Meditation… much to my surprise, meditation turned out to be one of those things that has made a huge difference in my overall sense of peace and well-being.  They say that by meditating regularly you can train your brain so that in difficult moments you can more easily find your centre and sense of calm…I have found that to be true. For me, it is now a daily practice and is something that I prioritize in my life. 

Sometimes I am mindful during meditation – I focus on what is happening all around me in that moment.  But then sometimes my meditation takes me to my “happy place”.  Everyone has one of those… or if you don’t, you should come up with one.  Where is a peaceful place you have been?  Visualize it in your mind.  How does it feel to be there?  What do you see, hear, smell?  

For me, one of my happy places is by a quiet stream in the forest.  There is nothing more comforting to me than the sound of running water.  In my mind, I sit on a smooth stone and listen to the water flow gently over the rocks.  I can smell the forest and feel the cool breeze on my cheek.  I picture each thought that comes into my awareness, then imagine that thought as a leaf on the stream…gently forming, then floating away…leaving my mind clear of thoughts so that all I can see, feel, hear, and experience is that moment by the stream.  Welcome to my happy place…

Sanctuary
	By Krista Longeway

Gently falling stream 
       Flowing over stones
                           Worn smooth  
                 By water’s movement
       Over thousands of years
               It’s song 
          Ancient as time
                     My thoughts
             Like the water
       Flowing freely
      Each image
      Each idea
            A tiny leaf 
On the water’s surface
            Silently drifting away
                         Leaving my mind
                                    Clear
                           Calm
      Tranquil as this sanctuary