Tag Archives: Wellness

Go For Random!

“Random” is the instant a horse at full speed has all four hooves off the ground, unbridled love that flies. So, human beings: Gallop! Be glad for every day the word “love” has been spoken in your presence. It ends, you say. Disappointments, you say. So what? Love gets you off the ground. Receive, give, continue thus. Fly your way through your life, I tell you, go for Random! (and Happy New Year!)

We’re All About It Here at Plucky Umbrella

DAY #5 “Compassion meditation” research
A few recent psychological studies suggest that loving-kindness meditation may impact health and well-being. One study done at Stanford University suggests that a short 7 minute practice of loving-kindness meditation can increase social connectedness. Loving-kindness meditation has also been shown to reduce pain and anger in people with chronic lower back pain. Researcher Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that loving-kindness meditation can help boost positive emotions and well-being in life, fostering the personal resources that come from experiencing positive emotion. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO PARTICIPATE IN MY LOVING-KINDNESS-IN-SONG. YOU CAN SIMPLY LISTEN AND BENEFIT FROM THAT. AND NOW THAT I KNOW ABOUT THE “7 MINUTES” RESEARCH, I’LL DO A LONGER VERSION NEXT…
metta meditation day#5 with piano

Continuing Loving-Kindness Meditations – with a tweak and harmonies

Loving-Kindness meditations all have the same basic “script.” Since I’m doing something new by putting it to music, I figure I can also tweak some of the words, so here’s what I have so far; I haven’t gone too far astray from the “script” most meditators use. You are invited to click below to hear it in song.
yay metta meditation day#4

First, for yourself:
May I be safe.
May I have happiness.
May I have healing.
May I have ease and grace all hours of the day

Then for someone you find easy for you to love:
May you be safe.
May you have happiness.
May you have healing.
May you have ease and grace all hours of the day

Then for someone neutral in your life:
May you be safe.
May you have happiness.
May you have healing.
May you have ease and grace all hours of the day

Then for someone difficult in your life:
May you be safe.
May you have happiness.
May you have healing.
May you have ease and grace all hours of the day

Lastly, for all creatures on this Earth:
May we all be safe.
May we all have happiness.
May we all have healing.
May we all have ease and grace all hours of the day

Lovingkindness Meditation For All Beings Everywhere, Let’s Do It

Greetings from Plucky Umbrella!  You are invited to join me in a daily practice of Metta (Lovingkindness) Meditation.  Starting today, December 18, 2012 to January 1, 2013.  Anyone may participate and whatever day you wish to start is the right day! This simple, straight-forward meditation requires as little as a few minutes each day – or you might find yourself taking much longer. It is up to you. Metta is an altruistic attitude of love and friendliness. The benefits of Lovingkindness Meditation can be enjoyed regardless of your spiritual beliefs or practice.

Here is a “script” for your use.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Find a way to sit comfortably. This is very important!  You are to cultivate compassion and lovingkindness for yourself, so begin by choosing a seat that feels good to you.  No rules here except that you be comfortable! Also, if you begin to feel uncomfortable during your meditation, you may make changes, you may move, you may adjust.  Please do!

The Metta / Loving-Kindness Meditation uses 4 key concepts that will be repeated throughout your meditation:
• Safety
• Happiness
• Physical Healing
• Peace and ease of well-being

Some people have them printed out and hold them in their hand as a kind of “cheat sheet.”  That’s a good way to start!

You begin by repeating these concepts in the form of a wish for yourself…..okay, here we go!

a)  YOU
Start the meditation by taking a moment to cultivate a loving feeling.  Close your eyes, and bring your attention to the center of your chest, your heart.   Sometimes it helps to imagine a small kitten or puppy you could hold in that area, and feel the love and tenderness that arises naturally.

Silently repeat these phrases in your mind:
“May I be safe.”
“May I have happiness.”
“May I have physical healing.”
“May I have peace and ease of well-being.”

At first, it might be easiest to repeat these phrases just once and then move on.  As you meditate more often, you might choose to repeat the phrases twice, or three times.

Sometimes you might find yourself confused and the words might tumble around in your mind. That’s okay. When you remember, gently bring yourself back to the basic 4 phrases.

b) SOMEONE YOU LOVE
Choose someone who is easy to love. You might find yourself with some mixed feelings toward this person, but if you feel mostly love toward them, then this person is a good choice.

Silently repeat the Metta phrases in your mind. You might want to include their name with each phrase.
“May you be safe.”
“May you have happiness.”
“May you have physical healing.”
“May you have peace and ease of well-being.”

As for yourself, repeat the phrases as you wish. Once, twice, three times, it is up to you.

c) SOMEONE NEUTRAL
Bring to mind a “neutral person”, someone you are aware of that perhaps you do not know very well.  This person does not bring up strong emotions for you. You might find it easiest to choose someone you see everyday, such as a store clerk or someone you see walking their dog.

Silently repeat the Metta phrases in your mind:

“May you be safe.”
“May you have happiness.”
“May you have physical healing.”
“May you have peace and ease of well-being.”

As for yourself, repeat the phrases as you wish. Once, twice, three times, it is up to you.

 d)  SOMEONE WHO IS DIFFICULT
Bring to mind someone who brings up feelings of negativity in you.  It is most compassionate for yourself to start with someone with whom the difficulty is mild.  Give yourself permission to work at this gently and gradually.

Silently repeat the Metta phrases in your mind:
“May you be safe.”
“May you have happiness.”
“May you have physical healing.”
“May you have peace and ease of well-being.”

As for yourself, repeat the phrases as you wish. Once, twice, three times, it is up to you.

e)  ALL BEINGS
Begin to generate a feeling of loving-kindess towards all beings, all creatures, all individuals, all those in existence. 

Silently repeat the Metta phrases in your mind.
“May all beings everywhere be safe.”
“May all beings everywhere have happiness.”
“May all beings everywhere have physical healing.”
“May all beings everywhere have peace and ease of well-being.”

Continue to radiate these feelings of loving-kindness until you feel complete.

Print out this page if it would help you to remember.  The process seems complicated, but at its essence it is quite basic:  
Four phrases for you,
for someone you love,
for someone neutral,
for a difficult person,
for all beings.

I’ll post a re-cap tomorrow. Bring on the love! (Comments are welcome!)

Learning Tom Dooley on Guitar

(G chord) Hang down your head Tom Dooley. Hang down your head and (wait, wait for it, get the D chord ready, and…yes!) cry. Hang down your head Tom Dooley.  Poor boy he’s bound to (Okay, think fast, get that G chord in place and…yes!) die.

 

The 6th grade me. Tom Dooley was my first song. And, hey, remember those chairs!

The 6th grade Me. Tom Dooley was my first song. It was a classical guitar. And, hey, remember those chairs?

Random and Romance

“Random” is the instant a horse at full speed has all four hooves off the ground, unbridled galloping love that flies. So, human beings: Gallop! Be glad for every day the word “love” has been spoken in your presence. It ends, you say. Disappointments, you say. So what? Love gets you off the ground. Receive love, give love. Continue thus. Fly your way through your life, I tell you, go for Random!

a morning poem

 

Driving you home,

traffic lights blink
early morning (night)off.
A car goes steady past
then two joggers,
an up-down flashlight.
Conversation weaves mystic.
If we thank God when things
go well
then we must blame God
when they don’t.
Let God be.
The old saying, Be
here now, now a joke.
But still.
It’s still night, really.
Stille Nacht.

A Proper Cup of Tea

Sad Heart, a good dog.

OUR WHOLE LIFE COULD BE A RITUAL
“We could learn to stop when the sun goes down and when the sun comes up. We could learn to listen to the wind; we could learn to notice that it’s raining or snowing or hailing or calm. We could reconnect with the weather that is ourselves, and we could realize that it’s sad. The sadder it is, and the vaster it is, the more our heart opens. We can stop thinking that good practice is when it’s smooth and calm, and bad practice is when it’s rough and dark. If we can hold it all in our hearts, then we can make a proper cup of tea.”
(Wisdom of No Escape) – Pema Chodron

Lost Keys and Angels

A woman told me this today: “I left my keys on a shelf in a big department store. I was in a panic and worrying about what to do. I looked up and down every aisle. Suddenly this woman appears out of nowhere, hands me my keys and says ‘You need to have more faith,’ and then she disappears.”

She told her story very sweetly, but I wonder if she missed a magic moment. Maybe we used to pay more attention to things like this – small miracles or angels or visions who give us important messages.

Things like this used to change lives.

Imagine the angels and miracles and visions, frustrated, scrambling around, trying to get our attention, trying to reach us while we hurry past. They say, Stop, look, I can show you the way.

First Snow


First snowfall yesterday morning… I found myself saying ooooo, so pretty over and over again. Such a silly simple thing to say… But it was ooooo so pretty! This is a photo of the island across from me.

Snow Champagne

Ice becoming itself
crystal clusters
kirigami trees silhouetted
against the last light
too late, too late
we watch snow fall
through picture windows
candles and matches
within reach
should all else fail
Come quickly, brothers,
I’m drinking stars.

Regarding bad days…

Recently I had a God experience. My God moment, which would be impossible to describe, was powerful and uplifting.

After, I was exhausted.

I found several examples from the bible (don’t even know if I should capitalize “bible,” that’s how non-religious I am) of people who were exhausted after God experiences. So…..sometimes I have a bad day and I’m exhausted and feel like I’ve been wrestling an alligator naked. And I’m wondering if that kind of day is actually God rattling my cage to get me to notice?

Is having a “bad day” really a “hard God work day?”

My hand is hesitating over the “publish” button. God’s name tends to make people go nuts about religions and belief systems and wars. To me, God is simply an infusion that is always there (inside all of us) if we take the time to notice.

Guess I’ll go ahead and publish. I can always delete it later.

Oh, and I think that God moments get blurry afterwards, like an Impressionist painting; I doubt anyone can paint a clear picture of it, or describe it with words.

And I wasn’t drinking or anything like that.

Lurching About

Yesterday I lurched about, creatively.  My “creativity slave driver” buzzed around me all day…

First thing in the morning, went next door to my dear friend’s house to have tea, both of us still in jammies. It was delightful!  Creativity slave driver: Tsk tsk you didn’t write in your journal.

Went home to clean the house just a bit.  Creativity slave driver: Hurry! You need to start typing up those poems!

Made soap.  This has been an ongoing project. It turns out that to make soap you have to melt soap! This made me laugh!   In my case the creative part is this: I had muddled mint (with a mortar and pestle) from my property and slow-cooked it in oil to create a kind of “essence of mint.”  So I yesterday I put it all together and made mint soap.  I’m making the soap to give as gifts at Christmas/Hanukah. Creativity slave driver: You are spending too much energy and time doing a tame task, not creative enough!

One of my dear daughters called. She was baby sitting a 4-year-old.  She had been telling this young girl about her mom (me!) who used to sing and perform children’s music.  She asked me to sing to the 4-year-old!  I loved it!  Creativity slave driver: Go back to children’s music! You could make a lot of money! You are so good at it!

Saw a client. I’m an art therapist and I see a few clients each week.  “Creativity slave driver” was okay with that, no scolding.  I like being thoroughly present during sessions; being as attentive as I can be.

A hurried dinner and then I went to my jazz vocal ensemble rehearsal.  Creativity slave driver: You should sing just jazz! Practice jazz theory more! Put together an act and perform, become a jazz singer! 

Visited a wonderful friend after rehearsal. We talked about how we lurch about creatively! He has the same “Do this! Do that!” voice in his head!

Went back next door in my jammies for a late night cup of tea. Delightful! Creativity slave driver: You promised to start typing up those poems. Are you going to start tonight?

Got home a little before midnight. Got an email with a song attached that I might like to sing.  It’s a great song about  Spider Lake and Traverse City!  It got me happily excited, and then my creativity slave driver:  Do it! Put your local songs together, package them up and sell them next summer! You could make a fortune selling songs about Traverse City to Traverse City vacationers!

Got ready for bed, etc.  That dang creativity slave driver was still trying to get me to type out at least one poem!

I over ruled.

 

Climbable

From TUT’s daily emails:
If you knew of a spectacular mountain that was very, very tall, yet climbable. And if it was well established that from its peak, you could literally see all the love that bathes the world, dance with the angels, and party with the gods. Would you curse or celebrate each step you took as you ascended it?

Right-o!

Mary, life is that mountain and each day a step.

Perspectives change everything,
The Universe

[I don’t always read my TUT emails any more – but this one is a fresh drink of nice cold mountain water!]

You Can Find Your Passion p9

A REMINDER: THESE “PASSION” PAGES ARE FROM MY NEW WORKBOOK. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THEM TO USE THEM, OR I CAN EMAIL YOU A PDF COPY. THIS WORKBOOK IS JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO MAKE AND I OFFER IT TO ANYONE WHO WANTS IT. THERE’S BEEN SOME CONFUSION – SORRY.