The short frosty days of Winter have passed and Spring has arrived.  The OM Sanctuary has survived a large herd of deer that camped out in Her friendly forests and fields during the cold months. They are already beginning to migrate to higher elevations as the days warm. They follow and graze on the sprouting of young edible herbs of every kind. 

They’ll be back later, no doubt.

They are always well on their flight away from the pond each time I approach. 

It gives me great enjoyment to know they are there.  Maybe I’ll build them a nesting box and convince them to stay awhile.

Cheerful Daffodils, pleasing Vinca, and intrepid Forsythia are brightening the OMS pathways even on the cloudiest of days.  Even the Lenten roses are bravely holding their own under the occasional covering of sleet and snow.  Wild Roses, Lavender, Sedum, Phlox, Iris, tiny Tulips, and a plethora of other bulbs are responding with invigorating vitality to the waxing warmth and light of the Sun.

Arrive in the quiet of the early morning with a thermos of warming tea and enjoy a refreshing walk accompanied by the resident choir of Cardinals, Blue Jays, Finches, Woodpeckers and Carolina Chickadees. Feel free to sing along. Meditate in the morning sun on the rock jutting over the pond. 

Come at mid-day and find yourself a sunny, or shady spot and nurture the dream seeds you’ve planted in your heart over the winter.  Breathe deep and tune into your natural enthusiasm for the good, beautiful and true that you intend to cultivate and bring to flower in yourself and in your life this year.

Stretch into new possibilities with some gentle yoga on the platform at Site 4, or celebrate the enthusiasm of the season with a few cartwheels on the grassy bank of the pond.  You could also arrive in the late afternoon and absorb the melodic harmonies of the twilight peeper frogs, while being awed by the deep pinks and blissful blues of a spring sunset.

During your visit, you may notice here and there that, in addition to the established mile of walking trail and the 14 meditation sites indicated on the OMS maps, we’ve begun creating an additional 14 “unmapped” sites.  This second set of sites is dedicated

to the exploration of Rites 15-28 for those who are ready to explore them.

The keynotes of the first 14 Rites are encoded in the meditations found at the existing, mapped 14 sites. The “hidden” nature of the new sites and the narrow, more rugged, unmarked trail connecting them symbolize the evolutionary path which lies before us all as we take on the challenge of working together to create a new Soulful Civilization that supports the common good.  We will soon be installing the meditations in these sites, but unlike the obvious placement of meditations in Sites 1-14, the new ones will be hidden.  We hope you’ll enjoy the hunt.

Over the coming weeks, our groundskeeper, Brody, will be busy planting additional Ozark-friendly flowers and shrubs.  If you have “too many” of something wonderful growing in your backyard or garden and would like to share with the OM Sanctuary, we would love to talk with you.

The OM Sanctuary is supported by donations of time, money and materials from the members of The Center For Soulful Living and from friends and visitors to the OMS.  If you’d like to get involved just call Heidi, the OMS Director, at 363-7024.

Sacred spaces in Nature,
Like OMS,
Cause emotional catharsis and
Re-birth the spiritual self.
A drama of emotional flow and dynamism
Pushing us to states of ecstasy,
Where the mind of Nature and our mind
Dissolve in co-creative aesthetic wonder.
A melding of Mother and Child,
Consciousness altered,
To momentarily see as She sees,
To be At-One
With the Creative Source,
The Force that gives shape and life to our world
And powers the galaxies.