MPOW #4 - Showing Gratitude

For some reason last Monday I was having a bummer of a day. I did not feel like eating or going out. So I sat down to journal my thoughts and feelings. I quickly became bored with being bummed out, so I began listing things that I was grateful for. This was an incredibly therapeutic practice. Just a short list of items in, I got a surge of energy, happiness, and I was hungry. I went out for a terrific meal, met up with friends, and made a wonderful night of it. It is so simple and so powerful. Here in the US, we re-learn the joy of this every Thanksgiving, and it is wonderful to get into it. We do not need to wait for a holiday. Try this practice every day this week.

The Practice
Sit down with your favorite writing tools and begin writing what comes to mind, whatever your thoughts are feelings are. If you're using a computer, give yourself a rule - no backspace key (typos are ok). Do not edit what you write, just let whatever comes come. When you are ready for it, guide your writing to a practice of gratitude. Just begin enumerating a list of all the things that you are grateful for, whatever comes to you.

- I am grateful for <who> <why>.

Example list:
- I am grateful for Agent K whose playfulness reminds me to enjoy the simple things around us.
- I am grateful for Edison for inventing the lightbulbs that enable me to read and write when it is dark out.
- I am grateful for the manufacturers of the clothing that I'm wearing for keeping me warm.
- I am grateful for the restaurant who cooked my dinner tonight.
...

Do this for as many as you can focus on. You will probably get onto a roll. I recommend setting your minimum at 20.

Another approach is to choose one person or one thing and then write in depth about your gratitude for it.

Afterwards, record how you feel. Later, you can compare how you felt at the beginnning with how you felt at the end.

Dedication - This post is dedicated to the people who installed the street light outside my condo. Thank you for your hard work doing a job that needed to be done. Agent K is currently playing with his own shadow cast by the light, and it is adorable.

Request for Comments

• What was your experience with this practice?
• Do you find that this helps?
• Do you have a different way of showing gratitude?
• How does this change the way that you live?
  

Dedicate Your Practice

I'm on the yoga mat, contorting into the challenging pigeon pose (kapotasana) which really opens up the hips. This is a yin yoga class, so we will probably stay in this asana for around 7 minutes on this side, and my breathing is already ragged. I try to relax into the long, steady breath that I maintain throughout class, but the pain in my hip overwhelms me. Then Yogini Saiko Flack gently, soothingly reminds us to breath, suggesting that if we cannot breath for ourselves, to breath for the person next to us. The mind glimmer's through an instant over the impossibility and impracticality of this, before it heeds the advice. Somehow it suceeds, and I am able to dedicate my breath to the person on the mat next to me. My breathing evens out, and I relax, getting so much more out of posture. Maybe I was breathing for my neighbor, maybe my neighbor was breathing for me. Either way, it works.

I've wondered why this might be so, and had an insight just now while reading Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind while on the treadmill (yes, my tools enable me to read and write on the treadmill). Pink brought my attention to the dedication of the book and suggests that to give everything more meaning in life, to dedicate what you do to someone else. Rather than working for a simple self-centered goal (though this is of course possible to be meaningful also, and I may discuss in a future post), dedicating to someone else often provides more fulfillment.

Who do you dedicate to? Anyone! Dedicate to a family member or spouse, to a pet, to the really nice bus driver, to the angry driver who honked at you, to the Dinka of Sudan, to your third grade teacher.

What do you dedicate? Anything and everything! You can dedicate brushing your teeth, riding the bike, jogging, sleeping, sleeping in, eating, cooking, taiji, yoga, writing a blog post, cutting hair, reading Shakespeare, tying your shoes. This goes especially well with a 100 days of practice
commitment. During your practice, experiment with the power of dedication. Are you able to find the motivation to practice more readily? Does it increase the quality of your practice?

No matter what you are doing (or how bad you think you are at it), offer it in dedication. It does not matter if your performance is incredible or not. There's no reason to be hung up on that. Because you are doing this for someone else, you will perform better in order to make the dedication more meaningful to that person. Just doing something for and being motivated by a person are already two huge gifts.

So, why do we find more motivation when we dedicate to someone other than ourselves? In the December 2008 issue of Ode magazine, targeting the giving holidays, you can find the fresh article on giving and receiving: "Open Hands, Open Heart: The Art of Receiving" by Hilary Hart. Hart investigates why people find receiving so much more difficult than giving and explores how we can and why it's worth it to overcome this. At some point, we are taught by society that receiving is selfish. Tis better to give than to receive. We hear advice like this over and over again. Basically, we're not trained on how to receive. We often don't know how to accept a compliment, receive a gift with grace, or in many cases even do something for otherselves without feeling guilty. The article provides a great exploration on this and an approach to understand and overcome it--maybe a topic for a later discussion. For now, however, let's benefit from our training as gift-givers. Rather than taking action for ourselves, take action for others. Take action with intention for the greatest good, rather than to strengthen ourselves in some way. The true power of generosity, magnanimity, and growth flow from intention for the greatest good.

This post is dedicated to Saiko Flack, my yin yoga instructor with her loving, open heart. May your travels go well, Saiko! We await your safe return to teaching when you're ready.

Request for Comments

• How does dedication help you in what you do?
• If dedication is not working, please share.
  
• What dedications have you made today?
  

MPOW #3 - Listening Meditation

Welcome back for the third Mindfulness Practice of the Week. One of my very favorite awakening practices is to simply sit and pay attention to sounds, to let everything quiet down and gently focus on what I hear. My mind can focus on the sounds in the building, outside of the building, the vibrations of my head, and the voice talking within my head. There is so much to listen to and just notice for what it is.

Note: I suspect that this works equally as well for the deaf or poor of hearing. Rather than focusing on sounds without, focus on vibration or sounds within. Please pardon my ignorance, because I am not certain if that is viable or not. If not, I apologize for my assumptions, and would appreciate being informed if it works or does not.

Scientists have a theory to support this. If you are really concentrating on your ears and sounds, listening behind, up and down, in front, all around, then the sequential processing part of your brain (L-directed thinking, L=left) needs to shut off (less activation) to allow the more creative, pattern matching side of your brain to just witness what is going on (R-directed thinking, R=right) and process the patterns. When you tap into the creative, pattern-matching side of your brain, you are able to be more present. Studies indicate that happiness/joy/flow/spirituality and right-hemisphere activity are correlated.

This is an amazing practice for dealing with noise pollution, such as on an airplane. Listen to the chorus of sounds around you. Celebrate in the music of the engine. You make notice the changes in pitch or how your breathing relates to it, perhaps harmoniously, perhaps not. You would be amazed at how serene you can become on a long flight once you allow your mind to calm down enough to enjoy this. (William Wittman shares his experience.)

Similar exercises work equally as well for buses, car rides (if you're not driving -- the obvious mindfulness practice is to pay attention to the road there), terminals, or waiting for a ride at a stop.

Inspirational Story
There's a zen buddhist story of a monk and his master walking through the woods on a long hike. They both stop to rest and enjoy the serenity of the forest.

The young monk beseeches, "Master, how do I enter zen?"

The master closes his eyes and travels to a deeply calm, connected place, in moments he opens his eyes and mouth to guide his disciple, "Do you hear the brook gurgling in the distance?"

His follower calms himself and enters his ears, studying the sounds of the forest. After some time, he does hear the brook and says so.

The master replies with a slight smile, "Enter zen through that."

This clicks for the young monk who immediately enters a state of tranquil understanding. Some time passes and the young monk asks the master, "What would you have said if I did not hear the water gurgling?"

"Then I would have said, 'Enter zen through that.'"

One Such Experience I Have Had
Once, while sitting in a house situated in a beautiful natural environment, I joined a close friend of mine in meditation.

I began with a focus on the sounds around me: the air running through the ventilation system, a
patrolling cat, the flutter and songs of birds. Eventually, the sounds inside of my head quiesced enough to stop drowning these out; I could hear more and more detail.

As these nuances emerged, the labels on them disappeared, it was the music of the systems, but without the recognition of what the systems were. In time, I migrated to hearing the sounds of vibration in my head. I paid attention to the tone and location of these sounds. I allowed my curious mind to question where they came from, what they meant. They may have been the beating of my heart, the sound of my calm breath, the blood pumping through my skull. Without labeling, I attended to each of these sounds in turn and together in symphony. I marveled at the ability to hear so much loudly and clearly within myself.

I vowed to return to this state often and share what I learned with others.

The Meditation: Listen
Sit in a comfortable meditative position of your choosing, but be certain that you are able to stay alert and not fall asleep in it. If you regularly fall asleep during meditation, you are training yourself to sleep, rather than to rise to a level of serene alertness above sleep.

In the meditative position, close your eyes or allow them to remain partially open and unfocused or softly focused. Shift your attention to the sounds that dominate your hearing. If you yourself labeling these sounds or determining their origins, recognize the label as a sounds within your head. Don't try to stop the labeling, just notice it as another sound, and bring your attention gently back to the sounds that you were hearing. Allow the sounds to take you on a journey wherever that may be. Your journey may be similar to the one I share above, or it may be completely different.

Comments Requested
Please share how your journey proceeds.
What have you learned about yourself? About this meditation?
Any other ideas or stories to share?

What Can We Learn From 6 More Weeks?

Phil Says "Six More Weeks of Winter!"

Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:
Hear Ye Hear Ye
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.

I have loved this holiday for a long time.  It is so tounge-in-cheek, just good clean fun.  It has no religious significance nor real historical significance.  It does not celebrate the birthdate or deathdate of a heroine or hero.  What it does mark is the significance in man's struggle to be free of the oppressiveness of "a winter bleak and bereft of hope."  The groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, is said to predict whether winter will come to an end or continue for six more weeks.  What I love is that this day is a celebration whether winter ends early or late.

I especially love the movie Groundhog Day.  It's my favorite film.  SPOILER ALERT -- if you have not seen this movie, I am going to give a lot away.  Stop reading this; go out and rent it right now.  Come back when you're done.

The message of the movie connects very tightly with the notion awakening/enlightenment/salvation.  The main character, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is an arrogant Pittsburght weatherman cum p--ahem, urine--and vinegar curmudgeon.  To him, covering Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney is an awful assignment, well beneath his talents.  He spends the day in misery--the weather, the dinky bed and breakfast, it's lack of hot water, the town folks, the tradition = misery.   He enters the day in suffering and sinks further and further into suffering throughout the day.  And the plot basis is: he is inexplicably forced to live that day over and over and over again.

The movie is an analogy of a path to awakening, where Phil goes through many possible attempts at happiness before he finally gets it.  As Phil comes to terms with the situation, he begins exploring different ways to live this day.  One character advises him that it would be great because he could do whatever he wanted without any consequences.  Phil tries it, embarking on a series of rampant thrill rides, one of which gets him killed.  The alarm clock goes off, it's the same day.  He then spends many days committing suicide in various elaborate ways.  Still, every morning, he awakens to the very same day.  He's getting nowhen.

So, we then tries to fulfill himself in other ways.  He plots out how to steal a lot of money quickly in the morning, then spends every day living a life of luxury with fancy cars, weird outfits, and other ridiculous material excess.  He spends time engaging in raw pleasure, eating whatever he wants and engaging in sexual conquests.  Still, he remains unsatisfied.

He tried to explain his situation to people, and even when he manages to convince people of his condition, it still is not lasting.  He wakes up to the same alarm clock the very next day, his confidants oblivious to what he told them the day prior.  Ultimately, even his attempts to share his experiences with others dissatisfy.  He is still missing something crucial.

He spends many days trying--unsuccessfully to seduce his co-host Rita (Andie McDowell).  Each day using information that he learned from a previous day.  One date a wonderful moment occurs with then building a snowman in the park that is then interrupted by a playful snowball fight with some children, and it ends in a romantic moment.  On successive relives of the day, he keeps trying to repeat this, and it gets pretty awkward.  Phil (and we) learn that such charming, perfect moments cannot be forced or planned, that they just have to happen naturally.  Each day, he pushes things too far at the wrong time and gets slapped, ending in a montage of slaps at different times. 

These different ways of unsuccessful living continue throughout the days.  Eventually, he tends in a different direction.  He starts out taking piano lessons, and ice sculpting, and meeting all of the people in the town with genuine warmth.  He finds the dangers that happen in that day and saves people from a boy falling out of a tree to a man choking on a piece of steak.  He knows that he's just going to wake up tomorrow and need to save the same people again, but he does it anyway.  In time, his piano playing and other skills transfer over.  So does his compassion.  He day, he continues to grow and grow.  Eventually, he's at the point where through genuine kindness, motivation to grow, and social outgoingness, he's able to become the most popular and well-liked man in town in a single day.  He connects with people on a real human level and has spent much time growing.  He has learned how to make the worst day into the perfect day.  The calendar finally turns over to February 3rd when he has genuinely grown and connected with humanity and even had Rita pursuing him for the wonderful man that he is.

In many ways, this is what Buddhism tells us.  We will keep reincarnating and living our lives over and over again, failing to find the true purpose in many ways, until we find the true path to happiness and awakening.  Phil Connors was given a very tangible opportunity to do just that.

MPOW #2 - Connect With Your Body's Wisdom

"Body awareness not only anchors you in the present moment, it is a doorway out of the prison that is the ego. It also strengthens the immune system and the body's ability to heal itself." - Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

"You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you.” Corinthians 6:19-20

I hope that you enjoyed the foundational concentration meditation from MPOW #1. This week, I'm moving on to one of my favorite relaxation techniques--scanning the body to learn more about who you are. This one is ideal for first thing in the morning, last thing at night, when restless in bed, or instead of (or as a precursor to) a mid-day nap, because it is best performed lying flat on your back.

Benefits
Our bodies are filled with so much wisdom. Being in touch with our bodies is a way to tap into that wisdom. My tai chi and qi gong instructors at Embrace the Moon often talk about the wisdom of the body. The hecticness of modern (yang) lifestyles has led to most of us being disconnected from our bodies. We try to push through illness, fight fatigue with stimulants like caffeine, and otherwise resist what our bodies are telling us. "Suppressing natural body urges cuts off the natural flow of prana [or qi or energy], which causes imbalance and disease" (Exploring Chakras by Susan G. Sumsky). Crying, vomiting, sleeping, panting after exertion are examples of these body urges; I bet that you can recall a whole bunch of times when you have repressed these urges. For at least this week, take the time to listen to your body and allow any of the urges to manifest. Meditating on the body can help us tap into this wisdom.

In The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain, John E. Sarno, M.D., tells us about how feelings in the body are often manifestations of tension from unresolved emotions--such as guilt, need, or rage--in the unconscious mind. "... the physical manifestation of tension is to deceive. Our brains have decided that feeling tense, which is the appropriate response to being tense, is too unpleasant to bear and is not as socially acceptable as having something "physically" wrong. And so the brain makes a few adjustments in circuitry and instead of looking and acting like a nervous wreck, presto--a bellyache or a backache." Taking the time to explore the parts of the body that are feeling issues may help you to identify the causes in your unconscious and solve your pain.

Testimonials

I have personally had some amazing experiences with the meditation that I mention here. It has helped me to relieve both physical and emotional pains. I have long had very tight calf muscles, causing me much pain and sleep difficulty. One afternoon, I spent time meditating on this pain and realized that I had been storing emotional resentment toward a past romantic partner of mine.

By spending time meditating on the pain in my legs, I was able to both forgive her (and myself) and release the muscles. Now I have become close to her as a friend, harbor less anger, and can easily relax my calves. Win, win, win.

Another anecdote is about a friend of mine. During regular yin yoga classes, we often hold hip stretches (such as pigeon pose) for 7 minutes (yeah, that's a long time... you need to transcend the pain to survive). In at least some circles, it is commonly thought that people hold lots of emotions as tension in their hips. It certainly seems like this is the case for my friend who often opens up into tears over repressed emotions after these long hip stretches. It may seem scary to dig into this, but it certainly helps to get this out in the open and deal with it head on.

Buddhists such as Pema Chodron advise us to "lean into the sharp spots" to bravely overcome our discomfort. This is the way of the warrior of the heart (the bodhisattva). It will not always be so profound, but it will often be relaxing. Let's get to it!

The Meditation: Body Scan

Lie flat on your back in a comfortable position (other comfortable positions such as seated are possible). When you are comfortable, begin by putting your attention at the top of your head. Imagine that your body is filling with light--a warm, loving, and beautiful light. Let the light slowly pouring in through the top of your head, filling you. As it comes through, pay close attention to the feelings in your head, then in your forehead, temples, eyes, ears, nose...

Whenever you find a feeling or a pain, linger there at that spot. Breath in and out of it. Explore
the feeling with your curious mind. Where did it come from? What does it feel like? What color is it? What does it sound like? Where will it go? What purpose does it serve? What is it looking for? Etc. Be curious about it, and see where it moves to or if it melts away.

When you are ready, move slowly down through your shoulders, arms, heart, chest, abdomen,
solar plexus, and on and on down to your feet. Take plenty of time with the entire scan. If you complete it while still enjoying your meditation, start again, this time seeing if you can be even more sensitive to the feelings in your body, going deeper and slower. If your muscles are tight, tell them that you love them, that you appreciate their hard work, and grant them permission to relax, to tell you everything that they have to offer.

Alternatives

There some several alternatives to play around with. See what works for you in which situation.

• It doesn't have to be light that fills you. It can be water, or air, or a vacuum, or a scan line, or simply your intention.
  
• Start at the feet, wait for each part of the body to feel heavy before sliding to the next part of the body.
• Breath
  in and out slowly. Imagine a band of light scanning your body from
  head to toe with each inhale and toe to head with each exhale (or vice
  versa). See what you notice as your breath elongates, as your breath
  shortens. Try to time it so that the body scan aligns with the breath.

These are just a few of the many possible ways of understanding the body. As you develop your practice in bodily awareness, feel free to play with these alternatives and let me know what works and doesn't work for you.

Comments Requested - share with me and others!
If you're new to meditation, please let me know how it goes.
If you're experienced at meditation, what works and what doesn't work?
For everyone, please share your experiences with this meditation. If a group of people are doing it and sharing, that will help others ride the wave.

Consoling Wisely

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." - old idiom (one of the oldest ones in English)
At times we will all see loved ones, both old and new-this-second, struggling in pain. Our compassionate hearts encourage us to open up and help. Sometimes we see the nail in the foot and are convinced that we can pull it out if only they would stop squirming.

"Here it is. Splish splash!" my friend Rei said pantomiming and smiling, "You won't drink it?" Nope, it doesn't work. She's right. So what do you do when you see a loved one struggling with something when the solution seems so obvious? Since I keep learning the answers to that question over and over again, it's time to write them down. This post is really a note to myself, but you may find it useful, too.

1. Open your heart and just listen. Don't encourage the venting, don't discourage it, just hear the person out. Validating the pain won't help, ignoring it is not the loving path. Be there with a compassionate ear and a hug.

2. "When you communicate your views, do so casually and in a nondogmatic manner. Allow the people you speak with to ask questions. Offer only as much information as they are ready to hear." From the Daily Om's Expanding Their Vision

3. Share a story. A related story may communicate that we're all in this together. Just make sure that your telling is to help your loved one, not to stroke your own ego. Practical warning: don't say, "I know what you're going through," even if you do (you don't)--it just seems to tick people off. "I've been there" and "I feel your pain" seem to work better.

4. Consider that your advice might not be wise, honestly. Ever think of that? Don't let doubt murder the helper within you, just be open to the possibility of not being the expert.

5. It's not about you. It's not personal. The other person might not be ready to benefit from your advice (see also #4). People will learn on their own. Don't judge yourself by the helpfulness of your advice, simply lovingly provide it as people are open for it.

6. Trust. Trust that the person will work things out. Amazingly positive seeds are already planted within each of us. That person will learn how to grow what they need from the seeds. Your trust in the other person's ability to tend to their own garden may be just the sunlight, nutrients, and water that they need.

7. If your garden needs tending, tend yours first. If you're traveling with a loved one, place the oxygen mask over your own head before assisting others. If you don't have the energy to help, don't help. Help out of love, not out of duty if you're only going to resent it. That's bad juju.

8. Give it time. Things work out; lessons are learned; people help themselves.

9. There are, of course, emergencies. If you see a person legitimately attempting to physically harm themselves, or if they say it, contact an emergency line immediately.

To all of those whom I do not follow this advice for: I am sorry. I am here for you, and I know that you have everything within you that you already need. Thank you for helping me to learn these lessons. (Also, I don't think of you as a horse.)

To everyone who has every helped me in any way through pain: Thank you. Thank you very much.

Request for comments - blog post hungry

Do you have any other tips that work for you on giving advice?
Do these ring true for you?

Silver Lining on the Dark Cloud of the Recession

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain!" - source unknown (please share if you know)

A huge economic downturn has recently rocked the world. Although, all is not doom and gloom (though headlines like 2009 Will Be Bleak, Very Bleak by Forbes' Roubini may drain your hope). As always, my inclination is toward the positive. I see the crisis state of the world's economy as an early sign of positive shift, a huge opportunity for growth. In Another Lens for the Flying Dutchman I note ways in which a different perspective on an upturned life can be an incredible learning experience and a force for growth. Of course, there are huge downsides, especially in covering health care, people losing homes, etc. But these are explored all over the place. Instead, let's take a compassionate and hopeful look at the recession, exploring some of its positive aspects as we realize what really matters, learn to help and support each other, and open our minds to the possibility of a change to a more beautiful, more honest, and simpler way of life.

I have the benefits of both spiritual perspective and enormous privilege. I recognize this and would like for my thoughts to come across as inpiration rather than naivete, neglect, disrespect, or blindness to the suffering in the world. My heart goes out to all of the people who are suffering, and I hope that these benefits and others do manifest for you. I endeavor to help in the best way that I can.

The Economy Is Artifical, Anyway
First, we can take heart in knowing that a strong economy is not a necessary precondition for life. The economy is an artificial structure created by man that has been conflated beyond use or purpose and actually fuels human suffering in its current manifestation. "The physical needs for food, water, shelter, clothing, and basic comforts could be easily met for all humans on the planet, were it not for the imbalance of resources created by the insane and rapacious need for more, the greed of the ego." (Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth).

Anthropological studies show that it is indeed possible to meet the basic needs of a whole people through simple means. Marshall Sahlins describes hunter gatherers as The Original Affluent Society and cites many sources to support this. Here's an example of a pretty modern hunter-gatherer lifestyle that is easily sustainable by a healthy planet:

A woman gathers on one day enough food to feed her family for three days, and spends the rest of her time resting in camp, doing embroidery, visiting other camps, or entertaining visitors from other camps. For each day at home, kitchen routines, such as cooking, nut cracking, collecting firewood, and fetching water, occupy one to three hours of her time. This rhythm of steady work and steady leisure maintained throughout the year. The hunters tend to work more frequently than the women, but their schedule uneven. It 'not unusual' for a man to hunt avidly for a week and then do no hunting at all for two or three weeks. Since hunting is an unpredictable business and subject to magical control, hunters sometimes experience a run of bad luck and stop hunting for a month or longer. During these periods, visiting, entertaining, and especially dancing are the primary activities of men. (Woodburn, James. 1968. "An introduction to Hadza Ecology", in Lee and I. DeVore (eds.), Man the Hunter. Chicago: Aldine)

While it is not reasonable nor even sensical to eschew helpful technology and return everyone to such a primitive lifestyle, it is possible to provide for the needs of the planet's population, especially if we are able to democratize property in some way, sharing after our individual needs are met. The recession may just be the right impetus that we need.

Some Businesses Flourish in this Time
While times are generally hard, some businesses are actually doing better than ever. In a recent installment (12/4/2008) of KUOW's "The Conversation," host Ross Reynolds asked Who Does Well In Hard Times?. From the program, several types of positive-outlook businesses are doing well, including those that focus on: education and new skills, cost-saving measures, self improvement, business improvements, antiques (as people choose functional items with established value), physical therapy, celebrating life's joys, more cooking at home, and repairs/maintenance of existing items rather than new purchases. These can be simplified into three categories for positive change: sustainability, growth, and stress relief. While not all of the answers are so hopeful, there's enough evidence that people are taking responsibility for their happiness and well-being as a reaction to the recession.

The naturalist Edward Abbey makes a keen observation: "Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top." The economic crisis is certainly stirring society up. The scum are not the people on the top who have lost their ways, but instead the loveless ethic that is a pattern often adopted in the high positions. We've seen some pretty unbalanced activities from CEOs, especially ones benefitting from the bail-out. As these people are caught, they lose public favor and are removed from their perches (hopefully they will grow from this shift). Now is the time for the compassionate ethic to summit. Businesses and business practices that construct and promote growth have the opportunity to flourish. And society is ready to reward them.

This Recession Motivates People to Connect to What Really Matters
Kim Ivy, founder and instructor of Embrace the Moon: Taijiquan and Qigong, also phoned in an answer (at 7 min 25 seconds) to Ross Reynolds. I'm very happy to hear it for a couple reasons: one being that I wish my sifu Kim the best and the other being that I love seeing others turn to complemplation in this time. I took the opportunity to interview Kim (more on the interview coming in a later post) who relayed a very uplifting message:

What I recognize is a very pragmantic and palpable shift in people's intention for themselves during this recession period. There's a lot of fear, but what I see is people really recognizing that [taiji and qi is a way to cultivate themselves. Some people, rather than focusing on the fear and the negative, are seeing ways to cultivate the positive within themselves. They cannot only connect with themselves, but they can connect with a community that has very positive and life-affirming practices.
...
What I'm really seeing is that this is indicative of a large shift of consciousness. The idea of a larger shift of consciousness has been floating around; it is out there. But now I see it manifesting in people's beings. It is manifesting in their practices. They are looking at life as a path of insight. ... When people come in, they're happy. The path of insight is really the path of joy.

A move toward inner purpose, community, and spiritural growth seems evident, and at the same time people are eschewing greed and materialism, both because there is no room for it, and because it does not matter anymore. Tolle predicted that a cross-roads was near where people would be faced with the stark choice to evolve or die. It seems that many people are choosing to evolve, to transcend suffering.

Decreased Consumption of the Unnecessary
In addition, people will realize that while they no longer have all that they want, many will find they have more than they need. Their senses of egos will diminish as they have plenty to go around after their own needs are met. Materialism may melt away during this time as those who no longer have find out that they don't really need all that much.

In "The Conversation," callers noted that while new purchases were down, repairs were up. Indicating that this shift is already occurring at the practical level. People are valuing what they have and consuming less in general. They are learning the value in what works for them.

Even though the price of gas has decreased dramatically, I find myself and other driving and traveling less, consuming less oil. I spoke with a new retail store owner who carries more recycled goods as she identifies that "fashion is a hugely wasteful industry." Further, people are eating out less or being more controlled when they do eat out. A recently made friend of mine in the ethical food industry monitors restaurant trends a lot. He noted to me that restaurants are carrying more local ingredients, less high-priced exotic ingredients (with large overheads in transportation and other costs), and in general people are eating more sensibly. People are also cooking a lot more, gardening more, and when they do go out, making good use of their leftovers.

Even if these actions are not a sign of personal growth, it is a start and a benefit to our Earth.

Loving-Kindness as Salve
Those it is possible to see these upsides, we cannot fail to see all the suffering during this time, manifesting in the inability to provide basic needs, foreclosures on homes, loss of purpose when a job is taken away, and inability to cover health-care needs. Through this, I have faith in the generous spirits of fellow men and women. At the basic biological level humans are social animals who cannot help but show compassion for its fellow social animals in need. As the masses of suffering increase and remain, those already compassionate will lead the way and awaken more fully, those ready for transformation will deepen in compassion, and those not yet ready will have seeds planted within them. There is a need for a trickle down wealth for survival.

Humanitarian sparks may be kindled and stoked. We will see circles of loving-kindness beginning at the core and grow from family, friends, neighbors, and eventually strangers will share with each other. We will realize the interconnectedness of all beings and things (such as
what may begin with A Pistachio) and our love will grow and teach us to provide for others. We are an enormous village with the capacity to care for one another.

With both newly deepened compassion and time on their hands, those without jobs may find themselves drawn to humanitarian non-profit work. This work may in turn help them find the purposes they seek. In fact, to talk about health care, this recession will at least be one more kick in the pants for the US to get the health care act together as it becomes more vital.

On a whole, I see reason to believe that witnessed suffering will be a huge opportunity for people to practice loving-kindness and learn its inherent joy. And those who themselves are suffering will benefit from each other, giving what they can to their neighbors and receiving what they need in return.

Conclusion
I see this economic downturn as a time of awakening, perhaps bringing us closer to the New Earth that is mentioned in the Bible and by Eckhart Tolle. As these man-made structures collapse, people eschew material excess, return to simpler times, and turn to spiritual fulfillment, a huge portion of the world can fill with flowering people. People help people who need it. There's so much need right now and so much imbalance, that developed compassion and loving-kindness can flourish and naturally inspire others to find a balance in privileges and means. Let's face this storm as our best, most beautiful, bravest selves and dance.

Request for Comments - Be generous, please!

• How have you seen growth within yourself and others in this recession?
• Do you disagree with these ideas? Is the suffering much more acute than I realize?
• Do you have any thoughts and stories to share?

MPOW #1 - Developing Attention

In my post 100 Shiny Red Stars I announced that I am Introducing the Meditation of the Week:

Over the past year I have included meditation into my life in some form every day - sometimes through taijiquan, qigong, artwork, reiki, yoga, zazen, or simply mindful walking, driving, or breathing. I have been felt amazing developments through it. Going forward, I am starting a series on my blog the Mindfulness Practice Of the Week--MPoW. Each week I will write up a post on a meditation type or focus for myself and my readers to follow throughout the week. The comments are wide open for people to ask questions and share their experiences with the meditation. At the end of each week, I will summarize experiences that were shared with me, then start off each week with a fresh new contemplative focus.

Mindfulness Practice of the Week, Week 1
For this first installment, I've spent a lot of time contemplating what to use, whether it should be a traditional meditation from a spiritual tradition or whether it should be simply putting more attention into an everyday detail. Maybe an artistic endeavor, maybe something completely mundane. In the end, I chose a very foundational meditation, something quite traditional and very straight-forward. If you were to only learn one meditation, this would be it.

I take this "Developing Attention" exercise from the end of Chapter 3 in Happiness by Matthieu Ricard:

Sit quietly in your meditation posture and focus all your attention upon a chosen object. It can be an object in your room, your breath, or your own mind. Inevitably as you do this, your mind will wander. Each time it does, gently bring it back to the object of concentration, like a butterfly that returns again and again to the flower it feeds on. As you persevere, your concentration will become more clear and stable. If you feel sleepy, assume a straighter posture and life your gaze slightly upward to revive your awareness. Conversely, if your mind becomes agitated, relax your posture, direct your gaze slightly downward, and let any inner tension dissolve.

Cultivating attention and mindfulness in this way is a precious tool for all other kinds of meditation.

New to Meditation?
Posture - If you don't yet have "your meditation posture," chose something simple and comfortable to start out. I recommend either sitting cross-legged with a cushion under your butt if this is comfortable, or just sit in a chair with your feet planted squarely on the floor (legs not crossed) - shoes on or off. Either way, keep your spine erect to keep from dozing off and to align your vertebrae. Your eyelids should be gently open, eyes in a soft focus.

Duration - At the beginning calming your mind may be very difficult. You may choose to other spend 5 minutes a day on this at first, working your way up to a duration that is enjoyable and natural. Over time, you will be able to extend this for longer and longer. If you are new, it is unlikely that you will even get into the described meditation in 5 minutes. If this is the case, don't force yourself through discomfort, instead either try to relax into comfort with it, or take a pause and try again later in the day or tomorrow.

When - You may find this easiest to do first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh. It can help clear your mind for the day, and it will not so easily devolve into sleep - which is pretty far from meditation.

Comments Requested - share with me and others!
If you're new to meditation, please let me know how it goes.
If you're experienced at meditation, what works and what doesn't work?
For everyone, please share your experiences with this meditation. If a group of people are doing it and sharing, that will help others ride the wave.

On Perfection

Thank you Brad and Kim for the thoughtful comments to my 100 Shiny Red Stars post, particularly around "practice makes perfect." You pierce a flaw knit into the fabric of my last post.

Let's look at authoring a post as a metaphor for perfection in general. If I ever tried to make this post cover every single aspect in every single way, the ideation process would either be stifled then replaced with something derivative and vapid -or- the post would be worked on ad infinitum (or more likely ad nauseum), paralyzed by the need for perfection. The irony to the latter being that nothing would be released, which is about as imperfect and incomplete as you can be. There needs to be a moment when one knows it is ready for posting. Timing, completeness, novelty, style, and polish are all important factors which must be balanced and can never all be maxed out. Fortunately, I can always darn the holes later, as they're discussed. The whole benefit of the writing is to engage in discussion, and the holes and other perspectives all allow the discussion to come in. If my posts could be perfect, there'd be no room for discussion - BORING! And, ahem, not so perfect.

This shows that the definition of perfection is hard to get a firm hold on. It is an elusive fish that slips through our grasps. We cannot really talk about whether practice does or does not make perfect if we do find common ground on its meaning, otherwise we cannot tell if we're disagreeing or miscommunicating. What many of us so often forget is that we all have different contexts for the words that we choose, and perfection certainly can be looked upon in many ways. For instance, Aristotle has several definitions of perfection that he enumerated in Delta of the Metaphysics: (from Wikipedia)

1. that which is complete - which contains all the requisite parts
   
2. that which is so good that nothing of the kind could be better
   
3. that which has attained it's purpose

Even with three definitions, I still feel that they are limiting in at least two ways.

• First, they lend themselves to the endless striving (so yang), a baggage adopted by many parts of Western culture. This has led to the movement to let go of "perfectionism", seen as a personality flaw.
  
• Second, and paradoxically, it tricks you into thinking that there is an end, and attainment of the end purpose would be self-nullifying. As soon as you attain the purpose, you no longer have a purpose, no raison d'etre.

There are other definitions that see perfection as akin to elegance, a certain honesty of nature residing within that can only be achieved in the context of reality. The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi embodies this, and is often translated to mean that "perfection can only be found in imperfection." Renaissance philosophers also explored this concept, evidence of independent creation outside of Eastern traditions. When I spoke with Brad about this, he confided that it resonated with him: "I can see that. I can relate to it even. I've had experiences where I've felt that everything is perfect exactly the way it is, even in it's imperfection."

Regarding the "Practice makes permanent." I don't have such a fluid definition of permanence, and believe that it is neither attainable within oneself nor a virtue. I prefer flexibility (to demonstrate, my beliefs will be flexible if someone wants to pose alternative definitions). Our skills often regress when maintenance subsides and practice diminishes. We have to keep flexing our practice muscles to prevent atrophy. When I studied Tang Soo Do, my master proposed another saying: "Perfect practice makes perfect." I didn't want to touch this idea in the original post. It can be interpreted in fear that wrong practice will mess something up, though I think that this notion is also possible to address and learn from. There are just a lot more knots to untie in it. Rather, I'll start by making a little more sense of "practice makes perfect" and I'll leave the other as exercises for the reader. (wink)

If you combine the concept of wabi-sabi with Aristotle's third definition - perfection is that which has attained its purpose - it helps define practice circularly. When we first begin our practice, it is in one place and has a more specific or scoped purpose. Over time, the purpose itself broadens, deepens, and/or shifts. Practice leads the way to this place, this new target for the practice. We never quite reach the ability to attain the purpose, since the target is also moving, but we have attained future definitions of the purpose. There's a freedom in always reaching perfection in one sense and never reaching perfection in another. It gives practice purpose, and a never-ending one at that.

Note: I love a good paradox like that. We can learn so much. I think this might make a good topic for a mindfulness practice of the week.

Request for Comments - no lonely posts, please!

What does perfection mean to you? What does it create for you?

Care to challenge my definition of permanence and open my eyes?

100 Shiny Red Stars

There are a lot of changes going on at this time, the United States has a new president (Obamanos! Yes we did!), it is the start of a new calendar year, the lunar year of the ox is about to begin, and for me there are some other changes occurring in my life.

Practice something for 100 days and it's yours for life. -Chinese aphorism
Kim Ivy, who runs Embrace the Moon: Taijiquan and Qigong school where I train has issued a 100 days of practice challenge to her school on Facebook:

What an incredible day! It was great simply to be alive and experience it. Several of you have been asking about 100 Days of Practice. Each year those who feel called take the leap and choose to practice something intentional for 100 Days. Note to self! It can be whatever you want for however long you want. Some of the ideas are meditation, writing, Tai Chi, Optimism, Service. Some ideas are for 5 minutes or for 30. Keep it loose, keep it disciplined, whatever you think might work for you.

Think about it this week and start January 26th with the New Year of the Ox. Or, if you know and are ready to go, start with our new President and his 100 days tomorrow! (Jan. 21). If 100 Days is not for you but the idea is compelling, try 30 days. Just for fun and to see what happens! I'll be offering support along the way and
invite everyone to add to the discussion board. I love what is being said so far.

May your intention be your manifestation,

Kim

Practice Makes Perfect (see response post On Perfection)
"I grew up with the aphorism, maybe you did, too-- Practice Makes Perfect." (William Wittman) It's worth taking a look at what practice really is. I love how Kim answers What Makes practice, Practice? Really, read the whole thing, it's well worth it.

Intent. Grace. Humility. Consistency. Routine. Perfection. Imperfection. Motivation. Rest from Motive. Conscious Awareness. Doing something different. Doing the same thing over and over. Flow. Feeling good. Fun. Nine-year-old Zamora who has studied with me for four years says practice is “repeating something over and over until you gradually get good at it.” I love that a nine-year-old understands the concept of gradually! So, what does makes practice, Practice? The overwhelming theme that has emerged is this: Intention. Practice is many things, but primarily it is bringing our intention into whatever we are doing.

This practice will help you change gradually into a true expression of yourself, finding knowledge and power within yourself. Kim shares:

I bring to my practice not just repeating something over and over but the act of self-reflection: I practice and I observe. I practice again. I tweak and adjust and tear apart and build up again. I create an opportunity to know myself better. Gradually this habit seeps into the rest of my activities. The result of Practice is that over time, I have a more
engaged relationship with my whole life.

And don't talk yourself out of the practice!

“But I can’t practice on my own." "I will do it wrong." "I will set an incorrect path.” Truly these are the worst things to allow ourselves to believe. ...

When we stifle the practice process by choosing to engage in negative mental activity, we close the door on our growth and all that is available to us. We deny our natural instincts, our intuitive guidance. Gradually over time we become smaller, weaker, fragile, less connected. It is a terrible death because we are still breathing but we are not growing.

Use your intellect to help you enter, maintain, and make time for the practice. Motivate yourself, enlist a buddy to help you stay motivated, whatever works for you.

Tracking Your Progress
While searching for other 100 days of practice around the net, I found a Web site targetting teachers helping young violinists (little kids) develop practices. It has a great product on it, the 100 days of practice chart and certificate. You don't need to be a little kid or a violinist to use this chart. You just need to have the heart of a child and you will grow into the virtuoso of your practice.

Give yourself a red star every day right after you practice, a reward on days 25, 50, and 75, then graduate yourself at 100! Celebrate! I'm going to buy a chart for the course and a bottle of champagne and a present for the finish line. This is going to be a lot of fun.

My Practice: Writing Every Day
Last year I picked up the blog again and have been writing quite a bit, more than you see. There's actually a lot of time spent writing and editing behind the scenes. I have many blog posts in flight at any one time (roughly 40 right now) for which I am collecting quotes, thoughts, ideas, and just working out the flow and timing for delivery. Sometimes a news event pops up that I want to post about right away. Sometimes I get brave enough to turn diary writing of mine into a post. However, I'm not quite as disciplined about writing every day as my aspirations would have me. Time to grow.

William Wittman at BodyAndSoulMentor.com writes about the true power of practice. One of William's teachers motivated him, “If you want to become a writer, write. Write a million words and you will be a writer.” Now I'm taking up the challenge, beginning the 100 days of practice to engage in my writing, much of which will be for this blog.

Along with that, I'm starting up a new series for this blog that I hope you will enjoy. This will be a forcing function to post at least once per week.

Introducing the Meditation of the Week
Over the past year I have included meditation into my life in some form every day - sometimes through taijiquan, qigong, artwork, reiki, yoga, zazen, or simply mindful walking, driving, or breathing. I have been felt amazing developments through it. Going forward, I am starting a series on my blog the Mindfulness Practice Of the Week--MPoW. (This will be the only M-PoW-er yourself joke. There. It's done.) Each week I will write up a post on a meditation type or focus for myself and my readers to follow throughout the week. The comments are wide open for people to ask questions and share their experiences with the meditation. At the end of each week, I will summarize experiences that were shared with me, then start off each week with a fresh new contemplative focus.

Join me in the practice and earn your 100 shiny red stars. President Obama, congratulations on day 1 in the white house. This * is for you.

Request for Comments - No Lonely Posts!
What practice are you engaging in for 100 days?
What does practice mean to you?