|
Sitting here, experiencing another epic winter storm, it occurred to me that this is a perfect time to work on clearing my mind. Instead of endless scrolling and adding to my Amazon cart, it is an opportunity to calm the chatter that the “roommate” in my head keeps on shuffle.
As humans, it is a part of our nature to want to feel part of something bigger; family, church, community, political parties, occupations, etc. We tend to label ourselves by our groups and occupations as who we are when this isn’t the case at all. You are as unique as your fingerprints. There is no one in this universe like you, and you didn’t just appear. You are part of a greater force and intelligence, and my belief is that the need to connect to this force is what drives our need to be part of something larger than ourselves. This force, or whatever you want to call it; God, Universal energy, etc., can only be connected to with silence. We can speak to it through prayer or song, but that doesn’t let the answers come, only silence can do that. How many times do you sing or pray and then take time to listen? Meditation is a way to connect directly to this force without the interference of dogma or people and organizations that let you believe you aren’t capable of connecting without them or making rules in how to do it. We all came from this force and it is there, just waiting for you to let it through the noise. The noise has so many forms, most of it our inner thoughts or inner “roommate” chatting away. The silence between these thoughts is where the magic happens. Learning to extend these gaps is what meditation is about. Most people think meditation is hard and they aren’t capable of it. This is the ego, that fragile sense of self, protecting itself because if we do away with it, what will that feel like and that scares us. Try this: Set the phone down. Better yet, turn it off. Sit or lay down comfortably, so that your head, neck, and torso are aligned, and you can expand your chest with breath. Now close your eyes and hum. This vibration will resonate in your head, and you might find your sinuses open. It also affects your Vagus nerve, stimulating the parasympathetic system and taking you out of “flight or fight” mode. Keep humming for about a minute or two. Now just breathe and listen to the silence. At first you might only be able to do this for a moment or two and that is great! I began my mediation practice for 30 seconds because with my squirrel brain, I knew I could at least do that. Practice will help you increase the silencing of your brain. The more you try this, the more you will start to notice the effects; calm thoughts, relaxed body, feeling a connection to your soul. If you want to learn more about this, I highly recommend a powerful little book by Dr. Wayne Dyer, “Getting in the Gap”. I’d love to hear how this works for you. On Friday, as I was changing the sheets on the massage table, a family walked down the hall, past my office. They got my attention because a woman that looked like the mom, was complaining loudly, "There better be a place to sit, I don't want to walk too far!" She had a four-legged cane and was holding onto one of the teenagers with her other arm. She was bent at the waist, and she was shuffling along.
She was not older than 45. Her backside was square shaped, like a chair. She had literally taken the shape of a chair and probably couldn't straighten up. She was very overweight and you could tell her body was doing all it could just to keep her on her feet. It made me so sad. How can this happen? Its obvious, she has stopped moving and sits all the time. She has lost the ability to stand and move comfortably. We have become a population of sitters. Our work environments demand that we sit at a desk most of the time. Our home lives usually center around sitting in a chair, recliner or couch. If we aren't sleeping, we spend most of the time we are awake, sitting. Our bodies aren’t built for that. Your body evolved to walk, run, sprint, move side to side, jump, hop, bend lift heavy things and twist. We are still hunter/gatherer bodies, and we are trying to cram them into a position that isn't healthy for it. Sitting decreases our ability to breathe fully and expand our lungs. It affects your ability to poop. It can lead to problems with blood flow, nerve impingement and body aches, and stiffness. It can also affect your brain's ability to function at its best. I know what you're thinking, "But it's damn cold outside and what else am I supposed to do?" Put your coat on and go for a walk. Even if it is just to the mailbox and back. Do that a few times a day or do laps around the house every hour or so. If you are playing games, hanging out with kids or watching TV, get on the floor or ottoman. Try sitting and moving into a variety of positions. If you work from home, turn on some tunes and dance for 5 minutes every hour or march in place. It's going to feel weird or uncomfortable the first few times, but don't be a quitter unless it truly causes pain, then switch to another position that doesn't. Keep it up and you'll find that your body begins to feel better. I'm typing this from my improvised stand-up desk because I over did some twisty rope flow yesterday and my old back injury is reminding me it's still there. It also means I need to work more on core and rotation. This morning, I went for a short walk, slowly, did some stretches and will keep moving and put heat on it throughout the day. It will probably be better by tonight. If I just stopped and sat, I'd be paying for it with a lot more pain. I'm also going to get me a massage this week! |
Archives
January 2026
|
RSS Feed