I had no idea these would be HUGE bubbles we were making.

We were making bubbles until after the sun went down. The crimson colors of the sky just made the whole experience absolutely gorgeous. And both Cristof and I were kids again. Hmmmm. Delicious!

 animoto is a great resource for easily and quickly making your own video slideshows.

God is the experience of looking at a tree and saying, "Ah"! -Joseph Campbell

When I first saw these words from Joseph Campbell, I thought of this photo we took recently of the giant horizontal tree. It just fits so beautifully to this quote. I think Campbell must be looking at this very tree when he said the above! 

The concept of God is so immense and vast and varied that putting the experience into words seems less than satisfactory. When I stand before a magnificent tree such as this one, the divine and the universal become embodied so beautifully into one physical entity: the tree. No words, simply experiencing the divine. The trees of this world, standing on every corner of our planet as quiet witness to the all the happenings around them, loving hosts to countless birds and animals and insects, generous suppliers of nourishment, shade and life-giving rain are the gifts of universal love. And then I hear from spiritually evolved beings that what we see in the outer world is only a reflection of our inner beings. So, there is an amazing, giant tree of universal mystery and glorious beauty within me? And within everyone who is experiencing something like this? Wow. That is amazing! All I want to say to that is: AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

-Sophia Ojha

PS: When you come to visit me in Asheville, I can show you this find of ours. This tree is tucked away on a trail called Craggy Pinnacle Trail about 20 minutes from our home.

Check out Wikipedia to learn more about the American mythologist Joseph Campbell, or browse amazon.com for some of the books of his.

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. -Maya Angelou

Recently, I made a new friend. Before that, I was not aware that this friend existed.

At the edge of the yard behind my parent’s home, there is row of tall, leafy bushes that have tiny flowers which blossomed in their full glory around mid-May. Each day, we would go under a giant, old, very old tree that stands at the corner of the backyard and in its shade set up our work space. A garden table with two chairs with extra long electric cables to fuel both our notebook computers. As we began our day, I became aware of a unified yet differentiated buzz. It was the buzzing and humming of about 40-50 bumble bees and honey bees that were lounging on the multitudes of flowers. The sky was blue and radiant while the air, fresh and quickly warming up.

One morning, Cristof and I were having our breakfast as usual in the backyard. We heard a beautiful chirp. Short and brief. We asked, “Where are you?” And she replied by flying a little higher on the branches and clearer into our view. We saw a faint silhouette of a slender bird. We wanted to see more of her. She flew even closer and now in full view of us. Wow! This bird seemed so familiar to me, although I had never seen her before. She was grey with a black note on its head, had a sleek tail and an adorable beak. She bobbed her head gently to the side which I interpreted as a warm embrace of an old friend. Her eyes were delicate and full of mysterious wisdom. She exuded such love and warmth into me with her knowing glance. And I know she was looking at me- straight into my soul. She was seeing me in my completeness and my wholeness; she was accepting me in ways so new yet familiar. I fell in love with this bird - a bird who I lovingly call black cap - and we became friends. I just made a new friend; before that I was not even aware that this friend existed.

In celebration and to my joy, the black cap began singing. For fifteen minutes, she sang and I was mesmerized by her song.

I see this friend everywhere I go.

I first saw her in my parent’s backyard in New Jersey singing.

I saw her at the Bronx Zoo in New York jumping from one branch to another.

I saw her at the Welcome Center at the Blue Ridge Parkway cleaning her feathers.

I saw her on our camping weekend in upstate New York picking berries.

I see my friend everywhere I go. And everywhere I go, her song goes with me.

-Sophia Ojha

Maya Angelou is an inspiring poet and the author of some wonderful books. To learn more, click on one of these links.

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit. -Napoleon Hill

I wonder how it is to forgive one self.

There are hidden treasures within every difficulty and disappointment. All our problems have the seed of a solution within it. From failure comes the fruit of success. These statements seem so powerful- full of potential to carry us in our dark hour. Yet, they can seem so distant and ungraspable. At this moment, as I reflect on Napoleon Hill's words, this is how it feels: I am looking out at the distance in front of me, I can see lovely mountains and skies before me. I see the magnificence and can feel it in my heart. Yet, I do not comprehend it. There is a sense of awe about the scene and a sense of hope that the mountains represent. In a similar fashion, the statement of Napoleon Hill rings true in my heart. Yet, understanding it and making use of it practically in my life seems to allude me.

When an event happens that my ego-mind is not happy with, it labels it as adversity. When a goal is not accomplished within the alloted time and desired results, it becomes a failure. When someone you love and respect seems to completely misunderstand you, it becomes heartache. Where is the benefit in that? How do I harness the wisdom in the statement so I can live my life more fully? 

I know for right now, I need to love myself. Take several deep breaths and allow my mind-action to come to a rest. Tomorrow is another day: just as the mountains represent hope, this quote carries me forward, trusting that what seems like an adversity right now, is the basis for new growth.

-Sophia Ojha

Whatever you can do or dream you can do, just begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin now. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We, the Lehner's (Max, Caroline, Bernardo & Martina), are all positive-minded people and are especially pleased with people who think, act and feel the same. In our opinion, it is never too late to go for something that one wishes, dreams or believes to achieve. Never lose sight of your goals in life, whether concrete or abstract. And when these goals are derived from your inner self, they give you power and positive energy, and the challenge of new tasks fires you up. I am not just talking about career goals, but also about sports or private things that give us the necessary drive and the feeling of complete satisfaction, once they are achieved. It must indeed be no big "impossible" goals; let's start small and rejoice in mastering tasks, that we have given ourselves. 

My dream in life is to run a marathon. However, finishing a half-marathon would please me greatly for sure to start with. Bernardo would love to go to New York and run along with tens of thousands of others in the famous Marathon (what a beautiful dream...or goal). All things can be reached, if one is persistent and firmly believes in it. Caroline (11) is happy every time she has cleared an obstacle in horse show jumping, just to focus on her next practice session in which she can raise the bar an inch higher...step by step! Max (13) is facing his final school tests for 8th grade, and sets out to pass them with good marks - every day we are facing hurdles to overcome (like in the photo). To manage that gives us strength, drive and satisfaction - we feel good!

I once received a postcard from a dear friend along with the above quote from Goethe. It is on my desk, so I see it every day and delight in the words and their wonderful meaning which I try to implement in everyday life! Someone who thinks he or she has achieved everything in life, will eventually feel lost and unhappy. The one who says that none of their goals can be achieved will just as well end up miserable, because of not believing in his or her own abilities! In this case, our advise is to start "small", to set little goals and take it "step by step". That's because we think: "Where there's a will, there's always a way"; everyone can accomplish what they really want to! 
  
Courage, conviction and positive thinking are so important in life to achieve everything, that one has resolved to do! We are working on it every day...and you, dear Sophia and Cristof, do too, it shows! 
  
Greetings to the entire team of Reflection Pond! We all feel very connected with your philosophy and your work! We firmly believe in your success and are always open for a contribution!

 
Tanti saluti dalla Sardegna, Martina, Bernardo, Max e Caroline (incl. Lissy & Tinka) 
  
PS: This photo was taken in June of last year: riding lesson of Caroline; she really wanted to attempt and clear this obstacle - where there's a will, there's always a way!!

-Martina Lehner

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -Albert Einstein

The beauty of genuine laughter! Laughter has a force of its own as it breaks downs walls and opens up hearts. That is a miracle. And is it not a miracle how gloriously colorful a peacock's neck is? The sunflower moving in the direction of the sun or the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly- a form of miracle. It seems also quite miraculous how the night changes into day and the heat of the sun is relieved by the moisture of the rains.

Nature offers innumerable examples of miracles. The human body itself is amazing. It is a miracle how these trillions of cells within my body are functioning in harmony with each other to accomplish complex tasks. Each moment, they know exactly what to do without my instructions! The immense capacity of our body to heal and restore itself to its natural state of health is also miraculous. Yet, it seems only natural that the body can heal on its own. Even if we are in the pink of health, there is a tendency to look outside of us for our happiness, for our miracles. What would happen when we look within ourselves - when we acknowledge the wisdom embodied within us? A miracle?

Yet, I wonder what inspired Einstein to write those words. When I think about what his statement means to me, a certain stillness fills me and touches a deep core within me. What does it mean to live as though everything is a miracle? When I see this life as an ongoing miraculous event, everything looks different. How I engage with the world and its various dimensions becomes a means to free myself from the heaviness of life, from its experience of becoming dry or dull. So how do I engage? By inviting a change in how I view things, by inviting wonder and awe about everything. This is then the new characteristic taken on by all that was once ordinary and mundane: wonderment, awe, plentiful, dynamic, exciting. Nothing then remains ordinary as it is only my perspective that can turn something into the mundane. By tearing apart that lens, breaking free of the viewpoint that distinguishes, makes things into dichotomies and creates dualities, I can experience everything in its vastness; as though it were all a miracle. This is what it means to me to live as though everything is a miracle. 

There are as many ways to look at this matter as there are people who are willing to reflect on it. And no one way is right or wrong. What does it mean to you to live life as a miracle? Reflect on it and share with me your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

-Sophia Ojha

Trifles make the sum of life. -Charles Dickens

Reflecting on my life has proved amazing for me. I have come to understand how abundant our world is. There is so much for everyone. We took birth to create amazing things on our planet, to help each other grow and to give our gifts to this world in an abundant way. Abundance is the natural way of being. That is what creatures in the wild know and perhaps, that is why they seem to be so happy and seem to be "living in the moment". 

I believe that by enjoying every moment, by being joyful and happy with our lives, we are helping to make this world a better place, moment by moment. After all, life is given to us one moment at a time. Like a necklace of beads, a string of moments is put together. Each moment born with the potential to change my life and make me eternally happy. My new definition of success is this: to enjoy my life to the fullest and to live my life in the "now". No more...one day! No more...in the future! My life begins now, with this second. Each day I live anew. Fresh, curious, open. I experience abundance and joy and the beauty of nature in this moment.

One moment like this one added on to another beautiful moment plus one more amazing moment... all adding up to an entire lifetime.

-Sophia Ojha

The awakening to the mystery of life is a revolutionary event. -J. J. van der Leeuw

Asheville, North Carolina is a lovely place in the United States. Cristof and I arrived here yesterday enjoying our drive on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. We were on the road, simply in awe of what was around us: lush, green forests; double-triple layers of mountains; delicate, fluffy clouds smoothly floating by. We decided that we would stay here for a week and sip in the beauty bit by bit.

And already, I feel that our inner-containers are expanding: we are being filled with the magical essence of it all. This morning as we drove around in the valley looking for a supermarket to purchase some groceries, we saw the mountains at the horizon, touching the sky along with the light, flimsy clouds. To be made aware of nature's beauty while conducting mundane tasks is so wonderful. It made me acutely conscious of the existence of these magnificent mountains that I was in the midst of.

This is what Cristof has spoken to me about countless times before: how he loves to be on the mountains. Now, I truly understand what he meant. I became aware that the beauty of natural phenomenon can be part of every day life. And that is a revolutionary event for me.

-Sophia Ojha

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. -Wayne Gretzky

Imagine you are an ice skater, playing a kockey game on the ice. With the stick in the hand, you are controlling the puck. You are skating elegantly across the slippery surface while always keeping the black disc close to you. You are convinced: nobody can take the puck away from you!

Now, you can either hold on to the puck or aim for the goal. If you hold on, you might become the best puck-keeper in the world, however you will never score a single goal. For the longer you keep the disc, the stronger your opponents want to snatch the puck from you. The more you hold on, the harder it becomes to even aim for a shot! Or you can go for the goal. At one point in time - sooner rather than later - you take a chance, haul out, and courageously take the shot. While you can never be sure whether it hits the goal, you can be sure that if you don't take the shot, you'll never score.

The good news is this: if you try 10 times or a 100 times and only score once - you'll be celebrated and remembered for the score! More importantly, you yourself will recall the feeling of success which will become your strongest motivating driver in life. If you try long enough, learn from mistakes, continuously work on yourself and above all believe in yourself, you can be certain that you score - in every area of your life! 

-Cristof Ensslin

Reality exists only where we create a focus. -Heart Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism

This wonderful saying speaks to me because it reminds me that when I apply consistent, continuous attention to a matter, consciously or unconsciously, that which I bring my focus to, emerges into my reality. When my attention is on being joyful, joy does flow into my reality. When my attention falls upon the aesthetics of something, the beauty of that object fills me. This simple yet profound realization seems to ring true in every aspect of my life.

Similarly, when I focus on what seems "undesired" or "unpleasant", my frame of attention is colored by the quality of that "undesired-ness" or "unpleasant-ness". Knowing that I have a choice to re-frame my attention to that which is positive, uplifting and loving about a person, an experience or an object, empowers me and raises my sense of aliveness. And this knowing is a key for me to the door to my happiness.

Does that mean I never look at that which is unpleasant or worth changing? Not yet! I would love to reach a stage where nothing is unpleasant. All is just the way it is meant to be, say the teachers of consciousness.

A little story I heard recently goes like this:

Say, you want to make an apple pie. You go to your kitchen and pick out those ingredients that are best suited for your pie. These may include: flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon and of course, apples! (I can imagine a mouth-watering apple pie as I write this...hmmm!) So you pull out those ingredients, yet you are not upset that the kitchen also holds chillies or rice or tomatoes or tofu or basil leaves and a host of other things that you do not need currently for your apple pie. And because you do not want these ingredients in YOUR pie does not make them inherently unwanted. You simply pick up what you need and desire and apply your focus on creating your pie.

With this understanding, less and less things become unpleasant and I learn to draw my focus on that which I desire to create in my reality: in this case, a delicious, juicy apple pie!

-Sophia Ojha

Memory is a sacred duty. -Elie Wiesel

Nature inspires me in ways that are indescribable. What else out there lifts me up and opens up my heart in a similar fashion? It is the timeless story of triumph; of human beings surmounting challenges and thriving in spite of it.

I am amazed when I read about those who motivated and led their fellow brethren to freedom. A sense of awe overtakes me when I learn about a woman who travels across a country with her infant son to escape the war that is destroying her nation. I am inspired when I read about people who overcome the harsh realities of daily life and manage to put food on the table for their family. I am full of respect when I learn about people who dare to speak up for what they believe in, especially when doing just that would mean the end of their lives. I am inspired by the man who is imprisoned for 27 years, yet emerges to unite a divided nation. I am touched to know that human beings across the world and throughout time have persevered, triumphed and emerged from the darkness. They are a beacon of light to countless others; becoming a lighthouse of love, forgiveness and compassion. 

Somehow, we need to keep this flickering flame of hope and love alive in spite of all the craziness that is going on in our world today. 

The memory of the inherent goodness in humanity. The memory of the wisdom that comes forth throughout the ages. The memory of triumph over adversity. The memory of the strength of love and forgiveness for our own individual paths of redemption.

This is the memory worth preserving. This is the story that must be told. Everyone of us has an important story to tell. In telling our stories we fulfill the duty to our fellow human beings today and tomorrow. This is the duty that is sacred because within these stories lies the seed that could some day inspire someone to transcend their realities and fulfill their inner purpose.

-Sophia Ojha

Those who only ask about the purpose of things shall never realise its beauty. - Walther Rathenau

Recently, a question crossed my mind: what is the essential purpose of the variety of song birds?

It must be pointed out that I am greatly delighted to hear the beautiful song of the blackbird and the blackcap; when I see the refreshing colors of the green, ringed Parakeet; and watch as the Robin-mom adorably feeds her chicks- all in the "wilderness" of our backyard in the middle of Cologne City!

Shortly after I had posed this question, a strange feeling overcame me. Surely, I could study the biological purpose of all these fascinating birds within the food chain and their role in a healthy biodiversity. For a biologist, this is perhaps an issue of great interest and even an essential matter for climate research.

I no longer want to ponder on this question, though: at least not as I casually sit on my balcony. Otherwise, I may become oblivious of how lucky I feel to have these magnificient creatures so close. There are some things that I enjoy very dearly- be it colorful birds, a breathtaking view, or the gentle sound of the cello coming from a neighboring window.

Thank you, Roswitha, for bringing this profound quote of Walther Rathenau into my life. Simply allowing my spirits to experience and not always wanting to explain everything: from this I derive a sense of peace and contentment within me.

-Cristof Ensslin

Stillness is where Intuition arises. Eckhart Tolle

Have you felt that immense sense of overflowing joy in silence? There have been such moments in my life when I have removed myself from the chaos of activity and brought myself into natural surroundings. This image is from the jungles of Periyar Tiger Reserve in Southern India which I visited with Cristof in January 2007. It was early morning, around 5 am. There was a kind of a quiet that was breathed by the trees. The sun was emerging slowly from beyond the fog, tiptoeing through the branches and leaves. What an amazing moment! I could imagine the sunshine falling on the nose of a giant, gorgeous tiger somewhere close by. A tiger whose glory is immeasurable and indescribable in a way that would do full justice to its majesty. What an amazing creature! Just then we saw the paw prints of an adult tiger in the muddy path before us. Our ranger suggested that it was only a few hours old. I cannot describe how humble I felt walking in the footsteps of that graceful big cat. There was a sense of awe and respect that we all felt in our little exploratory group of 10.

Walking in the middle of the jungle, breathing the same air as giant herds of elephants, feeling the caress of the tall shrubs just like it would a buffalo, and experiencing the sense of peace in the same way as the creatures of the jungle...is an unforgettable experience. I aspire to feel those amazing feelings of stillness, intuition and complete peace, no matter where I am. And I invite you to experience the stillness within yourself just like Eckhart says in this beautiful quote.

-Sophia Ojha

April 24th, 2010. Reflection Pond's 1st Birthday!

Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you to all those who came from all over to join us on RP's birthday. Thank you to all those who sent us their warm wishes via phone, email, text messages, skype, Facebook and mail! Thank you! We love you!