7. August 2010 by Patricia.

I have been an “on/off meditator” for many years. I made a commitment to meditate most days for one year, and I am in my eighth month.

Sitting with who I am with “nowhere to run and nowhere to hide” has been challenging, beautiful, a relief, expansive, real. I thought meditation would bring relaxation and less stress and it has….. But increased self-awareness and being more present emerge as great gifts. As a former overeater, meditation brings me to what’s real. I can’t “con” myself any more. 

Are you a regular meditator? What gifts has meditation brought to you?

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26. June 2010 by Patricia.

When Bob returned from Whole Foods, he shared this incident.

He found long lines at checkout. Just as the cashier rang up the sale of the preceding customer, a man dashed up behind Bob with an unappetizing root in his hand. He seemed very distraught and harried so Bob let him go next. The man handed over the plant to the cashier, but there was an issue with identifying the product and time dragged on. The customer and the cashier conversed while another staff member offered to go back to the bin for a price check, further upsetting others in the queue. Eventually, the transaction was completed and as Bob reached the checkout counter the cashier apologized to him for the delay and said that doctors had given the man only 6 months to live. The special plant he purchased was from Asia and might help him live longer.

Hearing that story shifted me into a state of gratitude. My problems seemed very small in comparison. Can seeing your own situation a little differently today soften your heart to gratitude too?

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19. June 2010 by Patricia.

At the end of my yoga class, the instructor shared that her son had participated in a tennis tournament and lost every game. Nonetheless he returned home with a gold-plated trophy equal to that of the winner. She told us that he had won the trophy for “consistency.” He was at every match on time. He kept going, doing his best, even though he was losing. I was impressed that organizers of the tournament recognized the value of showing up and being consistent. This example reminded me how important it is to keep up my yoga and meditation practices.

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12. June 2010 by Patricia.

When we travel - it’s not that way. Just about every event or circumstance can challenge us when it is a little new or different. Ever bumped into the bathroom door of a hotel room in the middle of the night?

Sometimes it can seem that it’s just too much trouble to go on an adventure. Do you recall the writer in Nimms Island? Even though adventures can, indeed, make you late for supper, they can enlarge your perspective and help you come alive….. I’m thinking about my next one now.

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15. May 2010 by Patricia.

We took two grandsons camping in December – it was cold though dry. Our 14 year old woke up in the morning ecstatic because there were icicles in his tent. I can guarantee you that not everyone awoke that morning feeling pleased with the chilly night temperatures. His exuberance was such a reminder that we do indeed have choice about being happy with our situation – Hurray, Icicles! Or Ugh! Icicles!

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10. April 2010 by Patricia.

Every time I started a new diet, the world opened up and the possibilities were endless. I was going to lose weight. Answers would fall into place and I would finally be happy. Although diet-induced happiness was short-lived, somehow with each new diet I hooked into that euphoria and believed its promise.

I no longer choose dieting as a way of life.

By focusing on the internal, rather than external solutions I have discovered deeper happiness and new possibilities. The happiness I feel these days is more real, more down to earth and certainly more long-lived.

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3. April 2010 by Patricia.

We all know the importance of breathing. I have a note on my computer reminding me to breathe slowly. Not those shallow breaths, rather the big, deep, conscious breaths. I do my best to include breathing in my daily practices. When I remember I always feel better for it. But when I don’t remember, this gives me valuable information too. Feedback, learning – never failure.

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20. March 2010 by Patricia.

Have you ever had moments when you felt as though you could burst with sheer happiness? Is an overwhelming positive emotion scary? While it seems counterintuitive, sometimes handling happy emotions can be as problematic as dealing with unhappy or negative ones. Finding an outlet for intense emotions can be very grounding. Listening to Andrea Bocelli when I am feeling intensely happy helps to ground me. What works for you?

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27. February 2010 by Patricia.

I’ve had a spate of a few days of “Too Busy and No Time.” So much to do – I’ll never get it done! I could literally feel stress gripping me. Once I STOPPED the madness and took time out to just BE, suddenly I found I had options. Time became elastic and expansive.

So much to do…. and it will all get done!

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20. February 2010 by Patricia.

I am very fond of a DVD in which Rodney Yee leads a series of gentle yoga poses at sunrise. This 20-minute program refreshes my body, mind and spirit. During the program he asks me to focus on certain parts of my body. When he provides very specific instructions such as, “soften the valley between the cheeks and the nose” and “relax the outer corners of the eyes back,” I connect to myself.

I usually lose the intensity of that connection as I get involved in a myriad projects. However, refocusing in this way brings peace and depth to my life. There is a revitalizing calm that I take with me throughout the day….. it is priceless.

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