The "Zen Zone"

I have a small still pool deep inside me. It's the place I go when the world starts turning into a hurricane. It's where I retreat when I need to find peace.

It wasn't always there. The inside of me and the outside of me used to be the same - either rushing around or still. One echoed the other.

It took a long time to grow. It was built over many days, months, perhaps years. I collected tiny drops of calm, images of peace, sounds and scents that soothed, a deep-breathing practice, a mental centering, a verse, a song - each one deposited carefully in the secret place I'd prepared to hold them. Slowly they flowed together and formed a still, reflective pond.

I go there when stress comes rushing in, demanding energy I do not possess. I let the waters of the pool flow across my soul, refreshing and revitalizing, enabling me to face the onslaught of chaos.

There's a tiny space in my office that takes me there - a polished shell, a gilded Indonesian bowl, a crysal vase of pure white arum lilies from my garden, placed on a deep blue cloth. At times all I need is a glance to renew me - other times it's simply a portal to that clear, calm inner pool.

Sometimes I can feel the pool emptying, drying up under a harsh sun. It's then that I take time out to fill it, time on my own to discover new jewels that will enhance its sparkle, fresh dewdrops to replenish my pool.

It's my secret space, my Zen Zone. It's what holds me together and keeps me on track when everything else is falling apart.