Everyone’s heard of meditation, and that it’s supposed to be good for you….like vegetables.
Right?
But we’ll wait, or forget, or say “not enough time” or “too much work” or “I need a meditation room”.
What if you just stopped today, and got quiet and still right in the place you may have had the most restless energy in your life.
Your kitchen.
Pull up a chair next to the refrigerator. Or the stove.
You don’t have to close your eyes, or do anything special. In fact, this is about Not Doing Something (like eating) for once, just to see what that’s like.
Have you heard my new little podcast episodes (only 4-6 minutes each) Peace Talk on itunes….this week its on LOVE and when it goes wrong. Subscribe and submit a review!
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Yowser, I am very excited today.
Have you ever been super nervous crazy excited about something about to happen, and you LIKE the thing about to happen, but it’s almost too exciting?
This may sound a little low-key to you (I am the one jumping up and down)….
….but I have a new Eating Peace online class opening up for registration on Saturday morning….
….and the very same day, I’m leaving to go away with my sweetheart for two nights to a surprise destination (husband made the reservations)!
Valentine’s Day!!!
Here’s the funniest thing.
When I was getting married (to current husband–2nd marriage) only 2-1/2 years ago, my skin on my hands started getting flakey in the few weeks before.
Then they started pealing.
Like a strange sort of eczema only on my hands. I kept putting lotion all over them, I made sure not to drink any caffeine or anything dehydrating, and was kinda wondering what was going on.
Summer shedding of skin?
Then my mom caught a glimpse of them and said, “oh, your getting your stress reaction you’ve always gotten since you were young, remember?”
Oh!
Weird. I completely forgot.
THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.
How incredibly odd to forget such a thing. The mind is very good at blanking out.
And I’m pretty interested in conscious awareness of myself and all my actions!
This reminded me that energy racing through the body has its own way, and the mind is not always aware (your mind might like to
think it is…..but, not so much).
For me, a very, very introverted person by nature, having all the attention of a wedding was pretty wild. Awesome, but wild.
Same with this coming weekend with a course and a surprise vacation happening.
But as I sit here right now, writing….
….who would I be without the belief that something around the corner, where I’ll have attention directed towards me and I’ll need to respond and stay engaged….is stressful?
Who would I be without the belief that the energy I feel inside is stressy?
What if it was gentle, calm, being connected with others, answering peoples’ questions, responding to emails and registrations, driving off to spend time with my best friend and husband, enjoying close conversation, relaxing and feeling anticipation all at the same time?
Gosh. I don’t know if I can feel truly relaxed in this situation.
But what would it be like without THAT thought?
Ahhhhh.
Suddenly I get it.
I could let my whole body get floppy. My shoulders drop, I stretch my legs out while writing here, with my laptop on my thighs.
I take a very deep, long breath.
Tick, tock, slow, down.
Right now is now. Empty room. Space, quiet.
Even tomorrow, and the next day, when activity is happening and computers, emails, packing, driving, busy-ness are all occurring….
….there is still quiet space.
“That’s the purpose of stress. It’s a friend. It’s an alarm clock, built in to let you know that it’s time to do The Work. You’ve simply lost the awareness that you’re free. So you investigate, and you return to what you are. This is what’s waiting to be recognized, what is always real.” ~ Byron Katie
