For a change of pace this week, I thought it might be fun to take a look at some wild bunnies. Here’s one moment of bunniness featuring a wild bun, along with a reminder that there are no shortcuts to bunniness.
We each face a path, and it might not be the one we wanted or thought we were going to get, but it is our path nonetheless. As seekers of bunniness, all we need to do is keep hopping and trying our best–every single day.
If I can keep hopping, I know you can, too!
Thank you to Theresa L. for capturing this pic of her lovely little Brownie in a quiet moment of bunniness. This pic is a great reminder that we can’t keep going all the time. Sometimes we need to slow down, take a few deep breaths, and experience the healing power of silence.
Today’s moment of bunniness comes to us from Brianne G. and her angel bun, Keiko. Keiko’s pic is perfect to go along with a Bunny Buddhism quote that is very near and dear to my heart right now. It is a dark time in my life, no doubt, and I have to keep reminding myself not to sit and wallow in the darkness. I am still alive, with many beautiful moments of light to come, as long as I am willing to watch for them. Thanks, Keiko, for the reminder–I definitely needed it!
For such a little bun, Bellatrix was unusually strong and had an enormous amount of life and spirit. She loved to chase Callie and Dave so she could groom them and give them bunny kisses. And she still had plenty more affection to offer her bunny companion, Voldemort.
Sadly, Bellatrix developed head tilt and many other medical complications early in life. Callie and Dave did their best to support her with vet trips, syringe feedings, medications, and lots and lots of love. Despite their best efforts, though, Bellatrix passed on when she was only eight months old.
In the end, Callie says she takes great comfort in knowing Bellatrix is binkying her heart out in the great beyond, free of all the physical limitations that held her back on this earth.
Well, Callie, I also find your story inspiring. Bellatrix was clearly a master of bunniness with a staggering amount of love to offer. Thank you so much for sharing your story. May you continue to heal from your grief and find ways to help the bunnies who need it most.
As many of you know from a previous post, I lost my husband to suicide last August. If you have noticed me being a bit less frequent in my bunny photo posts since then, this is why. I am still very much grieving.
Meditation has helped me enormously—I have no doubt—in dealing with this devastating loss. What I find strange, though, is that memories of my husband don’t come up every time I sit. I would think there would be so many emotions and so many memories to sort through that they would come up in every meditation session.
Why don’t they?
Today, I think I found my answer. I am now at a point where the emotions aren’t hitting me at every single moment of every day. They hit me when I am over-stressed or over-tired and they hit me when something unexpectedly triggers a specific memory. When I cued up a guided 30-minute body scan meditation today, it unexpectedly triggered a specific memory.
At one point, the meditation began focusing on the chest and the heart and the lungs and these precious systems that support life. As soon as I thought about these systems, my mind was taken to the hospital, where I had watched for 90 minutes as 20 or more doctors gathered around my husband’s bed in the ICU and tried to restore his pulse and breathing.
Of course, tears came. I briefly panicked and awaited the full-body sobs. I thought for a moment that the whole meditation process was a wasted effort. But this kind of thing has happened to me so many times now that I have learned how to deal with it. The approach is always the same:
For me, this meant seeing that hospital scene for a moment and reminding myself I was no longer there. The full-body sobs came and went, briefly, as soon as I allowed myself to feel. And then the task became gently turning my thoughts back to my breathing and the guided meditation.
May I allow my bunny emotions to flow through me and not define me.
— Bunny Buddhism (@bunnybuddhism) February 7, 2015
As I write this, it sounds so easy. It sounds like I expect that every intense emotion can be handled in one sitting with three simple steps. But the fact is, it is not at all easy. It is incredibly difficult. I have been doing this over and over and over again since August. And I only know it is worth the trouble when I reflect on where I used to be.
When I read that post from September, I realize how far I have come. The fact that intense emotions don’t come up in every sitting is the result of working through the grieving process in the best way I can. I am fortunate to have made some progress.
To be fair, I think it is also important to note that I have had some fantastic professional help throughout this entire process. I would encourage anyone dealing with intense emotions to find a reputable therapist and to keep looking until you find one you trust. Meditation can help with intense emotions, but sometimes we all need a little more help. And there is absolutely no shame in asking.
Resources
Today’s meditation was one of the guided meditations included in the Insight Timer App. I am a fan of this app and often use it just for the timer and chimes, but today I used Elisha Goldstein’s 30-minute body scan meditation.
Elisha Goldstein’s 30-minute body scan meditation is also available online at ElishaGoldstein.com.
Image: Witsanu Keephimai/Shutterstock.
With special thanks to translator Karin Weingart and the good bunnies at Lotos (Random House Germany), I am very pleased to announce that the German translation of the Bunny Buddhism book is now available for pre-order. The German edition has a release date of March 16, 2015—just in time for Easter gifting!
If you’re in the US and looking for a German version on Kindle, you can find it on Amazon.
If you’re in Europe or interested only in the hardcover version, please click on the cover below to check out buying options for both the hardcover and electronic versions.
Wishing very happy reading to all our German-speaking friends!
Like so many bunny lovers, Donna has experienced the heartbreak of losing a bunny. She had a bunny named Mr. Sparkle, who was “crazy and affectionate and silly.” They had a special bond and spent hours together on the floor. She would talk with him. He would snuggle with her. And often they would sit nose to nose.
Sadly, Mr. Sparkle left this world early and Donna was faced with a difficult and unexpected loss. Through her grief, Donna managed to find a greater appreciation for living each moment to the fullest. When she thinks of Mr. Sparkle now, she thinks, “the light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, and you have burned so very very brightly.”
With deep respect for your loss, Donna, I commend you for finding the courage to open your heart to bunnies again. It takes a great deal of strength to do so, and I am sure you are reaping the rewards on a daily basis. May you, Hazel and Fiver share wonderful moments of bunniness for many years to come!
For more about Donna, Hazel and Fiver, be sure to follow their Facebook page and their Bunny Blog!
Sometimes, we all need a reminder that there is beauty in the world and that we are all part of that beauty. To remind us of this, here is the lovely Babs, decked out in her floral finest. She is delighted to share with us her message of beauty and her thoughts about how we can make our lives beautiful works of art. Thank you to Maria R. for this great photo!
With special thanks to Eric I. for perfect pic of Kaku and his teddy bear friend, here is a lovely example of how bunnies teach us that friendships can often be found in unexpected places.
Thanks for the reminder, Kaku. May you continue to share bunniness with all those you encounter!
Thanks again to the House Rabbit Connection for today’s moment of bunniness.
This is the lovely Eva, taking time out of her busy day to prepare her mind and spirit for whatever tomorrow has in store.
During this exciting season of giving, Eva has come to remind us that we can’t forget to take some time for ourselves. If all we do is tend to others, we will lose track of our own bunny center.
Don’t forget to give yourself some space this holiday season–be just as good to yourself as you are to the bunnies around you!
