Manatees are the “Buddhas” of the waters. They look like heavy, cumbersome boulders yet they glide through coastal waters gracefully. They swim slowly, peacefully at about five miles an hour but can reach up to 15 in short distances. Manatees live in small groups called aggregations though sometimes males create larger groups during mating season. Their diet consists of marine grasses, algae and seaweeds. They have teeth like horses to grind up their food and their intestines can reach up to 100 feet long!

So has the mellow sea cow drifted across your path? What is their message? Peace and tranquility, of course. Slowing down and not letting life blow right by you. Take time to glide through the waters; appreciate life. When Manatee presents itself to you, it is time to let go of violence and aggression. Let anger roll off your back like a gentle wave. There is no need for it now. Be calm. Be cool. Just Be. Clear the mind of unnecessary thoughts and open it to new ideas. Ideas that put you at ease. Peace and tranquility. Far out!

Manatee also show us to cherish our closest friends. We only find a few true friends in our lifetime and we need to appreciate them. Keep them close and value the strong relationships you have made.

I really enjoyed creating the totem drawing for manatee. I was a little nervous about how it might come out for the simplest fact they are gray blobs with paddles floating in water. I think it worked out though in the end. I used one of the tangles from my book and it gives it an old “Mayan stonework” look. I am still working on the coloring which shows off the green algae that sticks to the manatees backs. I will be sharing the finished piece in a later post.

What do you think of Manatee? Have you been in a situation recently that called for some peace and calming? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week.

Until next time,

“Anything is possible when you have inner peace.”

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Sources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/manatees/

https://www.britannica.com/animal/manatee

https://trustedpsychicmediums.com/spirit-animals/manatee-spirit-animal/

Ending quote from movie: Kung Fu Panda