Life isn't always easy. But you can find something to see as meaningful, purposeful, or beautiful, even in the painful moments. Even when in agony, you can connect to you inner peace.
One simple trick is to remember: Breathe (with your whole body), feel everything (physical senses, emotions, energy, inner + outer), and then let it go. Use that to cultivate presence.. To become grounded and clear as opposed to scattered. When clear, add: Respond honestly (in harmony with your inner sense of rightness).
Breathe, Feel, Release... Respond honestly.
Mindfulness triage to practice in easy and comfortable times, so that it becomes available to you automatically in times of inner war.
Much love, for all that is... L
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2013
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Expand into Nature + Walk Until Your Mind Shuts Up
There is a monstrous difference in our energy when we are indoors versus being outdoors in nature. Even if you don't think of urban or suburban sidewalks as 'nature', being outside period invites our energy to return to its natural expansive state.
The Yoga Spanadakarika calls the state of self-consciousness and ignorance we typically live in a "constriction of shakti", or life energy. When we are in a state of yoga, or harmony, our shakti is expansive, we are unbound. It makes perfect sense to describe it this way: if you watch your experience, when you enter inside from the outdoors, even more noticeably when you enter a public place with chaotic energy, such as a mall, and feel your energy. When you are anxious or uncomfortable in any way, watch your energy, the sensations you experience. Feel how your body tightens up, draws in towards the center, tenses. Our creativity is restrained, our attitude is not as positive, our confidence is often retreated within itself. When we are feeling whole and harmonious, we tend to feel open, light, free, inspired, creative, bold, literally expansive. When we go outside, we can feel this shift, from the walls and ceilings constricting our energy to the buoyant lightness, freedom as we unfurl and merge with the sky. This is perhaps a very poetically subjective way to state the experience, but try it for yourself when you are in a sensitive state of awareness.
Being stuck in our thoughts is another form of constriction of shakti. As we withdraw into our own heads, we withdraw from our connection to the world and beings around us. As we become more openly aware of internal and external at once, more present, we expand once again to a more natural state and frequency of our energy. Walking briskly outdoors, while consciously feeling posture, breath, air, and drinking in the scenery with your eyes. Every time you notice that you are participating in thinking and the inner conversation, as soon as you are aware, come back to even just a moment of taking in the scenery with your heart and senses wide open, only space, no thoughts. You can't push the thinking out, but you can get used to not paying attention to it unless its functional. This allows you to tune your attention to a different wavelength- the wavelength of being present. After you walk a while and practice this, you will find more and more space in between the thoughts pervading your mind. You will feel less constricted, less congested, less cluttered and flustered, and instead calmer, more focused, more peaceful, energized and grateful. It depends on how long your mind needs to settle in, but 20-60 minutes is best.
Touching nature is always beneficial for our state of mental and physical health. Try to make some sort of contact everyday, with fresh air, sunshine, movement outdoors, and walk everyday if you can. Walking is the greatest natural anti-depressant. Whenever you feel stressed, just get outside and walk until your mind shuts up.
The Yoga Spanadakarika calls the state of self-consciousness and ignorance we typically live in a "constriction of shakti", or life energy. When we are in a state of yoga, or harmony, our shakti is expansive, we are unbound. It makes perfect sense to describe it this way: if you watch your experience, when you enter inside from the outdoors, even more noticeably when you enter a public place with chaotic energy, such as a mall, and feel your energy. When you are anxious or uncomfortable in any way, watch your energy, the sensations you experience. Feel how your body tightens up, draws in towards the center, tenses. Our creativity is restrained, our attitude is not as positive, our confidence is often retreated within itself. When we are feeling whole and harmonious, we tend to feel open, light, free, inspired, creative, bold, literally expansive. When we go outside, we can feel this shift, from the walls and ceilings constricting our energy to the buoyant lightness, freedom as we unfurl and merge with the sky. This is perhaps a very poetically subjective way to state the experience, but try it for yourself when you are in a sensitive state of awareness.
Being stuck in our thoughts is another form of constriction of shakti. As we withdraw into our own heads, we withdraw from our connection to the world and beings around us. As we become more openly aware of internal and external at once, more present, we expand once again to a more natural state and frequency of our energy. Walking briskly outdoors, while consciously feeling posture, breath, air, and drinking in the scenery with your eyes. Every time you notice that you are participating in thinking and the inner conversation, as soon as you are aware, come back to even just a moment of taking in the scenery with your heart and senses wide open, only space, no thoughts. You can't push the thinking out, but you can get used to not paying attention to it unless its functional. This allows you to tune your attention to a different wavelength- the wavelength of being present. After you walk a while and practice this, you will find more and more space in between the thoughts pervading your mind. You will feel less constricted, less congested, less cluttered and flustered, and instead calmer, more focused, more peaceful, energized and grateful. It depends on how long your mind needs to settle in, but 20-60 minutes is best.
Touching nature is always beneficial for our state of mental and physical health. Try to make some sort of contact everyday, with fresh air, sunshine, movement outdoors, and walk everyday if you can. Walking is the greatest natural anti-depressant. Whenever you feel stressed, just get outside and walk until your mind shuts up.
Friday, July 8, 2011
108 nights of meditation: how concentration works
I am still keeping the chain, although my meditation style is very creative, tactile and not very rigid and forceful. The difference between formal meditation and my interpretation of Tantric meditation is that one can feel bored, forced and restricted in a formal seated practice. In keeping my consciousness as the focus, my attention naturally falls where it wishes. Where there is interest or delight there is concentration, naturally. So I practice opening my awareness in the moment without expectation, judgement or agenda. I let creativity lead.
So I basically follow my fascination for 20 mins a night. I feel joyful when I practice, and after as well. It actually gives me a lot of energy, where forcing my concentration stiffly caused me to feel tired more often. They say it takes more energy to fight the flow. Instead of trying to control the situation, I am riding the wave of consciousness, not clinging to the objects in it, but delighting in their experience while they flow by. Sometimes a natural little fluid movement arises and I flow with it and feel presence, or I sit very straight and still + just enjoy the ride. I enjoy the rising and dissolution of what tickles my senses, without seeking it.
In this way I find it hard to NOT become energized, inspired, joyful and at peace. Meditation can take many forms. Don't let those stuck on form poison your ability to explore and adventure. Eventually, we have to go beyond ALL concepts on our journey to clear awareness.
We also have to keep evolving. As we do, what used to work for us may not any longer. We change, so new ways work better in our new consciousness. Change and movement are the nature of the manifest universe. Embrace the flow! We can't fight reality if we are trying to find reality-it certainly doesn't help!
So I basically follow my fascination for 20 mins a night. I feel joyful when I practice, and after as well. It actually gives me a lot of energy, where forcing my concentration stiffly caused me to feel tired more often. They say it takes more energy to fight the flow. Instead of trying to control the situation, I am riding the wave of consciousness, not clinging to the objects in it, but delighting in their experience while they flow by. Sometimes a natural little fluid movement arises and I flow with it and feel presence, or I sit very straight and still + just enjoy the ride. I enjoy the rising and dissolution of what tickles my senses, without seeking it.
In this way I find it hard to NOT become energized, inspired, joyful and at peace. Meditation can take many forms. Don't let those stuck on form poison your ability to explore and adventure. Eventually, we have to go beyond ALL concepts on our journey to clear awareness.
We also have to keep evolving. As we do, what used to work for us may not any longer. We change, so new ways work better in our new consciousness. Change and movement are the nature of the manifest universe. Embrace the flow! We can't fight reality if we are trying to find reality-it certainly doesn't help!
Living in your fullest potential is possible, you just have to do it
Many of us judge ourselves so harshly, and idolized the achievements of others, so we often feel paralyzed before the seemingly monumental task of self-improvement. Perhaps though, if we start by thinking of it as organizing and clearing our lives of all that is unnecessary, cluttering and superfluously burdensome, so that our essence can shine through, we will have the courage to start.
From the Eastern perspective, we are not broken needing to be fixed, we are whole + holy, waiting to be unburied and rediscovered like a lost treasure. Our essential nature is buried under a lifetime of conditioned thinking, the whims of the ego and society crushing our ability to just be.
We have only to do the work of regular meditation, and begin cultivating ways of eating and living that brings us inspiration, lightness and freedom. But we really have to do it. It is as many have said- drop by drop the bucket is filled. Begin by follow the desires of the spiritual-heart, not the ego. We all want happiness, health and freedom from suffering. So takes steps according to your energy and lifestyle each day to manifest that freedom. And that is it! One step at a time, the greatest potential is revealed!
Stay on track by attending yoga classes with a group, to benefit from the group energy. Know that others are on similar paths. It isn't always easy, but its always worthwhile.
Step by step, you will climb. Life is too short to sit around unwell and complaining about what you should've done or being too afraid to start what you know you need to for your own sake. To free yourself is to free others around you too. Namaste!
From the Eastern perspective, we are not broken needing to be fixed, we are whole + holy, waiting to be unburied and rediscovered like a lost treasure. Our essential nature is buried under a lifetime of conditioned thinking, the whims of the ego and society crushing our ability to just be.
We have only to do the work of regular meditation, and begin cultivating ways of eating and living that brings us inspiration, lightness and freedom. But we really have to do it. It is as many have said- drop by drop the bucket is filled. Begin by follow the desires of the spiritual-heart, not the ego. We all want happiness, health and freedom from suffering. So takes steps according to your energy and lifestyle each day to manifest that freedom. And that is it! One step at a time, the greatest potential is revealed!
Stay on track by attending yoga classes with a group, to benefit from the group energy. Know that others are on similar paths. It isn't always easy, but its always worthwhile.
Step by step, you will climb. Life is too short to sit around unwell and complaining about what you should've done or being too afraid to start what you know you need to for your own sake. To free yourself is to free others around you too. Namaste!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
108 Days of Meditation: path of spirals
It is so funny how life unfolds! Just inside a self-imposed commitment, I find myself climbing a new fork on my path and my relationship to formal practice shifts.
I am studying Kashmiri Shaivism (Tantra, but not what most people think of it), and find lots of Truth in it for my path. It is a very different approach to the same yoga, but it places less stress on conventional practice and more emphasis on just trusting on the unconditional Love to be the guide.
So I feel like I'm cheating, but my way of just being in a creative groove is to follow my heart-center/conscience, which is much the purpose of the whole meditation thing- to get you into the timeless participation and non-judgmental awareness of the moment. Formal practice is important to cleanse/heal/purify and re-balance mind + body to return to that heart-space within. But for me that includes my walking in nature, communing with nature, seeing the Consciousness 'smiling' back at me in all things, and deep yoga asanas followed by some seated meditation. But for now, I'll still be sitting for my night session. But its almost too easy, being informed by this new perspective has revealed much of the innate and natural 'yoga' that has always been my nature.
Some days I am just a beginner, so humbled and just starting, looking out into the big unknown almost scared, but inspired. Then some days, I almost think I am really onto something, ready to just about be a guru (a "remover of ignorance"), an unconditionally loving consciousness that can be a mirror for others to show them their true essence with my loving words. Its all just cycles. Spirals, the path is filled with spirals. Its not linear, like I once conceived, its swirling, spiralling deeper. With each cycle the veils are removed one by one, the veils of ignorance dissolving, I feel clearer and clearer.
We build up the unknown to be so Poof! magical. Yet somehow thid enlightenment thing is more real and everyday, and completely attainable. It takes constant striving. But there is shift after shift in awareness, there is constant swirling change and rapid evolution. Its getting swifter and swifter and my expectations and attachments are disappearing of themselves.
So anyways, I'm going to sit my 20 mins enjoying the sensation of spanda and the oneness of internal and external sensations. Om namah shivayah, namaste!
I am studying Kashmiri Shaivism (Tantra, but not what most people think of it), and find lots of Truth in it for my path. It is a very different approach to the same yoga, but it places less stress on conventional practice and more emphasis on just trusting on the unconditional Love to be the guide.
So I feel like I'm cheating, but my way of just being in a creative groove is to follow my heart-center/conscience, which is much the purpose of the whole meditation thing- to get you into the timeless participation and non-judgmental awareness of the moment. Formal practice is important to cleanse/heal/purify and re-balance mind + body to return to that heart-space within. But for me that includes my walking in nature, communing with nature, seeing the Consciousness 'smiling' back at me in all things, and deep yoga asanas followed by some seated meditation. But for now, I'll still be sitting for my night session. But its almost too easy, being informed by this new perspective has revealed much of the innate and natural 'yoga' that has always been my nature.
Some days I am just a beginner, so humbled and just starting, looking out into the big unknown almost scared, but inspired. Then some days, I almost think I am really onto something, ready to just about be a guru (a "remover of ignorance"), an unconditionally loving consciousness that can be a mirror for others to show them their true essence with my loving words. Its all just cycles. Spirals, the path is filled with spirals. Its not linear, like I once conceived, its swirling, spiralling deeper. With each cycle the veils are removed one by one, the veils of ignorance dissolving, I feel clearer and clearer.
We build up the unknown to be so Poof! magical. Yet somehow thid enlightenment thing is more real and everyday, and completely attainable. It takes constant striving. But there is shift after shift in awareness, there is constant swirling change and rapid evolution. Its getting swifter and swifter and my expectations and attachments are disappearing of themselves.
So anyways, I'm going to sit my 20 mins enjoying the sensation of spanda and the oneness of internal and external sensations. Om namah shivayah, namaste!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
108 Days of Meditation. Day 2
Already I noticed my sleep is deeper, fewer dreams, and when I do dream it seems more lucid and spiritually oriented. It is too soon to say but my waking consciousness seems a little clearer as well.
I have heard many times that meditating at night (versus during dawn, daylight or dusk) challenges the fears one has stored in the ego. I am bold, comfortable and at ease any other time, but have always felt uneasy at night. The fears are usually directed at nothing in particular and are usually active only when I am completely alone. Fear comes from the ego, it is a form of ignorance.
I originally didn't think of this possibility, but I am excited and solidly going to witness and become free of this aspect of egoic fears. I am embracing this practice with determination. I am feeling safer and safer just in making this determination.
I try to continue the practice of mindfulness throughout my days, but I feel a deep strength and joy arising in this experiment and I positively anticipate my meditation session when it comes into my awareness.
I have heard many times that meditating at night (versus during dawn, daylight or dusk) challenges the fears one has stored in the ego. I am bold, comfortable and at ease any other time, but have always felt uneasy at night. The fears are usually directed at nothing in particular and are usually active only when I am completely alone. Fear comes from the ego, it is a form of ignorance.
I originally didn't think of this possibility, but I am excited and solidly going to witness and become free of this aspect of egoic fears. I am embracing this practice with determination. I am feeling safer and safer just in making this determination.
I try to continue the practice of mindfulness throughout my days, but I feel a deep strength and joy arising in this experiment and I positively anticipate my meditation session when it comes into my awareness.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
108 Days of Meditation~ Are You In?
I'm challenging myself to 108 days in a row of meditating before bed for at least 20 minutes. Would you like to join me for this transformative challenge?
I have kept my sadhana active since 2005 when I undertook my yoga teacher training at a Sivananada Ashram in the Bahamas. My sadhana has taken many forms- asanas regularly, mindfulness meditations, lots of reading and study in classic texts and books by others on the path, but I haven't had much of a sitting practice for quite a while. I have the "best" or most naturally focused meditation experiences after thorough asana practice or in nature, but my life situation doesn't allow me to practice like that outside of practicing with my student-friends. So I decided to commit to a sitting meditation practice for 108 days. Please commit with me!
You can use mantra, breath-awareness or any techniques you enjoy. I'm beginning with open awareness, just witnessing all as it is without judgement. I may switch techniques, but will do 20 minutes or more of meditation each evening for this next 108 days. I am starting tonight, June 28th, but you can start anytime. My 108 days will end after October 14th, just after the 5th anniversary of our yoga studio (Oct. 2nd). I am meditating in bed, but you can maybe meditate on your porch or in a special space in your bedroom or other quiet space.
I will share how it is coming along. Feel free to post here or on our Enlighten Facebook fanpage, letting us know how your practice is coming along.
I cannot take a retreat at this time in my life because of family commitments, but I feel that deepening my practice will give the needed catalyst to come to the next level of awareness. This is the way. I started practicing two days ago, but yesterday I barely meditated, because I just witnessed my ego throwing all the tricks at me. I just witnessed it, let it have a little run and said, last time! So don't let boredom, fatigue, feeling antsy or other tricks of the ego fool you. Ram Dass often says that the ego pulls those tricks out because it doesn't like to let itself be ordered by meditation, it creates resistance because it wants to be in control. I'm not letting my accumulated subconscious conditioning and habits rule my mind anymore! This is a peaceful coup! Join me! 108 days, we can do it! It will be glorious, every night unique, vacation, camping, home, work night, party night, lets witness it all!
Enough! Time to start! Namaste!
I have kept my sadhana active since 2005 when I undertook my yoga teacher training at a Sivananada Ashram in the Bahamas. My sadhana has taken many forms- asanas regularly, mindfulness meditations, lots of reading and study in classic texts and books by others on the path, but I haven't had much of a sitting practice for quite a while. I have the "best" or most naturally focused meditation experiences after thorough asana practice or in nature, but my life situation doesn't allow me to practice like that outside of practicing with my student-friends. So I decided to commit to a sitting meditation practice for 108 days. Please commit with me!
You can use mantra, breath-awareness or any techniques you enjoy. I'm beginning with open awareness, just witnessing all as it is without judgement. I may switch techniques, but will do 20 minutes or more of meditation each evening for this next 108 days. I am starting tonight, June 28th, but you can start anytime. My 108 days will end after October 14th, just after the 5th anniversary of our yoga studio (Oct. 2nd). I am meditating in bed, but you can maybe meditate on your porch or in a special space in your bedroom or other quiet space.
I will share how it is coming along. Feel free to post here or on our Enlighten Facebook fanpage, letting us know how your practice is coming along.
I cannot take a retreat at this time in my life because of family commitments, but I feel that deepening my practice will give the needed catalyst to come to the next level of awareness. This is the way. I started practicing two days ago, but yesterday I barely meditated, because I just witnessed my ego throwing all the tricks at me. I just witnessed it, let it have a little run and said, last time! So don't let boredom, fatigue, feeling antsy or other tricks of the ego fool you. Ram Dass often says that the ego pulls those tricks out because it doesn't like to let itself be ordered by meditation, it creates resistance because it wants to be in control. I'm not letting my accumulated subconscious conditioning and habits rule my mind anymore! This is a peaceful coup! Join me! 108 days, we can do it! It will be glorious, every night unique, vacation, camping, home, work night, party night, lets witness it all!
Enough! Time to start! Namaste!
Overcoming Obstacles On the Path
Whatever you see the path as, a way to a healthier lifestyle, a way to more peace and happiness or a spiritual path, the ego gets in the way. This isn't the same entirely as what we normally think of as ego, it's much more subtle then that. It is getting caught in our emotions and the impulses of our mind and body as being all there is to us, forgetting that there is a deeper part to us that witnesses all of those constantly changing factors.
The ego is the part of us that is so resistant to change, so determined to not do what we know we truly want and need to do to be our best possible Self.
As I am restarting a home meditation practice, after years of mindfulness, yoga asana and other meditation practices, I am witnessing my ego throwing every trick at me. Anxious antsy boredom, fatigue, constant roving and distracted eyes... Ram Dass says that the ego pulls out those tricks right when we are about to come to a deeper state of meditation or awareness. So I smile to my silly ego, as it worries and tries to resist transformation. Its afraid of non-existence being revealed in the unknown beyond. I'm not concerned with any of that, I trust in the deeper state of my own consciousness that I'm ready to know.
Just smile to those tricks. You have time for anything that you truly need and want. You have to want it. Enlightenment or transformation won't come find you if you are too busy resisting, or pampering your resistant ego. You have to show up to be marked present. Continue on! Don't give in! Fearless! You have to really want that freedom and peace to go claim it! Namaste!
The ego is the part of us that is so resistant to change, so determined to not do what we know we truly want and need to do to be our best possible Self.
As I am restarting a home meditation practice, after years of mindfulness, yoga asana and other meditation practices, I am witnessing my ego throwing every trick at me. Anxious antsy boredom, fatigue, constant roving and distracted eyes... Ram Dass says that the ego pulls out those tricks right when we are about to come to a deeper state of meditation or awareness. So I smile to my silly ego, as it worries and tries to resist transformation. Its afraid of non-existence being revealed in the unknown beyond. I'm not concerned with any of that, I trust in the deeper state of my own consciousness that I'm ready to know.
Just smile to those tricks. You have time for anything that you truly need and want. You have to want it. Enlightenment or transformation won't come find you if you are too busy resisting, or pampering your resistant ego. You have to show up to be marked present. Continue on! Don't give in! Fearless! You have to really want that freedom and peace to go claim it! Namaste!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Peace on Earth: no-stress holiday thoughts
What can be more cheery & bright than the holiday season!? But for so many, November and December are chaotic, draining & unhealthy.
How can we practice peace and non-harm when the season of giving turns into the season of road rage, junk food and exhausting over-commitments? Here are some ideas...
BE HONEST- kindly say no to any commitments you can't comfortably make. Being open & honest in the first place eliminates the emotional breakdown or disappointing last minute cancellations.
BE PRESENT- take things one day, one moment at a time. We get overwhelmed when we think too far ahead. Being present helps us to keep a broader perspective- realize that rushing or frustration are not inevitable and that in this moment, you can take a deep breath and be okay.
A little bit of planning and a lot of just being here and now goes a long way towards maintaining inner peace, all year long. During this, the busiest season of the year, it goes even further. Being here and now is the best way to enjoy each moment with our loved ones, which is what the season is truly about.
BE DIFFERENT- don't like the mall vibe? Well, then don't go there! Gifts don't have to come from the mall! In fact, if you avoid the malls & bigger commercial centers, you avoid a great deal of what's not so nice about this season.
Shop at smaller, locally-owned shops and boutiques. Make creative, simple gifts. And if you need to shop from the big chain stores, save energy ( & gas) and shop online.
Look for fair-trade and sweatshop free gifts. Think of giving useful gifts instead of more knick-knacks. Gift baskets of gourmet & wholesome, organic, fair-trade foods can be delightful. Think of what your loved one enjoys most, and create a unique mix of items that will soothe, inspire or heal them. If you are splurging anyways, always consider the most eco-friendly option to assure none are harmed by your giving. Enjoy the process of choosing gifts, be creative, and you will be doing yourself a great kindness too.
BE PREPARED- what makes us feel like more of a grouch than eating too much white flour and sugar? Eat healthy meals and pack healthy lunches for work. Eat every 3-4 hours so that you are never starving (thats when we eat a plate of cookies- when we were way too hungry to begin with). Bring healthy foods when asked to contribute to holiday parties, such as butternut squash soup, whole wheat quick breads, crudites, low-sugar apple cobbler, or veggie pates. Eat before going to parties, never go starving. Drink plenty of water with all those dry, crunchy party snack. Nibble & sample, but focus on the people or ambiance, not just the food.
BE COMPASSIONATE- think about the less fortunate during the holidays. Much of the holiday stress comes the infusion of capitalistic materialism into an otherwise deeply meaningful, universally significant season. Consider some form of volunteerism once a week to give back and stay humble. Animal shelters, hospitals, soup kitchens or homeless shelters are always looking for helpers. Or get friends together to knit scarves for the homeless or bake nice things for the soup kitchen, or any other creative way to offer more joy to those less fortunate then ourselves. In this way we slow-down and connect to the greater meaning of the season.
BE CENTERED- most people drastically alter their routes this time of year. They stop going to yoga class or the gym, their usual sleep schedule is shoved aside, they stop that lunch-time walk or eat more take-out instead of cooking dinners at home like usual. Perhaps that may free an hour or two, but severing from grounding, nuturing routines leaves us feeling unfocused, adrift and anxious. It's likely that you will alter your schedules somehow during the holidays, but aim for some routine to keep you centered. Keep up your exercise routine, or create a shorter routine for the season. Maybe take ten minutes to meditate each morning- sit comfortably and just breathe. Feel the moment and be no where else. Indulge in that ten minutes of just being and you will set a peaceful, focused tone for your whole day.
BE SIMPLE- some of the stress of the holiday season arises from our desire to give gifts to everyone that we care about, and not feeling that we have enough money to do so. We want to give gifts that can make our friends & family happy and show them how much we care. Its hard to compete with all of those flashy, trendy presents we see advertised. Truly, most of us need less stuff & more substance anyways. Think of simple ways to use your skills (or learn new ones) to turn just a little bit of raw materials, some time, and lots of love into hearty homemade gifts. Store-bought flash can never express love like hand-made cards & gifts can. Bake artisinal loaves of bread, knit gloves, sew a simple throw pillow out of old t-shirts, make ornaments from natural found objects, write poems, paint, frame a photograph, make a collage from old magazines, give I.O.U's for massage, help with projects, walks, tea time visits, etc. If you have a big family, consider drawing names & each person only has to buy one gift, secret santa-style. Or perhaps decide that only the children receive gifts.
Truly, we have to remember why we are so driven to give this season- because we love. Nothing is more precious then the quality of attention given to our loved ones everyday. Stay present as much as possible to soak in the light of love, the joy of sharing and the warmth of being together. Do that and the true bliss and peace of the season will be yours.
How can we practice peace and non-harm when the season of giving turns into the season of road rage, junk food and exhausting over-commitments? Here are some ideas...
BE HONEST- kindly say no to any commitments you can't comfortably make. Being open & honest in the first place eliminates the emotional breakdown or disappointing last minute cancellations.
BE PRESENT- take things one day, one moment at a time. We get overwhelmed when we think too far ahead. Being present helps us to keep a broader perspective- realize that rushing or frustration are not inevitable and that in this moment, you can take a deep breath and be okay.
A little bit of planning and a lot of just being here and now goes a long way towards maintaining inner peace, all year long. During this, the busiest season of the year, it goes even further. Being here and now is the best way to enjoy each moment with our loved ones, which is what the season is truly about.
BE DIFFERENT- don't like the mall vibe? Well, then don't go there! Gifts don't have to come from the mall! In fact, if you avoid the malls & bigger commercial centers, you avoid a great deal of what's not so nice about this season.
Shop at smaller, locally-owned shops and boutiques. Make creative, simple gifts. And if you need to shop from the big chain stores, save energy ( & gas) and shop online.
Look for fair-trade and sweatshop free gifts. Think of giving useful gifts instead of more knick-knacks. Gift baskets of gourmet & wholesome, organic, fair-trade foods can be delightful. Think of what your loved one enjoys most, and create a unique mix of items that will soothe, inspire or heal them. If you are splurging anyways, always consider the most eco-friendly option to assure none are harmed by your giving. Enjoy the process of choosing gifts, be creative, and you will be doing yourself a great kindness too.
BE PREPARED- what makes us feel like more of a grouch than eating too much white flour and sugar? Eat healthy meals and pack healthy lunches for work. Eat every 3-4 hours so that you are never starving (thats when we eat a plate of cookies- when we were way too hungry to begin with). Bring healthy foods when asked to contribute to holiday parties, such as butternut squash soup, whole wheat quick breads, crudites, low-sugar apple cobbler, or veggie pates. Eat before going to parties, never go starving. Drink plenty of water with all those dry, crunchy party snack. Nibble & sample, but focus on the people or ambiance, not just the food.
BE COMPASSIONATE- think about the less fortunate during the holidays. Much of the holiday stress comes the infusion of capitalistic materialism into an otherwise deeply meaningful, universally significant season. Consider some form of volunteerism once a week to give back and stay humble. Animal shelters, hospitals, soup kitchens or homeless shelters are always looking for helpers. Or get friends together to knit scarves for the homeless or bake nice things for the soup kitchen, or any other creative way to offer more joy to those less fortunate then ourselves. In this way we slow-down and connect to the greater meaning of the season.
BE CENTERED- most people drastically alter their routes this time of year. They stop going to yoga class or the gym, their usual sleep schedule is shoved aside, they stop that lunch-time walk or eat more take-out instead of cooking dinners at home like usual. Perhaps that may free an hour or two, but severing from grounding, nuturing routines leaves us feeling unfocused, adrift and anxious. It's likely that you will alter your schedules somehow during the holidays, but aim for some routine to keep you centered. Keep up your exercise routine, or create a shorter routine for the season. Maybe take ten minutes to meditate each morning- sit comfortably and just breathe. Feel the moment and be no where else. Indulge in that ten minutes of just being and you will set a peaceful, focused tone for your whole day.
BE SIMPLE- some of the stress of the holiday season arises from our desire to give gifts to everyone that we care about, and not feeling that we have enough money to do so. We want to give gifts that can make our friends & family happy and show them how much we care. Its hard to compete with all of those flashy, trendy presents we see advertised. Truly, most of us need less stuff & more substance anyways. Think of simple ways to use your skills (or learn new ones) to turn just a little bit of raw materials, some time, and lots of love into hearty homemade gifts. Store-bought flash can never express love like hand-made cards & gifts can. Bake artisinal loaves of bread, knit gloves, sew a simple throw pillow out of old t-shirts, make ornaments from natural found objects, write poems, paint, frame a photograph, make a collage from old magazines, give I.O.U's for massage, help with projects, walks, tea time visits, etc. If you have a big family, consider drawing names & each person only has to buy one gift, secret santa-style. Or perhaps decide that only the children receive gifts.
Truly, we have to remember why we are so driven to give this season- because we love. Nothing is more precious then the quality of attention given to our loved ones everyday. Stay present as much as possible to soak in the light of love, the joy of sharing and the warmth of being together. Do that and the true bliss and peace of the season will be yours.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Full Autumn Splendor: meditation
Breathe deeply, smile gently from your heart.
Namaste.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Quietness, by Rumi
Here the poet Rumi speaks of awakening as a death to the old ideas, materialistic ways & confusion of symbols with The Way. Quietness is the Presence, wordless, labeless Being in the now, pure existence.
QUIETNESS
Inside this new love, die.
Your way begins on the other side.
Become the sky.
Take an axe to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone born into color.
Do it now.
You're covered with a thick cloud.
Slide out the side. Die,
and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign
that you've died.
Your old life was a frantic running
from silence.
The speechless full moon
comes out now.
-Rumi
taken from "The Essential Rumi", by Coleman Barks
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
What are we waiting for?
Why does it seem like we wait for health and harmony to come to us? Can we just get out of our own way on the path to well being?
With thoughts of good intent, we let the narrator in our mind tell us that we are too tired to try, too busy to participate, too old to learn. Don't let the ego block you from living fully!!!
The truth is that we shouldn't wait for the next exciting event to be happy, nor should we wait for life to slow down to present us with an easy time to learn yoga & meditation.
Why do we wait until the future to try and be present? It'll never be in that way.
It is all human nature, our bad habits when unconditioned with self-control; the light of awareness and strength of will power. Will you waste more prescious moments whining and moaning about all the prescious moments lost?
Let us begin anew, each time we are lost to the compulsive thoughts, stuck in our own minds, half-deaf, half-blind, half-numb to the intense, vivid, startling, luscious, raw sublimity of Reality. This is the most important reason that it is worth one hour a day for yoga & meditation practice. It helps us to be Awake when we are awake, Alive when we are alive, to be an active participant in Life.
No longer a zombie, rewinding old footage, filled with regrets & imaginary confrontations and to-do's of past and potential future...not so trapped in one's own subjectivity that all of life is pure distortion...
Notice, when you get lost in your thoughts, the moment of stillness when you catch yourself and wake up, a moment of enlightenment, did you see the colors brighten? Did you witness your senses awakening?
Can we take advantage of the present moment fully? Can we learn to be free from suffering in this lifetime? I can honestly say that while I experience the full gamut of human emotions, I rarely suffer at all, even in pain. That's after five years of regular, but imperfect, practice.
We can do it, we just need to start. And start again. Begin anew each time you fall and soon you will be refreshed, transformed, amazed.
"The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step" - Lao Tzu
Namaste!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Joie de Vivre- delight in being alive! A Summer Meditation for All!
It's Summertime, the world is warm & green. All of Nature's verdant beauty is before us. Are we delighting in the lusciousness of living, or are we trapping ourselves in habitual dissatisfaction?
Noticing your feelings and actions, catch yourself if you tend to whine about the weather or other uncontrolable factors, like chores. Try not to overcommit yourself, making sure to slow down enough to recharge your mind and body & touch your Spirit as much as you can during these kind months.
Try to greet even the everyday chores of cooking, cleaning & yardwork with an attitude of blissful reverence. Try to touch each moment with love & a smile. Say yes to life. Embrace the Mystery and adventure of our human experiences, big and small. See radiant beauty in nature, in all things, all people, all living beings. Practice mindfulness to really take in the delicious textures, sounds, sights, tastes, emotions of each moment. Let your pallate expand, your heart expand, to see the sacred goodness in all moments. Feel connected to the Source & fabric of all being, as water is connected to a wave. We are part of the dance of life, the cosmic Spirit playfully enjoying physical manifestation through the material plane. We are here to love, to share, to learn & to enjoy Life.
Namaste.
Summer Meditation:
sitting outside, somewhere comfortable & undisturbed, with eyes closed begin mindfully breathing. Turn your awareness within, scanning the body without judgement, smiling Love to your whole being. Continue mindfully breathing, opening the sphere of your awareness to include the symphony of sounds around you. Mindfully breathing, smile to the whole of nature. Feel yourself as part of the Whole. Feel the blissful expansion in your heart & energy as you commune with Nature. You may keep your eyes closed or open them to a soft gaze, drinking in the richness of form, color, texture & beauty. When you feel completed, bring your palms together in loving gratitude, make a wish for all beings to share this wholeness, love and peace. Namaste.
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