Spinning Meditation

Meditating still, but i switched it up.
Sometimes I sit still, sometimes I use music, sometimes I walk, sometimes I stand in a corner and breathe.
A few weeks ago my sister taught me how to spin Poi. The Mexican art of dancing with fire. I found it strangely meditative, yet requiring fitness, and relaxing. So now I spin while meditating and it helps me focus my energies, perhaps a lot like Tai Chi, which I did practice for a while as well (2 years of tai chi in the zoo, I kid you not. best experience ever).
Along with spinning playing music, (practicing guitar, or a different instrument is highly meditative too. This practice helps clear the mind while you focus on a task for a longer time.
So this has helped me focus. Which in turn has helped me regulate my emotional reactions. Which is strange, for I am usually very emotionally reactive.

Pick up your guitar, flute, or make some sock poi and meditate!

Meditation and Cooking for the non-chef

Friday June 15th 2012 - I'm going to cook for my boyfriend. Menu - Steak and veggies
I'm still at work at 5:30pm, and freaking out! I've never cooked steak, there's so much to do still, and all the cleaning up afterwards. Ugh! Why shouldn't we just go out to dinner?

I converse with some of my colleagues regarding this dinner, and they say it's easy and I shouldn't sweat it, plus I'm probably an awesome girlfriend for doing this for my man! As I walk to my car, just calming myself down, telling myself I CAN do this!

I sit in my car, and take 5 minutes.

I focus on how the process: The meat has thawed, I need to just marinate it with garlic powder, pepper, chili powder, thyme, chia seeds. Leave it. We will only put it in the broiler when Ryan get's here (8 minutes both sides). However it will be hot and fresh. The potatoes - wash and clean, take out the eyes, set to boil with a little bit of salt for 20 minutes. Then fry lightly in olive oil till crunchy, add rosemary seasoning, and towards the end squeeze fresh lemon onto it. Boil the corn and salt to taste.
Wash the dishes or load them in the washer as I go to make clean up easy. I am going to love cooking this meal. It is going to be a delicious and perfect meal. He will love it, and it will nourish our bodies.

I got home, put on some Beatles, and did exactly the above!

Meditation can work miracles when preparing a meal, and you are not so fond of cooking, or the processes involved.

I am so glad for meditation, good food, and appreciation!

This was a different meal I made - mashed potatoes, veggies, and pork chops. For some reason  its easier cooking at his place, because I have company, and help. When at my place I begin cooking before he gets here. So it's a solo kitchen adventure!

Music and Patience

I just started learning  how to play the Bass. This has me totally amped. Its like I have a bad case of the Music Bug. So it's been hard to sleep at night, like I keep thinking about practicing, and music, and how do i play it better, muscle memory. In itself, playing music has been so meditative in itself. I focus, get int he zone and I feel it deep down in my soul. However when I am not playing I enjoy the silence but it makes me antsy. I feel the need to be a part of the vibration the guitars emit. Feel it in my body, soul and mind. Maybe playing guitar is even spiritual to me, although it might just be some Weezer song!
I wonder if my middle name "Shruti" has anything to do with this craving for the constant need for music, the ebb and flow of music and silence alike. Hmm.

Perhaps we are supposed to feel like this about meditation and silence. Since I have been listening to a lot of Rock music, I have been craving silence, and acoustic guitar music. I think distortion may make a difference? Thoughts on this?

The difference between meditation and guitar playing is, one creative ripples and the other is about being still. However , Buddhists do use gongs, and chanting for meditation too! So I might be in a more modern track to meditation and music, harmony. Music (whatever genre) is such a huge part of my life, but so are my moments of silence. I think integrating both into the most unusual aspect of our lives is something, hmm... creative (?). In example using music for meditation, and silence in music. I was just at a concert and in the middle of the song they sounded like it ended, but came back for another round of chorus. It was amazing. I know its incomparable, but being at a concert is like being at a mass meditation where everyone is chanting OM. At least, to me the energy was comparable. Just food for thought, maybe next time you are at a concert you can change point of view and make it meditative.

I love silence and I love music!

Rock on and Breathe!

 In other news: I am 70+ days sober!

Meditate to self betterment

The first few days of meditation was great, I made it a priority, plus it was the weekend. My weekdays are ridiculously busy. So, just like Chris, I set my alarm for 5 minutes. During meditating I was distracted by thoughts of "ok when is this going to end cause I need to get on with it".

Chris and I discussed this, and realized we have to make meditation the PRIORITY, cause although it's sitting and doing nothing, it does do good to our physical health, mental well being etc. So This morning I meditated, setting the timer at 5 minutes. Sitting up straight was a challenge for my body was sore from climbing. This was not fun.

I closed my eyes, focused on breathing, and then I decided to make this meditation less shallow than the one's I've had all week. I focused on my breathing, my muscles, my pains, my body. I envisioned what I want my body to be like, and how I want to improve my performance in dance, climbing, running, tennis etc. I made that my goal. In psychology, there was study in which basketball players and the power of "imagining" (Meditating) was tested. So there were three groups - players that practiced shooting hoops, the players that did not practice, and lastly the players that envisioned (imagined) themselves shooting hoops and getting it through. The last group was told to focus on how they wanted to perform, feeling every movement from their toes to their finger tips to getting the ball through the hoop. this was done for 5 minutes everyday. The results showed that the group imagining their practice did as well as the group that actually did practice, if not better. Both did better than the group that did not practice. I think this meditation may help me in more ways that one.

Lastly, an observation from my week, where my meditation sessions were hackneyed due to the fact I was trying too hard, yet stressed about time and getting on with the rest of the day; I was less patient, and more annoyed, than when I did wholehearted meditations. I kept wondering why I was so antsy, annoyed, and experiencing "road rage", when the meditation should have helped calm me down and see the larger picture. Well meditation can only work when you do it wholeheartedly, not in a rush, and make it the priority. Do it for YOU, not for the sake of meditating.

A different kind of Meditation