Mindfulness & Weather

Every day offers opportunities to practice mindfulness. One of my favorite ways to practice is to notice my reactions to weather.

If you prefer to listen, click below. 🙏🏼

Weather is such an interesting phenomenon; externally, in how it affects us as a planet and as human beings, but also how we internally react or respond to it. We spend a lot of time thinking about, trying to predict and plan around weather. It can impress, inspire and astonish us or can seem monotonous and disappointing. But here’s the the thing. Weather just is. It is, whether sunny or rainy, hot or cold, bitter or humid, (on and on go our descriptions of weather), just weather. Weather happens, period.

Often, we give our power over to weather. As in we let weather decide on our outings, or even our mood. I’m all for making decisions around weather. I don’t want to fly in strong storms, nor do I personally like to swim on cold days. To me, that just makes sense. (Respect to you Polar Bear Clubbers!¹) Sometimes it’s just a matter of preference; I really don’t care to bike in the rain, especially cold weather rain. I know I could get the better clothing and do it anyway, but haven’t been interested so far. And that’s okay. I’m not such an avid cyclist so it’s not surprising.

Where I see the opportunity to use weather to practice mindfulness is to notice how often I am in resistance to the weather that is currently happening. I find it interesting to notice the exact moment when I make my judgment. Do I look up and see clouds and think, “oh no, not again!” or do I let the forecaster influence my thinking when I hear her say it’s going to “be another scorcher” today?

So when is it that I give my power over to weather? We’ve had quite a lot of rain recently, something that I would have, in the past, done some upset over. “Rain again???” But this time, maybe due to some mindful noticing, letting go and going with, I found myself happy to gear up and get out there.

And when I do that, there are rewards. I seemed to know this when I was younger, but have picked up some beliefs about weather along the way that don’t serve me. I remember being a teenager and going to an amusement park on a rainy day with my sister and her mother-in-law. They both loved roller coaters as did I (still do!). This roller coaster² was fairly new and we got to ride it seven times in a row without a line. WOW! I can still feel the joy and excitement. It was as if the park was open just for the three of us.

Recently I went out on a ship³ again on a chilly rainy day. I bundled up, walked to the front, dried the bench with my scarf and sat alone, taking in the dramatic beauty of the clouds and rain on the mountains over the water.

Several years ago while waiting for a bus I discovered I could be in resistance to the cold, or not. My reaction to it wasn’t going to change the weather or the situation I was in. It only changed my mood. As I stood there waiting, I shivered and wished the bus would hurry up and come. I was wishing the moment were different.

It seemed almost as if by grace that I had a new thought; I realized that I was ok just being cold. I wasn’t going to freeze or even get frostbite. I had been opposing the cold with my whole being - expending physical and emotional energy wishing it weren’t cold. Instead, I decided to take a moment and feel into it. What did it feel like to be cold? Not so bad actually. I wasn’t uncomfortable. Besides my coat, I had gloves and a scarf. I was ok. My body relaxed, the shivering stopped, and I smiled. I was at one with what was, even though what was was cold. I smiled, felt an inner freedom. I knew I’d soon be warm enough, and meanwhile, I was fine. I felt delighted in that moment.

Weather is. It is many things. Not actually angry or violent or terrible or for that matter, fabulous. It just is, whatever we decide it will be. We can choose to describe it in any words we like. The question is, how do those thoughts, descriptions make me feel?

We’ve had a rash of strong storms recently, and they have had consequences (and they may be a consequence of other actions on the planet, but that’s a different topic). But they aren’t inherently violent or alive with intent to destruct. Do people die because of storms and heat? Yes. And do people live because of storms and heat? Yes. Storms happen. Sunshine too.

And weather, like our breath, is always with us. It is always available for us to check in with, to see how we are relating to it. In that way we can practice mindfulness, noticing our reactions to whatever weather is happening. I can notice that weather just is, and know that my reactions are mine. To hold or to release. There’s freedom there. Rather than be at the mercy of what is happening around me, specifically weather, I can just be with what is, and continue to enjoy, experience, and savor.

1. People who love to swim in cold water and cold weather join each other in “Polar Clubs” around the world. Impressive!

2. The Screaming Eagle, Six Flags, St. Louis, MO. When? A long time ago!

3. Ships take you all around Switzerland on their beautiful lakes. And if you have a day pass, rides are included!