Some of the things I do to get still:
Journaling- Somehow writing in my little books about my thoughts and just about my days brings me peace. I take my journal with me everywhere. While waiting in doctor's offices, at restaurants, or as I am walking in Sharon Woods, my little journals are like a friend that I can tell anything to. I have been journaling for over 20 years now and have over 50 journals that reflect my life's journey-sometimes crazy, but always moving forward in depth and in discovery.
Yoga- I love moving and dancing and I love stretching and breathing with yoga. Yoga makes me slow down my body and my mind and helps me to savor the moment on the mat as I breathe in and out with each new posture. I started yoga also over 20 years ago now. I began with a little book by a Benedictine Monk, Father J. M. Dechanet. He taught how to learn yoga in a fortnight. I followed the book every day and soon was practicing yoga. Eventually I took classes from Lilias Folan and with Lilias as my mentor, began teaching my own classes. I still practice yoga-sometimes just in my mind, but even the thought of Namaste brings me peace.
Wow! I found a 1960 Time Magazine article about Dechanet:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871651,00.html
Meditation-I have practiced many forms of meditation. This is challenging for me, someone who is high strung and full of energy. I am always thinking and it is difficult to simply sit still and focus on my breath or a mantra. I have the word MEDITATION in big block letters standing on the floor of my living room next to two little meditation seats I bought at a consignment shop. They call me to come sit and I often find other things to do. When I do sit, I come off my cushions with a whole new perspective on life. It's just all good and I feel organized again.
A Course in Miracles-This set of three books also came into my life over 20 years ago. Now I facilitate groups and retreats around this path to forgiveness and peace of mind. More on this in future blogs.
Soduko- Believe it or not, there is benefit to doing these little numerical puzzles. Once there was a man sitting next to me on an airplane. We were both doing our suduko. I said, "Do you really see any value in this?" He was a CEO of a company, and what he said made me really think. He said " Solving soduko makes you learn to listen." If you go too fast or your mind wanders, you will mess up the puzzle. If you methodically go through the numbers and pay attention, you will find the solution comes easy.
So true! When my mind is not focused, i can mess up the easiest soduko, and when I am focused, I can solve the most difficult with ease.
Playing with my 8 month old granddaughters-Just following their eyes and their sense of wonder makes me laugh, smile and stay in their moment. We play. We talk. We explore. A bird, a leaf, a flower are all new to a baby. Watch them stop and listen. It is soooooo coool. I have always enjoyed babies and children. I feel they are so wise and we have so much to learn from them.
A cup of tea in a tea cup- I love to sip tea from a china tea cup. Just holding it brings me peace
To be continued....
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