Time Out!
If you've ever played or watched any kind of sport, you know about time outs. In watching the Packers this past weekend on TV I remember at one point the coach was frantically trying to call a time out right before the quarter ended (the game was NOT in jeopardy as they were winning big). But you know that frenzied attempt to get the ref to notice you when you want a time out? You hurry to get the time stopped. Seems kind of ironic to me.
How's that working in our lives? Are we desperately searching for a time out? Or do we even realize that a time out would help our frenzy?
OK, I admit it - I'm not the best meditator in the world. In fact, I'm really bad at it, at least that's what I tell myself when I don't even take the time to try.
I attended a spiritual retreat a couple of weeks ago where I found out that I'm really not bad at it - because there was a good chunk of the day set aside for meditation - it was built in to the agenda. And when I was there to participate in that part of the workshop, I found that I really can do it.
Maybe I've been hung up on the word "meditation." It seems like such a formal thing to do. You need to sit a certain way, chant a certain sound, be superhuman in your discipline. But I realized at this retreat that whatever it means to me is what it is. Whether it's 5 minutes or 30 minutes or 60 minutes or whatever, it's making the time to be silent and to reconnect with a Higher Power.
I realized, too, that music is a huge part of my connection with my Higher Self - God - Universe - whatever you want to call it. I experienced firsthand the power of sound and it was amazing.
Do you take time in your day to connect with your Higher Self? It doesn't have to be a huge production if you're not ready to do that. But the clarity and peace I've been able to recognize is available for me in the rest of my day by just being quiet for a few minutes in the morning is amazing.
Just take a second to notice how things are going for you right now, today. Are you feeling frantic and frenzied and stressed? What choice could you make right now to alter that path? Are you feeling happy and peaceful? What choice could you make right now to be grateful for that feeling? Whatever state you're in right now, take a moment to see how you got here. Shift your perspective if you want to, or be grateful if you want to. It's totally up to you.
No matter what you tell yourself, there's always a chance for a Time Out.
posted by Jodee Bock @ 8:55 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
An excellent book for those new to the whole meditation scene (and those not quite convinced they have it in them) is "Meditation Made Easy" by Lorin Roche, Ph.D.
It takes a very low-key, non-mystical approach to it all, and has all kinds of meditational practices you can do ranging from sixty seconds to a half hour or more.
It was Meditation Made Easy that finally made meditation click for me. I'd say half my clients end up buying it as well.
Curt:
Thanks for the tip! I'll run right out (to Amazon) and check it out! Thanks for stopping by!
Jodee
I also really like Jon Kabat-Zinn's books, especially "Whereever You Go, There You Are." He's all about integrating mindfulness into everyday living, and has short questions and exercises to try. His meditation tapes are really nice as well.
Great post and great points.
I take a walk every morning if I can, usually for about 45 minutes. I try to completely quiet my mind for at least part of it (not easy--on Gallup's StrengthsFinder, I'm Stategic, Intellection, and Activator, so making the brain shut up is quite a feat!) It's amazing what a difference on creativity and stress levels it has for the rest of the day.
I don't know by what mechanisms this little time to reconnect to "spirit" actually make one[me] feel better, but they do.
I've never been one for formal meditation, however; see above. The actaul practice of trying to quiet the mind if my body isn't doing something is next to impossible. I think I have a purely internal form of ADHD...
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