Right outside the bathroom we have a beautiful and mature persimmon tree. This tree seems to attract, in her nurturing stillness, hummingbirds. We have a hummingbird post on this side of the yard too and it seems to beckon them into the yard via the path of the persimmon tree.

Yesterday morning, as I woke and readied myself in the bathroom something called my attention to the window. Pretty regularly I hear and see hummingbirds dance outside the window as they fly by and seem to hover a while at the window itself, seeming to say hello. But on this day, silence drew my attention and when I peered out the window I found a sweet, plump little fella sitting with feathers all fluffed out in stillness on a branch of the persimmon tree.

It’s not often you get a chance to see hummingbirds still and this was a very rare occasion indeed, as he sat for a very long time as I watched for 30+ minutes, (and still likely continued to sit, as I went off to my hair cut appointment). I was so drawn in by his comfort in taking a “waking” restful time out.

Hummingbirds are known for living fast, flitting around between flowers (sound like a familiar lifestyle to some two-legged mammals we know?),  as their wings flap up to 200 times per second. Occasionally you find them sitting for a moment, but sitting without actually sleeping for this long, is a bit unusual. Yes, they do sleep! And apparently their sleep state is like a mini-hibernation.

But this little one was in fact, not asleep, and he was very attentive to me when I spoke to him, but also very calm, comfortable, and settled in a relaxed state. After a while when I made a little “birdy” noise, he began to sing back in a very tiny, low-pitched voice. It was really a beautiful connecting time.

hummingbird at the top of my painting, A Walk Between Worlds: https://taniamarieartist.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/time-off-for-exercising-freedom-of-creative-self-expression-plus-huge-sale-on-visionary-art/

The hummingbird symbolizes timeless joy and the Nectar of Life, as well as a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible and will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life circumstances. They also symbolize energy, vitality, renewal, sincerity, healing, persistence, peace, infinity, agility, playfulness, loyalty, and affection. They are also messengers of hope and remind us to be persistent with the pursuit of our dreams. Apparently, a not-so-known fact is that their wing flutters move in the pattern of an infinity symbol, which then embodies the symbolism of eternity and continuity of infinite cycles.

They are seen as being tireless, always seeking the good and beauty of each moment and day – and yet let us know that the sweetest nectar is found within.

Since hummingbirds call our attention to how we expend our energy, when they appear (and in this case, so profoundly), it heralds us to honestly look at how we are managing our energy – are we wasting it on needless things like fears, worry, or unimportant details and things to avoid something? Or, are we staying well-balanced and efficiently honing in on productive use of our energy?

I found my little hummingbird friend to be mirroring of the unlimited depth to our experience that there is. By embracing more stillness and focus, I discover even greater revelations that come from this active receiving mode. And he was a reminder of keeping true to my heart and focusing only on what is most important to my path right now.

By allowing this time to focus on creative pursuits and finishing creative projects, as well as just letting go of any restraints whatsoever, I am discovering some hidden messages through this sole focus that are completely evolving what one might have thought this time was about. It is revealing something new birthing that is beyond this one particular mode of creating. Some truths are coming to surface and drawing in, as well as pointing me in directions most aligned with my path. It is in these moments of allowing and following the inner voice that I am able to really understand what it was trying to get my attention for. And that answer is something beyond self-sabotaged contriving and will constantly evolve, as I keep embracing each wave.

Nothing is permanent, so even if things change right now in the way I may have thought, it can still spiral back around later, but in a very different and more encompassing/evolved way, by letting it flow through.

And particularly interesting is that I’m increasingly seeing the layers of meaning behind the guidance I follow. It may seem like one thing could be the reason for doing something, but by listening to the guidance and embracing doing it, you can actually discover something totally different and even deeper for why it is you were led to do it in the first place.

The extent of my little hummingbird’s stillness mirrored a reiteration for me that my own inner guidance will lead the way when I stop to listen to my heart’s whisper, and the way I am creating my balance is just that, “my” balance and “my” way. And that even more stillness and even more active “undoing” is revealing my truth that lies beyond any perceived veils.

The sweetness of the moment has many hidden gems when we really open to allowing it to reveal itself, rather than trying to unwrap it in a certain way.

I thank my hummingbird not just for the mirroring of his deliberate and ever-present stillness, but for his reiteration that infinite peace resides within, no matter what is going on, and for his tidings of joy and continual hope in all of life at hand.

I thank him also for reiterating that my dreams and things I’ve felt, but may have seemed impossible to some or even at times was unsupported or deterred by others, are in fact actualizing the more I have embraced the truth of me and my path. My little hummingbird allowed me to take a sweet time out to feel the heart of things and relax into the flow that, in the past, I worked so hard to create and now am able to naturally tune in with ease, realizing everything always is in Divine perfection. Even in that moment with him I was behind on getting to my appointment, but had decided to relax and then received a text that my hair stylist needed more time herself and so my hummingbird friend and I had more connective time to be in the sweetness of the moment.

Sometimes doing exactly what is not expected of you and what you think you can’t possibly do right now, is the very thing you would benefit from. My little hummingbird friend knew this and not only was he sharing his wisdom, but walking the walk as well.

It is also synchronous his showing up right before I headed out to get a hair cut, which always heralds a supportive energy shift that has been unfolding. I am feeling transformed once again and aligned with how I am feeling from the inside out. There is a lightness, ease, and freshness to the nature of me that is revealing itself in my receiving with a resounding “yes”, aligning with how that weaves into the collective tapestry.

Reconnecting with the sweet nectar of our luminous heart light is the evolution we are sharing in the journey of experience. I am grateful for all the Universal guidance and support that is ever-present.

What messages are you receiving to beckon and ignite your embrace?

To be still means to empty yourself from the incessant flow of thoughts and create a state of consciousness that is open and receptive. ~John Daido Loori

Mind can be compared to an ocean, and momentary mental events such as happiness, irritation, fantasies, and boredom to the waves that rise and fall on its surface. Just as the waves can subside to reveal the stillness of the ocean’s depths, so too is it possible to calm the turbulence of our mind to reveal its natural pristine clarity. ~Kathleen McDonald

We do not have to get out of the stream of daily life; its undertows and eddies have no power to drown us. We need only look through the rushing waters to the stillness in its depth. ~Sharon Lebell, Brother David Steindl-Rast

You need not do anything. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need not even listen, just wait. You need not even wait, just learn to be quiet, still and solitary. And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked. It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet. ~Franz Kafka

Be still and know who you are. ~Kirtana