Instead of imagining a new morning routine that includes a lengthy meditation, try adding three deep breaths, a tall glass of water, and a simple body stretch. The brain chemistry changes that result from these simple actions are nothing short of miraculous. And if you want to add meditation, remember that 30 seconds or one minute is plenty of time to notice the “voices in your head” and improve your mindfulness as you move through your day.
And here is a nice reminder from last year about the power of deep breathing:
Do I need a deep breath? Or three? When I ask myself this question, the answer is literally never "no".
My losses seem sharper than normal today; My routine is off since my BFF is overseas, and I have no need to hurry to our 6 am writing sessions.
Often, a change is our everyday experience exposes the messy shards of un-attended grief underneath our bare, vulnerable feet. This morning, just for a moment, I felt like I was standing in a jagged hole, fist-punched through my surroundings by loss.
In these moments, my first impulse is to smooth out those briery shards with busy-ness, a phone conversation, or a hurry to the inside soothe of my day job.
I am thankful that I get to spend time in the presence of people like Venerable Bhante Sujatha, Cindy Morris Krueger, Nancy Carroll Meyers, Jodi Shimabukuro, Tara Michelini, Diane Carpenter and others (too many to name!) who have taught me that breath and mindfulness are better than short-changing my life experience with busyness and activities that insulate me from refulgent real seconds, now, now and NOW.
(Ed Lewis taught me ( with a cardboard magic wand!) to make fear and hesitation mean "go", instead of "stop" when I was pursuing my writing dream, and Thich Nat Hahn reminds us to use long lines and red lights as a signal to take three deep breaths. Now I see grief as an opportunity to go deep rather than deflect another miracle life experience)
Stopped in a car at a nonsensically long red light, in a stupefying meeting, at the funeral of a good friend, or in any circumstance that seems purposeless or too slippery to grab onto, it's helpful to remember to breathe.
Breath is the knobby grip that will allow you to unstick the lid on the jar of aliveness at your fingertips, and tune into the submarine pitch of your magnificent, feeling, experiential soul.
Breathe in, breathe out, and welcome every feeling you have ever felt into the roomy house of your human being-ness.
Practice every day, and you will find yourself in a veritable mansion of unconditional love for every single part of you.
Do I need a deep breath? or three?
Yes.
Do I need some water?
Yes.
Do I need a slow walk with my old dog?(oh how I am missing that good good girl this morning!)
Yes.
A different set of questions might help you, but I think the question about breath is universal.
How much better do I feel after I posted this?
It's not describable, (even for a obsessed wordsmith like me!)
Thank you for reading my post.
And remember to breathe.
I love you, for being you.
Thank you, again.
Mary