Chop. Slice. Peel.

The moments that make up a day easily run by in a blur.  Each moment has any number of experiences to react to or observe.  We have a myriad of choices within a day except for the things that keep us physically alive; like breathing and eating.  The awareness of breath and it’s own life within our lives is a beautiful and peaceful way to bring reality back into the blur.  Eating, preparing and cooking is another way to draw connection to nature, gratitude for nourishment and choice toward health.

No matter what kind of day you live, eating almost sneaks it’s way in and so here are some thoughts for the time taken to fuel our bodies:

  • Buy 1 ingredient foods and chop.  Slice.  De-seed.  Peel.
  • Let your breath find the rhythm of your preparation.
  • Let this be enough for 5 minutes.

Taking time, thought and pride in what you are preparing, cooking and eating is a way to have present minded time within any type of day.  Gratitude begins to live and thrive within these minutes and the nourishment that your body and mind absorb will be 10 fold.

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Wanderlust

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright loved to tell the story about a walk he took when he was nine years old, across a snow covered field with his no-nonsense uncle. When they reached the far end of the field, his uncle turned and pointed out his own tracks across the field, straight and true as an arrow’s flight. Then he showed young Frank his tracks, meandering all over the field.

“Notice how you wander from the fence to the cattle to the woods, and back again,” said his uncle, “and see how my tracks aim directly at my goal. There’s an important lesson in that.”

Years later, the world famous architect related how that experience had greatly contributed to his philosophy about life. “I determined right then and there,” he said, “to not miss out on most things in life, as my uncle had.”

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Conduit

con·duit
ˈkänˌd(y)o͞oət
noun
noun: conduit; plural noun: conduits

1. a channel for conveying water or other fluid.
“a conduit for conveying water to the power plant”
2. a person or organization that acts as a channel for the transmission of something.
“the office acts as a conduit for ideas to flow throughout the organization”

Try thinking of yourself as a conduit for positive interactions.  This can be a helpful visualization in releasing the ego. Let yourself become the channel that brings compliments, kind words, encouragement, open listening, and sound advice into the lives of the people with whom you share yourself.

Allowing Grace

There is a simple adjustment that allows peace and enjoyment to filter into each day.  This adjustment is not difficult or revolutionary.  It is much like breathing in that it can feel like nothing, yet effect so much with it’s wake.

This adjustment is simply allowing 10 more minutes than we ever think necessary for any commute, project, chore, ‘set up’ or conversation.  If this extra 10 minutes is not possible, then do not begin the task OR excuse something around that task as less important, thereby, erasing it from that part of our day.

With our ability to have knowledge, directions, speed and food at the touch of a button we tend to forget a reasonable and JOYFUL schedule for a day. A day that we can smile with if it happens to be our last.  A day that we can remember.  A day that leaves room for Life to work in it’s magic fingers into without our iPhone calender’s dictating it’s every move.

We schedule and say ‘yes’ to 5 events or tasks that leave us rushing, irritated and unforgiving to the pace of the world.  When you do not allow this 10 minutes it can seem that the world is all of the sudden against us and our itinerary!  When the world is against us we get defensive, aggressive and forget the pieces of this day that heal; eating slowly and healthfully,  breathing deeply, allowing fellow humans kindness and grace.

When ours paths cross one day I want to have time to allow a smile, grace on the road, hold the door open for you or even take a listen to your answer when I ask ‘How are you?’.

 

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Belief Patterns

Letting go of preexisting belief patterns has become a natural flow from focusing on ‘being present with self’ in the previous post. Not to lose the fabric of one’s self or throw ethics out the window, but to open up to the possibility that thoughts may have been hindering growth and a more full existence in the past. The object is to be fresh and fully awake for what each day will bring.

If there are beliefs in you about what you can or cannot do, if you are not open to seeing ways around or through a situation, and if you hold fast to past experiences as more than a teacher then you may be limiting your present experience.  Let’s make room for more of the good ‘stuff’ by eliminating what no longer serves us.

My child has adopted a pet lizard in the last month: a bearded dragon named Gandalf.  In watching his lizard grow we have seen some starting signs of molting.  As the lizard’s form grows, we can literally see him shed the old to make way for new; a perfect analogy to my mind in our own process of allowing our inner selves to shed as we grow and change.

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Presence with Self

Gather everything you think about yourself as a strength and place these things as your focus for the longest possible increments of time.  While focusing on your own strengths you will find it easier to draw out those of others as well because with practice it will become your habit.  We often fall victim to patterns of habit energy ingrained in years and years of acting without clear thought about what it is that we are doing or passing on to others.  How about highlighting everything that is your best and the best of others instead?   When you train your mind to find the good parts of people (this means you too!) or situations it becomes easier to reside in a place of acceptance.  This perspective assists with actively living from a balanced center and connecting to the infinite wisdom of your soul.

It is my goal for this week to have presence with self and to move from the center.  By that I specifically mean:

1. Focus on good feeling thoughts

2. Express Gratitude

3. Act in accordance with desired change

I know there will be challenges and unpredictable occurrences  but the place from which we operate can be consistent. Here’s to being consistently present and focused on the thoughts we generate about ourselves and the actions we share with others!

Please join me if you’re up for it this week and let me know how it goes …

Bravery!

From the movie Ratatouille:

“I know I’m supposed to hate humans, but there’s something about them. They don’t just survive, they discover, they create…I mean, just look at what they do with food!”

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Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in a day is to taste something new and different. One of our favorite things to do is go to the seafood counter with our 4 year old and let him choose what we have with dinner that night.  Living in Texas, seafood isn’t the most popular thing around and I love fostering the ‘odd ball’ choice.

Try something new and strange and scary this weekend with a brave friend!

A plate can have one new item and two old favorites.  The two old favorites can draw you into Mindful Eating.  Close your eyes, chew a few moments longer and see if you can put words or feelings to the taste.

 

The Journey of a Breath

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~Thích Nhat Hạnh

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I was asked today, before one of my yoga classes, to teach them how to breathe.  Then they asked, “Why don’t I know how to breathe?  Why hasn’t this been taught to me before, what’s the problem with our culture that we don’t know how to breathe?”

As adults, we usually breathe from our chests unconsciously.  Our bodies take over and we stay alive every day with most of our attention focused on productivity, earning and spending money, food, and I’m sure you can fill in a few more blanks.  This is an act that nourishes our entire bodies, calms our minds, and allows for ‘a say’ in our mood and reactions at any given time.  Yet, we leave our breath to a small and quiet rhythm with little notice.

Breathing is the only vital function that we have full and continuous control over.

3 Part Breath:  Reclined or seated, place one hand on your lower belly and the other on your chest.  Relax your torso and begin to breath naturally, flowing toward long, slow inhales and exhales.  Notice which hand rises first or if both are equal.  Let your mind divide your inhale into 3 parts: lower belly, middle ribs and chest.  As you begin fill your torso with air starting low and pausing in between each of these 3 sections.  Retain that breath for a moment before allowing your exhale to flow slowly down and empty your torso 1/3 at a time.

Learning to breathe with purpose is about slowing down and listening, relaxing, and leaking air in slowly. This leak, this Ocean Breath, creates a sound much like the rhythmic, subtle ocean. We then have time to observe and impact the journey of each inhale and each exhale.

“Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.” ~Krishnamacharya