Intentions for the Day :: 29 - 12 - 2016
I'm reading a few amazing books at the moment. Well... reading and listening all at the same time- it's a bit of a juggling act. One of them is a book by Dan Harris called 10% Happier - How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works - a true story. It's got me back into meditation (which was hugely influential in dealing with my anxiety when it all began). I haven't practiced for a long time. And what I'm finding is that this word 'practice' is the key thing.
There are so many useful and true take-outs from Harris' book - almost too many to think about and list. But the one that is floating to the top right now for me is that meditation is like going to the gym. It takes a daily discipline to prepare to start it; it takes emotional energy to find the space to do it and it takes practice, and time, to build the muscles in your mind.
This morning, I woke up an hour earlier and wanted to set my intention for the day, not in writing, but with an action. (As a side note, we had over 65mm of rain last night, which - for us in the bush- is almost unheard of, and is cause for celebration. So, when I woke up and set myself up for some meditative exercise, looking out into the rain-washed greenness of the bush around our house, it kick-started the feeling of calm and gratitude... not a bad way to get back into the difficult practice of meditation).
Some studies have shown that 10 minutes of meditation has the same effect on our body as a 30 minute power-nap. I felt this hugely this morning as, coming back into the consciousness of the world around me, and noticing the birds and the sounds of the camp waking up and getting going, and the thoughts rushing back into my head, I felt a sense of intense relaxation, quiet and calm.
So, my intentions for the day is to congratulate and thank myself for spending the time on me, building on the intentions from a few days ago where I want to be kind to myself, and be understanding of the changing states that I go through.
I'll leave you with this, though: Meditation is hard. And, if you think that it's a bit of hocus pocus, and you need to sit in a funny position and hold your fingers in a certain way, and wear tie-dye clothing, and a bandanna on your head- you're wrong. Meditation is simply about awareness, and about focusing on the very present moment for a few minutes of your day. I say simply because, at it's essence, it's about focusing on one thing. But it's not simple. It's hard. It is hard because of the constant internal dialogue that we all have running through our minds- the questions, concerns, worries, fears, chatter, observations and (my least favourite of all the chatter) the negative self-talk. It's hard because we need to turn the volume down on those things, and focus our minds on a physical feeling that brings you into the present moment- the feeling of air coming in and going out of your body. I know for some people that's a foreign concept, and it doesn't make sense, but it really does work. Like everything in life, it's difficult, but in conquering the difficulty, therein lies the beauty and the power of the simple act of meditation.
Love & Gratitude
AR
There are so many useful and true take-outs from Harris' book - almost too many to think about and list. But the one that is floating to the top right now for me is that meditation is like going to the gym. It takes a daily discipline to prepare to start it; it takes emotional energy to find the space to do it and it takes practice, and time, to build the muscles in your mind.
This morning, I woke up an hour earlier and wanted to set my intention for the day, not in writing, but with an action. (As a side note, we had over 65mm of rain last night, which - for us in the bush- is almost unheard of, and is cause for celebration. So, when I woke up and set myself up for some meditative exercise, looking out into the rain-washed greenness of the bush around our house, it kick-started the feeling of calm and gratitude... not a bad way to get back into the difficult practice of meditation).
Some studies have shown that 10 minutes of meditation has the same effect on our body as a 30 minute power-nap. I felt this hugely this morning as, coming back into the consciousness of the world around me, and noticing the birds and the sounds of the camp waking up and getting going, and the thoughts rushing back into my head, I felt a sense of intense relaxation, quiet and calm.
So, my intentions for the day is to congratulate and thank myself for spending the time on me, building on the intentions from a few days ago where I want to be kind to myself, and be understanding of the changing states that I go through.
I'll leave you with this, though: Meditation is hard. And, if you think that it's a bit of hocus pocus, and you need to sit in a funny position and hold your fingers in a certain way, and wear tie-dye clothing, and a bandanna on your head- you're wrong. Meditation is simply about awareness, and about focusing on the very present moment for a few minutes of your day. I say simply because, at it's essence, it's about focusing on one thing. But it's not simple. It's hard. It is hard because of the constant internal dialogue that we all have running through our minds- the questions, concerns, worries, fears, chatter, observations and (my least favourite of all the chatter) the negative self-talk. It's hard because we need to turn the volume down on those things, and focus our minds on a physical feeling that brings you into the present moment- the feeling of air coming in and going out of your body. I know for some people that's a foreign concept, and it doesn't make sense, but it really does work. Like everything in life, it's difficult, but in conquering the difficulty, therein lies the beauty and the power of the simple act of meditation.
Love & Gratitude
AR
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