GUEST BLOG POST FROM: Michele Penn, Peace in the Present Moment

The Power of Flowers and Floral Art Photography

Flowers evoke a universal feeling in all of us – a feeling of beauty, peace, joy and even sensuality. In addition, flowers also bring energy, grace and a sense of innocence. All of this from flowers? Yes, amazing isn’t it? They provide us with a spiritual connection to the divine and to the beautiful gift inside ourselves. I am privileged to be able to express these feelings in my floral art photography.

When I began photographing flowers, a whole new universe opened up to me – a universe of freedom, stillness, striking beauty and surprising sensuality. As I capture the astounding beauty of the innermost detail of the flower, I am inspired by something bigger than myself. I feel a connection to everyone and everything. I am in touch with the flowers essence so deeply that I feel God. These “soul shots,” as I call them, remind YOU to be present. Just walking past one of these flowers puts you in awe of nature’s beauty. I cannot help but capture this beauty in my passion for floral art photography.

I now live every day with purpose, gratefulness, forgiveness, love, and compassion. I wasn’t always like this. I was in a verbally abusive marriage for 14 years and couldn’t stand up for myself. I thought because I didn’t have bruises that it wasn’t that bad. But, as everyone who has been where I’ve been knows, it can be just as painful and hard to recover from. It continued to get worse and eventually in an emotionally violent rage, he threatened to kill me. I finally left him and instead of losing my life, the incident inspired me to find it. For years afterwards, I lived with depression, guilt, anger, unforgiveness and blame.

Flowers found ME. It seems as if all of a sudden flowers just began to appear as if they were never there before. Where did they come from? What were they telling me? Why was I so intensely drawn to them? I had a deep desire to photograph this delicate, beautiful flower and share it with the world. Flowers were begging to be photographed with their rich textures, graceful elegance, soft geometric shapes and sharp, crisp lines. Yet, it was the feeling that drew me even closer. I felt connected to the soul of the flower. I want to tempt the viewer to look into the soul of the flower too and to actually sigh in deep peace. I needed to express this in floral art photography to capture this connection.

How Eckhart Tolle Changed My Life

Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth, changed my life. The first chapter is called “The Flowering of Human Consciousness.” In this chapter, Eckhart Tolle explained to me why I was drawn to flowers. It was as if he was in my head and knew what I was feeling. That wonderful peaceful feeling I had, where all the chatter in my head stopped for a moment was new to me. Nature is not worried about the past, it does not get depressed or feel anger. Nature lives in the present moment and it exhibits enormous patience. Nature accepts what is. You cannot rush a flower to grow or make it open its petals before it’s time. You must be patient. If you allow it to bloom in its own time, then, and only then will you see the true beauty.

You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You can find yourself by coming into the present.

(Eckhart Tolle)

Your peace is in the present moment. Allow flowers to bring you into presence.

Eckhart Tolle also says that

This is what happened to me. Flowers brought me to my source. A sense of awe and wonder DID arise in me. My passion is capturing that moment of beauty in a flower and sharing it with the world. My passion is fueled by the feedback I get from helping people everywhere to open their hearts and souls to the beauty of nature, so they are able to look within. My passion is more than floral art photography; it is about getting closer to the exquisite beauty and peace that is nature.

What Flowers Brought Into My Life

I am the floral photographer and creator of New York Times Best-selling authors, Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie’s book, Peace in the Present Moment, also a best-selling contributing author, award-winning photographer and inspirational speaker. If I could inspire Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie to do a book with me, then imagine what you could do. Just like the title of our book, Peace in the Present Moment, Eckhart taught me to be still. He taught me to trust that inner voice and to not listen to anything outside of myself.

Eckhart says

Be at least as interested in what goes on inside you as what happens outside. If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.

What Can Flowers Do For You?

I want to fill homes with peace, elegance and presence. I would like to bring that sense of calm to workplaces where there is so much stress. Hotels, hospitals, spas, waiting rooms, professional work places are ideal places to hang my floral art photography. Bring a calm, peaceful, loving feeling to your environment. Make visitors, colleagues and clients feel at peace.

Studies show that that by viewing flowers you can reduce stress. Reduce stress and experience serenity as you connect to the soul of the flower, the essence of who you are. Just looking at my “soul shots” will make you FEEL good. What will flowers inspire YOU to do? Expect to be awakened and connect to your spirit as I was.

My floral art photography reminds YOU to believe in yourself and become more conscious. YOU will feel and experience the present moment where peace and inspiration dwell. YOU can become more authentically who YOU are. YOU can become more of what YOU need and want.

I suspect that flowers will give you chills as they do for me. You will connect to that place inside yourself that you may be too busy to notice. Join me in the place where I receive all my guidance and inspiration.

Live the life you always imagined. Anything is possible. We can survive, conquer our fears and move on to help others heal. I hope I inspire YOU.

For more information about Michele, see the links below.

To connect with Michele

https://www.facebook.com/peaceinthepresentmoment

To see Michele’s Limited Edition Floral Art and Fall Collection

http://peaceinthepresentmoment.net/create-a-beautiful-environment

To learn more about Michele’s story and present moment awareness
http://peaceinthepresentmoment.net/abused-to-awakened/