Peaceful

What do you find peaceful for your body and soul? A hot cup of chamomile tea? Birds singing outside your window? Flowers? A hike?

Finding peace is extremely important for a healthy life. With all the stresses of our day to day modern living, the stress itself will cause our health to deteriorate. Studies show stress will lead to cardiovascular problems like heart attacks, strokes, cancers, depression and other mental conditions, diabetes and many other diseases. We must all find our place of Peace if we are to enjoy health.

For me, rain is peaceful. Of course, right now I am in Arizona for medical reasons, but we have had an extraordinarily wet winter. I love to sit on the porch and listen to the rain. I relax. I feel the stress leave my body and my body relaxes,I breathe in deeply. The desert smells cannot be explained to people who have never had the opportunity to smell the oils being released by the creosote (Larrea tridentata) plant. When water hits its small oil rich leaves the fragrance is one you won't forget and if you leave living in the desert you'll always want to smell that fragrance again. The air is cleansed of the desert dust and smells vibrant.

Another peaceful thing for me are the animal life around our house. Birds sing in many languages here, each it's own offering to the universe. At night the coyotes group together and sing in unison as if they are having a fraternity party. One group will sing for 30 seconds or so, then another group from another direction will answer. I love to lay in bed and listen to their songs. We have rabbits, chipmunks, crazy Gambel Quail who run hither and yon and act as if they can't make up their minds where the are going. The other day we saw a Coatimundi and two of her young. These animals are related to the raccoon, but larger. We have sparrows, cactus wrens, Inca doves, mourning doves, grackles,and birds I have not identified yet all singing.

Another peaceful thing for me are the plants. This is especially important since I am a retired Naturopathic Doctor. We have many cacti (of course), Ocotillo, Saguaro cactus(the master of the desert and home of the cactus wrens), bougainvillea, Jojoba bushes with their oil bearing seeds, mesquite trees, Palo Verde trees, Brittlebush with their February yellow flowers, desert sage, Aloe, creosote bushes and their fragrance, each contributing their part to the natural environment.

Our home in Mexico is even more amazing with plants. Beautiful wild flowers blooming all year, fruit trees and wild blackberries and raspberries, honey suckle to give off its fragrance at night. Both places are wonderful to me. Each has its own peacefulness that I recognize and honor.

Find out what it is which brings you peace. Recognize it, savor it, use it and you'll find your health will improve. Health is more than a lack of disease, it is a state of being in balance. Peace helps bring balance.