Monday, March 25, 2013

Present tense only, please

First - a brief update on yesterday's shenanigans!

Abby, you lost a diamond earring at the restaurant and they would like you to pick it up before you check out.
GetFresh - Mumford and Son's enjoyed your impromtu getting up on stage to sing with them and have left their business cards for you.
I am still waiting for confirmation as to whether Tabitha has indeed decamped to Los Angeles with her own bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, locked in with bourbon and food for a week and phone numbers of certain actors and musicians...And I suspect Nigel is with her.
The rumours of me hitting on Elvis Costello are viscious lies.  Or maybe half-truths? Dani and Lane - would appreciate if you would call Diana and send my apologies.
And Kathy, tell your mother she is a hoot!
Now wasn't it fun to get away????  We should do it more often! 

And Louise, I did try the blue eyeliner:




It was a light hand as you can only see the faintest trace of blue as my eyes are so deepset.  I think I could have gone further and they did sparkle more IRL!  Not like the gold i wore with the Hummingbird Dress last night, but they did sparkle!

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Did I tell you I am trying to learn to meditate?

Well I am and it is not easy!

My journey towards meditation began on Christmas Day, when my children gave me the following book:

The Buddha Walks Into A Bar...: A Guide To Life For A New Generation

I am still making my way through the book (which you can get here) - and it is quite funny and really interesting.  It is described thusly:

This isn't your grandmother's book on meditation. It's about integrating that "spiritual practice" thing into a life that includes beer, sex, and a boss who doesn't understand you. It's about making a difference in yourself and making a difference in your world-whether you've got everything figured out yet or not. Lodro Rinzler is a bright and funny young teacher with a knack for showing how the Buddhist teachings can have a positive impact on every little nook and cranny of your life-whether you're interested in being a Buddhist or not.

Now here's the thing: you know you are working too hard and your engine is revving too hard when your children give you a book on meditation as a present.  There were many signposts on the road to me taking a few months off, and this has got to be in the top 5.

So I started taking baby steps.  I did not want to join a local meditation group at present for a few reasons related to privacy, but I will probably do so in the future.  In the interim, I got some "mail" a few weeks ago from Oprah Winfrey, inviting me to take a 21 day meditation challenge with her and Deepak Chopra, to learn to meditate.  I typically ignore these kinds of emails, because usually they invite me to go shopping and I am trying really hard not to do that these days!  But I was having a bit of a hard time getting going on the meditation and thought "why not, maybe this will kick start me!"

Indeed it is has and i am grateful that in this case I ignored my typical approach to deleting these spam-y emails (I decided to sort of a George Costanza thing - remember when he did everything the opposite of what he would normally do and became so successful?").  The 21 day challenge is really "meditation lite", but frankly for folks like me, whose minds are racing constantly, this has been the perfect way to dip my toes into the world of meditation and when the 21 days are over, I feel as though I have a launch pad now to begin more intensive meditation.  Even though we are into day 14, you can begin anytime during the 21 day period, so if any on of you are interested feel free to check it out here.

I have always avoided meditation in the past as my mind has always gone a mile a minute.  I didn't have time to be still.  I was the ultimate multi-tasker.  And I was the person who was constantly reviewing the past and worrying about the future.  Some of the most recent research about multi-tasking indicates that it can reduce our productivity by up to 40%, since we are causing our brains to constantly shift gears and we end up not really paying attention to anything.  The worst offender of this in the workplace is of course email, where people are checking their email constantly throughout the day, including during meetings.  I felt like I was getting the attention span of a gnat.  Am I the only one?  I don't think so - you can read this thoughtful article here for a more in-depth analysis of this phenomenon.

What I want to be is to fully present in my life and in each activity.  I don't mean this as navel-gazing in the extreme, but I want to notice the trees when I walk the dog, truly hear the conversations I am having, feel what I am feeling in the moment.  Prior to my break, I had felt a bit like an automaton; I was always rushing through things to get to the next thing.  And then I was surprised that I couldn't remember things I was doing! 

For me, meditation is hard.  There I am meditating away, doing my mantra and it is SOOOO hard to stay on track.  Suddenly I think about the need to vaccum behind the oven.  I think of some obscure movie I saw in the 1970s, I think about a conversation I need to have with someone.  I take a breath and continue on with the mantra, keep trying to stay on task.  I liken it in my mind to the scene in the "Wizard of Oz" when all of the images are popping in front of Dorothy when she is up in the Tornado.  So I am trying to close my eyes and not think about the witch or those guys going byy in the rowboat!

After two weeks, I am becoming more mindful  and more present.  I am trying very hard to be present, really present at whatever i am doing, whether it is walking the dog, cleaning the toilets or cooking supper.  Because I am more present, and paying more attention, I am doing a much better job at the things I am doing.  This mindfulness will accompany when I begin to work again.    I read a quote by Alexandra Stoddard over the weekend that really resonated with me:

"When we're mindful of what we love, where we most love to be, who we love to be with, how we enjoy spending our time, we have the key to living wisely."
Choosing Happiness

Right now, I have cheap grocery store bouquets of flowers all over my house: carnations, daffodils, tulips, daisies, and they are keeping me going until my own garden comes alive again.  And I am taking the time to look, really look at them and enjoy their beauty, however fleeting it might be.  Being present is hard - we all have worries and concerns and things we must attend to, but taking a break and clearing your mind of the clutter is as important as cleaning out the junk drawer in the kitchen.  (which is one of this week's tasks!)

Do you meditate?  How do you find your ways to "go placidly amidst the noise and haste"?

As a little gift to you all for coming by, here is a picture I took of my lovely tulip bouquet yesterday afternoon.  I would send one to all of you if I could!



The great thing is that the tulips can tell that Spring is coming soon - like me, they are straining to the light.  Have a great day, take time for yourselves and stay safe out there!

39 comments:

  1. Such a well-written post Wendy. I completely relate to your struggles to meditate, I have been through this myself. Years ago when I was in treatment for anxiety I had to learn to meditate as part of my therapy. It was almost IMPOSSIBLE at first, it is so so difficult. I kept at it and had some success. I have certainly been more mindful ever since, I do notice the trees and the colours and sounds of the world. I have to continue to work on being present, my mind races constantly. I try to limit my computer time as that does add to my gnat-brain.
    I called Diana and she is not very pleased but I think I smoothed it over for now! ;)

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    1. Thanks for making the call - kind of embarassed! Well I think you are so right about the computer! I am limiting the time, but also fixing a schedule so that I when I am doing it, I am really present doing it! This morning I did 20 minutes of yoga followed by the 15 minutes of meditation. I feel all zen - like I just had a massage or something! It is very differnent from my cardio exercise!

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  2. Hi Wendy, great post. Too bad about my earring! Ha. I love your thoughts about meditating, and being present, and that book sounds interesting.

    There is a lot of evidence out there that meditation helps with a host of challenges. Of all the "alternative" practices, it's the one that really has a decent and growing evidence base in the scientific literature.

    Have you seen Amelie? What I like in that movie is the pleasure she takes in the present - noticing and absorbing textures, sights, etc. It's a little over-exaggerated in the movie, but I like the idea of it.

    And, a quote, from this week's NYT, in an article about an amazing ultra marathoner (I recommend the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/magazine/creating-the-all-terrain-human.html?ref=magazine): "Runners who have served as pacesetters for him have told me with amazement how, when he was midrace at Lake Tahoe, Jornet didn’t run with his head down in focused misery but instead brushed the hairgrass and corn lily that grew along the trail with his fingertips and brought the smell to his nose, as if he were feeding off the scenery."

    I do meditate, in fits and starts. What I have done, and what I have read, have certainly had a subtle but transformative impact on me. Mindfulness is part of what drives me to the outdoors - I am never more present than in the mountains or the desert.

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    1. Abby - love your comments and the article! WOw - what an interesting and inspiring individual! I do find that the mindfulness also helps me get out of the frantic, nervous mode, since I am trying to live in the moment, not in the past or the future! But boy - it is hard!

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    2. Abby, what a beautiful line that was to read.

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  3. It sounds like you are making progress and are starting to enjoy being in the moment. Perhaps you can mediate while gardening as Janet does. After husband's second cancer we were invited to attend the Mindfulness sessions hosted by the Health Region. Partners were allowed to join in support of the patient. Husband had some success but I could not make my mind be quiet and I still can't. The leader told me I wasn't ready for it yet and I think she's right. Maybe one day, but not yet.

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    1. xoxo - you are right about the link with gardening - when I weed or work in my garden, I feel completely in the moment! I just need to live some parts of the year in places I can garden!

      I have tried meditating in the past and always gave up, so I think the leader of your group was right - you do things in your own time when you need to do things! I am really glad that your husband had some success, as it must be hard for his mind not to race sometimes!

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  4. i do meditate wendy. and you are right it isn't easy but it is So good. one thing i've learned to do when random thoughts pop into my consciousness while meditating is to gently acknowledge them and gently dismiss them. if i don't do that then they keep coming back over and over. and i really believe in moving meditations also like gardening, yoga, cleaning, walking, running. lovely post today. xo

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    1. HI Janet - it is funny you say that, as that is what I did this morning - something popped in and I rold it "just wait about 20 minutes and I will get to you" and it went away!

      I miss my gardening, but am trying to meditate during the yoga and walking and even during cleaning. Looking at cleaning not as drudge work now, but as loving my house! I don't begrudge taking a shower, don't know why I would begrudge cleaning the house!

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  5. Oh my, you look lovely with the blue eyeliner! I think this is the perfect look for spring.

    I haven't tried meditation, but I went to see a psychotherapist several years ago and he wanted me to focus on the here and now and try to live in the moment. It is a difficult thing to do, as my mind is always dwelling on past events and racing ahead to the future and thinking about "what ifs?". I try to limit my computer time as otherwise, I get lost in surfing the web and reading emails. As it so happens, I have developed really bad carpal tunnel syndrome/RSI in both wrists in the past few years. When my wrists start burning up, that's the sharp reminder to shut the computer down and step away.

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    1. Louise - that is so interesting. I find that limiting the time makes me enjoy it more when I do it, like when I read. It's the What ifs that get to me, too, but I am now thinking less of them and more of the "why nots?"

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  6. I have a racing mind like yours and Dani's and fight anxiety all the time. I keep promising myself that I'm going to meditate, but I don't do it. I really do need to try it, as I also get migraines and meditation is supposed to help as a preventative. I do sort of a walking meditation like Janet described and it's helpful, but I did to learn to just sit quietly and do it.
    Good for you!

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    1. Thanks Kathy! sitting quietly has become one of the happiest times of my day - and it has only been 15 days! They say 21 to make a habit - will keep you posted!

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  7. Oh we went to a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel for our 10th wedding anniversary - it's been downhill since then! I just wanted to change the locks and adopt squatter's rights.

    Meditating is so so hard, I'm present most of the time but it is my husband's greatest flaw and has been his downfall on several occasions, I keep telling him that he has work to do in this area, but he has to get there himself.

    Oh and Louise, my forearms are burning by the end of the day, and they throb most nights, I do wonder how it will effect me in old age.

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    1. I only had carpal tunnel when I was pregnant - retained SO much water both time. Not pretty. I was a Kim Kardashian kind of pregnant lady, not a Heidi Klum...

      What a great spot for an anniversary! I would want to lock myself in as well, though I would probably be calling for the ghost of montgomery clift or gregory peck, too!

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    2. I also developed carpal tunnel syndrome while I was pregnant with my first and although it has improved slightly (kids are now 3.5 and 2), it hasn't gone away.

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  8. Hi WMM,
    I loved reading this post... I can related to Dani and Kathy. My mind is running all the time and just as you said I always think about the past and worry about the future... Part of my decluttering project is related to this... I think it was not a conscious process when I started, but it is where I am meant to land... I felt overwhelm in my own house and I think my mind is also overwhelm... I try to appreciate more what I do when I do it, but for different reasons I cannot get there yet... But I will, I know I will... Thanks again for this post.

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    1. Steph - I hear you - the clutter and disarray in my heads, all the stress, came out in my house, too! It looked clean (and generally was because we had cleaning ladies) but was so disorganized and felt overhwelmed and would rush through tasks just so I could relax!

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  9. Hi Wendy! Great post, as always. I learned to meditate from (strangely enough) an art professor in college. She gave me a copy of "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki. I've also found "Become What You Are" by Alan Watts to be helpful. I can't completely clear my mind when I meditate. In fact, I don't even try. I just acknowledge the thoughts as they float by and then move on.

    I find meditation to be like any other kind of exercise. Sometimes it's really frustrating while you're doing it, but when you're done, you're always happy you made time for it.

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    1. Oh good for you! I will look for both of these books as well. I am a little reading machine these days and I love to learn and anything that helps! You are right on the exercise - I am back into my yoga and I am feeling it, but so glad to be doing it!

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  10. MINDMELD: Well WMM, despiste coming from a very musical family, I can't hold a note in the shower. So I am heartily glad Marcus, Ben, Winston, and Ted (my new touring posse?) were so gracious about my impromptu decision to jig with them (polite Englishmen.) Thanks, of course, to all of you, for rescuing me from the big fella on stage security (that Tabs and her backstage passes). I am listening to "I Will Wait" right now, to remember it all.

    Glad you are finding some success with the 21. I can only attempt to meditate if I scribble all my current brain niggles free-form first for 10 minutes or so. I think my brain has been a hampster on a wheel since childhood, although I am sure screens and other devices don't help, as all the articles lament. Low, soothing music (no whales or water) also helps me focus, but that may simply be because I live most of the time in a noisy spot.

    Thanks for sharing your flowers! And did you know the band's second album is titled BABEL - something very appropos in fact you would pick them for me.

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    1. I like the idea of the writing first - that is kind of the Artists Way, isn;'t it? I have that now thanks to Kathy and am just having a go at that well. My gosh - there is so much to learn about that I think my head is about the burst these days! Oh I had you pegged for a Mumford and Sons kind of gal all along! And I can;t carry a tune either! I did know it is Babel - have them on my ipod and love to listen to them!

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    2. I haven't heard of this Artist's Way, off to do the Google.

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  11. WMM, you look gorgeous in that close up! Much like yours, my mind is also working overtime. I used to meditate but these days, I simply can't sit still for that long. But I so appreciate this journey you are sharing with us all, it provides such a good guideline for those of us who are still trying to figure it out. Master zen WMM!

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    1. Thank you Anthro Blogger, but gotta say - I am no zen master - I often feel like I am still 14 and am kind of embarrassed to be figuring this out at 50! Wait how smart I will be at 90!

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  12. Like others, I have anxiety issues sometimes, my mind can't ever "shut off". I've done better in recent years, it used to be really bad. I find writing helps - I've done some of the exercises in Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way book and the morning pages are quite helpful.

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    1. LR - that is so funny - as I just mentioned that to GF above! Kathy mentioned it and I have it and haven't started yet! I am planning to start on it this weekend! Great minds!

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  13. Great post. This year my focus is on good health and meditating is one habit I want to develop. I have not been really successful at it. I end up feeling guilty that I wasted some time finding something so elusive. What has helped me relax a bit is breathing properly. I have an app on my iphone that I look at when I'm feeling stressed and it helps me regulate my breathing. By the way, a shout out to Get Fresh. She set me out on a course of meat-free meals twice a week with her post on spices. We're going strong on to our fourth week and hopefully bring this up to three/four days a week this Spring/Summer.

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    1. Marie - that is so awesome! Yay for GF - she will be so pleased!

      Breathing is so critical, isn't it, and I kind of suck at it too, but I think it takes practise. The thing I think is so funny is the kind of crazy thoughts that pop into our head when we try to relax. Now I am just gentle with myself about them, but some are really odd...

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  14. I am a long time meditator and am learning to teach the Mindfulness based Stress reduction program; it is not hard and any attempts to make it hard are bogus so keep doing whatever you are doing. Even 5-10 minutes to start can be illuminating. What bubbles up can be very interesting so just be open. Resist the impression that you are somehow not doing it adequately and keep at it. Our 'monkey minds' can be tamed!

    I think Diana is getting over it. She is v. cool.

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    1. I love that - monkey minds! Explains wondering what's behind the fridge!

      That us so cool that you are learning to teach mindfulness! We saw Diana here at
      The playhouse right before she made it big - she was so good! It was such a small intimate venue and we all knew we were seeing something special!

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  15. WMM,
    No meditating for me today- to many deadlines. Please save room for me on your next trip- it sounds like I missed a great time! I love tulips. They are so regal.

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    1. Yikes- TOO many deadlines. I swear I know how to spell...

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  16. I'm doing the Deepak/Oprah series as well! I kwym about monkey mind and the attention span of a gnat. I'm a bit behind on the series. Maybe 3-4 days, but I don't let that bother me. Meditation isn't instant and the process is a journey. Whatever is going on in your life will change your experience from day to day, no matter how many years you've been doing it. Also, I think we're success oriented and expect to levitate or something in the first week. We have to just trust that *something* is happening. If you give it time and get to that euphoric state, you will want to practice it more and more. In your exploration, you may try Rodney Yee on DVD. Love his voice. Love the meditations.

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    1. HI Gigi- so cool that you are also doing it - I find it a nice gentle way to be introduced. I certainly do feel more peaceful after I have done. I will look for the Rodney Yee DVD as well. That sounds good!

      We used to have a house years ago where the people before us did trascendtal meditation and they had a flying room - it was very cute!

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  17. I must have a had a touch of ADHD in my childhood. I was one of those kids who could read a book, watch TV and draw at the same time. Got praised for that back in the day, nowadays? It's a mind killer. At my last job, I was required to juggle a million things (felt like that anyway) and burnt out but good. At my current job, I've done a "hard reset", and am training myself on focusing on one project at a time, blocking out my time hour by hour. I'm still working on calming my thoughts in my spare time, gardening is definitely a huge outlet, but I can only do that a few months of the year. I'll have to take up knitting or something to while away the rest of the year. Great post, thanks for sharing!!

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    1. CC - we sounds like we could be sisters! Same thing here - I am quite sure I had a touch of ADHD, but for some reason, i think concentrated better then, even if I was mutlitasking. I could have been age. I think so many jobs just overload us and in some, like my job, there is the definite expectation that if an email is sent, it is read within 5 minutes. Of course, my job isn't necessarily typical. But i am like you - I need an october to april plan!

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  18. I started laughing at the racing mind bit. Mine is in overdrive, I think. I can make some connections that used to leave my family with their jaws dropped. These days I keep them to myself. :)

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    1. That's a gift ROse - don't lose it!! You will realize the older you get that there are not as many people with that ability as you and you may find yourself quite in demand!

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Kindness is a virtue...