Do not disturb 20 minutes

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About 9 months ago, my meditation practice came to a very literal, screeching halt.  In need of a 20 minute vacation again, I decided to turn my bathroom into a meditation space.  When Tim walks in the door at 6pm, I hand Ilsa to him, slap this makeshift sign on my door and sit for 20  minutes.  

The first day, I told Salter and Mary Elle, "don't bother me for 20 minutes."  Very loving, I know.  So a few minutes in, I am turning my senses inward, turning away from the periphery, and I hear the shuffle of tiny feet outside my door.  The little person is very curious about a closed door.  And the budding first grader, I presumed, can almost read the  "DO NOT DISTURB 20 Minutes" sign.  There was a minute of silence as she pondered the sign and the words I told her-but she came in anyway.  She was in my room, on my bed, admiring her newest costume change in the mirror.   

Ahhhhhhh-the point of meditation is that you should be able to do it on a cool, 70 degree day, by a stream with birds chirping, or in 110 degree heat, sitting atop a stinking, rotting pile of garbage.  I made it 8 minutes the first day.  Not so bad.  It's gotten progressively better which is all you can ask.

Mary Elle has been inspired to create her own mini vacation signs as well.  

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Peel Back the Layers

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We all have stuff.  Some have more than others.  Some are trying to have more stuff.  It can get all too stuffy.  

Do you find that you are going outside of yourself to complete something, to fill a void, to feel whole, to be at peace.  Do you think that once ABCD happen, then I'll be happy.  Then you need to stop.  Stop going outside of yourself, outside of your home, outside of whatever and look within.  Sit quietly and become aware of how you feel, how you breathe and what you have to be grateful for each day for five minutes.  

Commit to not buying anything unnecessary for 30 days.  

Stay within yourself and within your living space, and declutter.  Organize thoughts and closets.  Get rid of that which does not serve you, mentally and physically. Spend 30 days doing it.  

Sit quietly and peel back the layers that have been slapped on by others, society, your parents, and yourself.  Get back to who you truly are.  Get to know who that is by sitting quietly and meditating.  There are TM intro courses in most cities.   Sometimes we have too much chatter in our minds to find peace.  You can clear that.  Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah.  "Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind."  And it works.  

I listened to Christopher Reeve telling about his friend Robin William's visit after his paralyzing accident. 

"He came here one afternoon and just— thank God I wear a seatbelt in this chair because I would have fallen out laughing," Reeve continued. "It's funny. In the middle of a tragedy like this, in the middle of a depression, you can still experience genuine joy and laughter and love." 

Then he went on to say that there are people who suffer far worse than he.  He said you have to cherish what you have and move forward.  

That is key. See, really see what you have, cherish it and stay there.  Choose to find peace in that moment.  It is a choice.  There are tools to help.  Yoga, meditation, eating right, these can help.  It's worth a try. 

Christopher Reeve ended by saying "Anyone who says that life is not worth living is totally wrong, totally wrong."

Find a meditation that fits in your life and commit to it.  There is TM, Transcendental Meditation, guided meditations via cd or podcast, or books that can offer tools and techniques for sitting quietly.  Or you can freely sit, close your eyes, repeat sama as your mantra until you feel quieted.  There, I gave you the daily dtox mantra.  Sama is the 4th 'S' in the daily dtox logo and means balance in Sanskrit. 

Detoxing the mind is as important as detoxing the liver for your health and wellness.  Peel back the layers as part of your daily dtox.