Yesterday I went to a meditation hour at a local Buddhist center. It was the most pleasant, easiest, fastest hour I've had in ages. Seriously... I was sure not even 20 minutes had passed when the bell rang signaling the end of the 45 minute sit. Cool!
And yet... it makes me wonder what it is about my own house... my own space... that makes sitting and meditating so difficult for me. Maybe it's the clutter... it was so nice to have a space with a pillow on the floor... a statue and a few candles... and not much else. If it's clutter then I'm on my way to meditation at home as we're doing a HUGE spring cleaning... getting rid of stuff... finding a true space for the things we do want to keep.
Anyway, I'm starting to broaden my idea of "ritual" from the obvious magic to daily observations. I'm interested in whether people have daily practices that support their spirituality? Do you? What do you do?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Mindfulness...
I know spring is here now... I can tell because we have three birthday parties to attend in just one week, and eight... yes EIGHT birthdays in April. Geez... was EVERYONE born in April? Is July/August really that romantic?
Anyway, spring is here... and it means that our calendar gets full and it gets harder to find time for myself. So, I've been trying to make the most of what I do have. Meeting that goal is taking two forms right now.
The first is that I'm taking 5-10 minutes every morning and doing a little ritual. It consists of going outside, facing east, honoring the morning, setting my intention to do my highest good, and running my meridians to set my energy for the day.
And second, I'm trying to live mindfully. I'm reading Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, and it's making me think a great deal about simply living in the present. Things are as they are... if I'm running late, then I just am. I am more aware that the reactions that I choose to different situations are much of my own consternation. I create my day... and if I'm mindful... and I choose Right Mindfulness... then my day goes more smoothly.
This is not easy... particularly with two small children... but ESPECIALLY with two small children it's important to me that I show them my values. I have not been particularly good at modeling my values over the winter... and so mindfulness is part of my goal this spring. Hopefully the mindfulness with help with that old proportion thang that keeps popping up. Finding ease in my day will go a long way toward addressing the lack of balance/proportion that was brought to my attention at the New Year.
Anyway, spring is here... and it means that our calendar gets full and it gets harder to find time for myself. So, I've been trying to make the most of what I do have. Meeting that goal is taking two forms right now.
The first is that I'm taking 5-10 minutes every morning and doing a little ritual. It consists of going outside, facing east, honoring the morning, setting my intention to do my highest good, and running my meridians to set my energy for the day.
And second, I'm trying to live mindfully. I'm reading Thich Nhat Hanh's The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, and it's making me think a great deal about simply living in the present. Things are as they are... if I'm running late, then I just am. I am more aware that the reactions that I choose to different situations are much of my own consternation. I create my day... and if I'm mindful... and I choose Right Mindfulness... then my day goes more smoothly.
This is not easy... particularly with two small children... but ESPECIALLY with two small children it's important to me that I show them my values. I have not been particularly good at modeling my values over the winter... and so mindfulness is part of my goal this spring. Hopefully the mindfulness with help with that old proportion thang that keeps popping up. Finding ease in my day will go a long way toward addressing the lack of balance/proportion that was brought to my attention at the New Year.
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