meditate daily

Started again yesterday. Just for 30 minutes, and how that monkey mind was roaming. Meditation is one of those things that I KNOW is good for me, in so many ways. Why is it so hard, then, to light a candle, set myself down on a cushion, close my eyes and breathe?

electric saws and hammering next door made for restless session. stretching helped. 30 minutes.

I started with candles and a guided meditation from the western australian monks. and finished in silence and darkness. 45 minutes, felt like 45 minutes.

and I am now restless, rattled and seeing the benefit of it. back to it tonight!

with one of my patients, a very talented swimmer, who needs to get a handle on her stress. I wanted to put her in a john kabat-zinn course, but there isn’t one that’s starting now, and time is a-wasting, so we decided that I would teach her how to meditate, and we would each commit to daily practice.
the first two days, we started with 20 minutes, and starting tomorrow, 30-45.
I really want to do this for myself, really want to support her in her goals. and I pinky swore.

The Buddha’s Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in saftey,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

kum nye yoga. interesting, but it’s hard for me to move that slowly. my mind kept on wandering. i think i would rather just sit and breathe. but it was a cool experience, and i got to see what is apparently the world’s biggest prayer wheel (very, very cool).

starts today. other than vipassana day-longs, this is my first retreat. 6 days!! I only hope I can sit still for that long.

and tuesday. good start to starting over.

after a couple of shorter days, then a missed day, i sat for 45 minutes today.
my mind is off the hook right now, and it’s very hard to reel her in. over and over and over, caught myself thinking, planning, remembering.