I guess the essence of Zen, from what I've read and observed, is to realize your perfection in all you do all the time. That we are whole and complete the way we are seems an important message told in koans and parables in the world of Zen. What I'm trying to figure out on my zen path to realizing that is why do I continue to do things not good for me? That can be from eating chocolate cake slathered in gooey, wonderful, chocolaty frosting to having that next glass of wine when I know one glass is just fine. Or getting the tall latte when I know it's going to mess with my diary intolerant stomach, so I need to have my Diary-ease pills handy to take before and after. Why do I want to ingest anything that I will need to take a pill for?
Yesterday in Day One of my observations, I set several intentions to see how my day would go. And it worked for the most part. I was very thoughtful before I put that cookie into my mouth! I ate my warm and toasty waffle with a slab of butter and dipped each bite into a small container of maple syrup instead of dumping the syrup all over the waffle. I savored each bite. I had a good companion over breakfast, my son Danny, and we chatted about his upcoming trip. I left for yoga with a rumbling stomach, wishing I hadn't drunk the tall latte, knowing what dairy does to me. I went to yoga and focused on the tai chi warm up with all the mental clarity I could muster, but always in the back of my mind was the "to do " list. As I drove off feeling limber and stretched one again to World Market, to pick up yet more chairs for our backyard, I had an impending sense of being too busy. How can one be mindful of your actions and thoughts when your brain is so cluttered with so many things to do?
After picking up the chairs, all in boxes to be assembled later, I rushed home to clean our house before guests arrived for a long afternoon meeting for our non-profit HANDS in Nepal. A friend showed up an hour early! Feeling flustered at having my "to do" list cut short by an hour, I snapped at my husband, calling him crabby as he lay sick on the couch reading (something I realized later I was longing to do).
I have to say stopping to observe myself and my choices, because I had set that goal earlier in the day, made me half-halt. It wasn't my friend's earliness, my husband's illness or the house mysteriously getting so cluttered all the time that made me snappy-it was my choice. So I hit the pause button. I apologized to the hubby, asked my friend if she'd like to sit and wait while I finished up a few things, and took a deep breath. I dare say I wouldn't have found a graceful way out of my building stress if I hadn't set that intention earlier in the day to observe and reflect. For the rest of the afternoon, during our meeting which was full of food and drink, I observed as best I could-what I ate, what I said, and .....it worked!
Today is the second day of my two week long experiment, and I am setting five goals for today. The first is to continue to be observant of what I am putting into my mouth and the second is to be observant of what is coming out of my mouth. I am off to work with a third goal to smile. The fourth is to acknowledge my students, each and every one of them, and let them know I am glad to see them. The fifth is to give effort to my physical self by stretching in my classroom at lunch, and then going to yoga after work.
If I can do those five things, I know I will be in the best shape and space today to do what I have to do to be happy and at peace with myself and others.
Best of luck to you at finding your zen space within!
Jan
Yesterday in Day One of my observations, I set several intentions to see how my day would go. And it worked for the most part. I was very thoughtful before I put that cookie into my mouth! I ate my warm and toasty waffle with a slab of butter and dipped each bite into a small container of maple syrup instead of dumping the syrup all over the waffle. I savored each bite. I had a good companion over breakfast, my son Danny, and we chatted about his upcoming trip. I left for yoga with a rumbling stomach, wishing I hadn't drunk the tall latte, knowing what dairy does to me. I went to yoga and focused on the tai chi warm up with all the mental clarity I could muster, but always in the back of my mind was the "to do " list. As I drove off feeling limber and stretched one again to World Market, to pick up yet more chairs for our backyard, I had an impending sense of being too busy. How can one be mindful of your actions and thoughts when your brain is so cluttered with so many things to do?
After picking up the chairs, all in boxes to be assembled later, I rushed home to clean our house before guests arrived for a long afternoon meeting for our non-profit HANDS in Nepal. A friend showed up an hour early! Feeling flustered at having my "to do" list cut short by an hour, I snapped at my husband, calling him crabby as he lay sick on the couch reading (something I realized later I was longing to do).
I have to say stopping to observe myself and my choices, because I had set that goal earlier in the day, made me half-halt. It wasn't my friend's earliness, my husband's illness or the house mysteriously getting so cluttered all the time that made me snappy-it was my choice. So I hit the pause button. I apologized to the hubby, asked my friend if she'd like to sit and wait while I finished up a few things, and took a deep breath. I dare say I wouldn't have found a graceful way out of my building stress if I hadn't set that intention earlier in the day to observe and reflect. For the rest of the afternoon, during our meeting which was full of food and drink, I observed as best I could-what I ate, what I said, and .....it worked!
Today is the second day of my two week long experiment, and I am setting five goals for today. The first is to continue to be observant of what I am putting into my mouth and the second is to be observant of what is coming out of my mouth. I am off to work with a third goal to smile. The fourth is to acknowledge my students, each and every one of them, and let them know I am glad to see them. The fifth is to give effort to my physical self by stretching in my classroom at lunch, and then going to yoga after work.
If I can do those five things, I know I will be in the best shape and space today to do what I have to do to be happy and at peace with myself and others.
Best of luck to you at finding your zen space within!
Jan
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