"Your stress response has a built in mechanism for stress resilience. That mechanism is human connection." ~ Kelly McGonigal
What is a Meditator of Convenience?
I asked myself this recently while traveling in the Sierras. Perched high on majestic slabs of granite overlooking Kirkwood Lake, I couldn't understand why I was still agitated, exhausted and not able to really see the beauty before me. To really drink it in. It just seemed flat, but I didn't know why. Why?
Having Greta, my dog, has brought a lot of joy and connection to my life, but it's also brought a lot of extra tasks and focused attention needed to train and care for her. My life was a lot different when I had Shyla, and, since I got her when she was just a pup, the training happened over many years. The learning curve with Greta has been huge, particularly because she is a rescue and I don't know her history, she has occasional other dog aggression and separation anxiety issues. It has been intense and I don't seem to recognize how much so until we're apart from each other, where I can breathe a bit without having to attend to her. As I settled into the space and into the inquiry, "What WOULD make this moment sacred?" I began to feel my body actually present on the granite--the hard, rough and rugged texture, the coolness permeating my bottom, the soft, cool breeze sweeping past my skin. The stillness and distant sounds of wind threading through pine needles evoked a familiar sense. I had lived in Tahoe for five years in my early twenties and it was where I discovered my favorite smell (warm pine pitch) and sound (wind wending through conifers). As the stillness settled in, Greta still sniffing around and familiarizing herself with the territory, my senses heightened and my body began to feel rested--a deep breath released tension in the chest and within minutes it felt like I had taken a nap. And then it hit me... 7/19/2016 Seven ways Compassion-based Mindfulness helps us stay grounded amidstĀ chaos, moving us closer to inner and outer peaceRead NowIt's hard to imagine peace in the world today when it seems that violence and hatred are escalating. I'm sure for Americans it is even more difficult to see this violence and hatred play out so close to home. It is usually in a distant land or neighborhood that we can keep at arms length from our minds and hearts. The recent wave of violence is touching so many, it speaks to why we take a compassionate stance towards the difficulties in life and why a mindfulness practice that is compassion-based is so terribly important--no one is exempt.
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