Mindful Monday: Unveiled

It's wedding season. I just returned from my second of two out-of-town weddings in the past two weeks. I traveled far and near. I bought a new dress. My bridesmaid duties have been fulfilled.

But all this wedding business has me thinking a lot about veils. In a traditional white-dress wedding, the bride's veil is symbolic of the bride's purity.

From Wikipedia: "The lifting of the veil was often a part of ancient wedding ritual, symbolising the groom taking possession of the wife, either as lover or as property, or the revelation of the bride by her parents to the groom for his approval."

Romantic, huh?

I don't have any statistics to prove it, but I think all this virginal bride stuff isn't very common today. Brides do the whole veil thing because it's tradition or fashionable ... but it's usually kind of a facade.

This past weekend, as I traveled for a wedding, I read an article by Sally Kempton about avidya, meaning delusion or ignorance. It's like we're walking through life with a veil in front of our faces, unable to see who we really are. We're not trying to fool our friends and families into thinking we're virgins, but we're fooling ourselves. As humans, we identify with our emotions, thoughts, and feelings, but that's not who we really are. When sadness emerges, we think "I'm sad." Kempton suggests a change in that inner dialogue. Instead of thinking "I'm sad," what if we thought, "Here's some sadness"? Instead of identifying with feelings (both good and bad), just notice them and observe without judgment. It's only when we lift the veil that can we can begin to see that we are much more than our emotions and thoughts. I think it's still OK to wear them as a fashion statement, though.

Mindful Monday: An Update

I have a confession to make...

Mindful Monday has taken a backseat to, well, life. I'm not proud of it.. but it's the pattern for me. I have never been able to make time for meditation every single day for an extended period of time. Maybe I'm just not ready. Maybe I'm not disciplined enough. Maybe I don't have what it takes. But for whatever reason, I've fallen off the wagon once again. It was nice while it lasted.

I take a lot of deep breaths during my work day. And I've been practicing standing on my hands a lot lately.. II practice mindfulness every time I take my dog for a walk.

Does that count?

Mindful Monday: Yes, I Know It's Tuesday

I was busy yesterday so Mindful Monday is going to happen on Tuesday this week. I hope you don't mind. I stumbled upon this video, which made me laugh because so many of my meditation sessions are like this. It's good to see that I'm not the only one who has such trouble. Anyone else?



Anyway, I've been meditating daily for three weeks now (although, I admit to skipping a day this week)... I'm back on track. Here are a few observations from the last week:

Not Helpful:

• Caffeine
• Chewing Gum
• Dog and/or cat in your lap, licking your hand, or staring at you
• People outside your window mowing
• The dog barking at people mowing outside your window
• Stomach that is too full or too empty

Helpful:

• Writing a to-do list before you sit.
• Imagining a happy thought on the inhale (for you) and on the exhale (for the world)
• 2-3 Sun Salutations first
• Knowing that I have to blog an update every week.
• Knowing that my online community supports and encourages me every time I blog!

Mindful Monday: Oh, Now I Remember...

Last week, I kept thinking to myself how silly I have been for not meditating regularly all these years I've been a yogi. I knew how beneficial meditation can be for managing stress, increasing focus, and overall health. And it just takes a few minutes!

Well, this week I remembered why I've never been able to stick to it: It's really hard! There are always other things I want to do instead of sitting there. When I make myself sit it, I just think of all the other things I could be doing instead. And then my nose itches. I think maybe I forgot to hit "Start" on my timer ... obviously I've already been sitting for 15 minutes. When I peek at it, I see that I had, in fact, only been sitting for 3... 5 minutes left. Damn!

What is wrong with me?

I'm not giving up, though. I know if I keep at it, it will get easier. Going into this week, I'm going to stick with 8 minutes of daily meditation (clearly, I have not graduated to 10).

I'm going to try a few things to clear my mind before I sit--like write down my to do list for the day and set it aside. I'm also going to do at least a 10-15 minutes of asana first to get into the right frame of mind and put the timer behind me so I can't look no matter how much I want to!

Ugh. Do you have any other tips?

Mindful Monday: Upping the Ante

Image: Flickr User Last Zolex

I actually meditated every single day this week! Here are a few things that I noticed:

1. Since I'm new at this and easily distracted, it's easier if I face the wall. That way when I can't stand it any longer and I have to peek, all I will see is a white wall. If I peek and see something shiny or colorful ... it takes a lot longer to recover and go back to my meditation.

2. Five minutes is a really REALLY long time sometimes--like when you're 5 years old or learning to meditate. Just think of all the precious five-minute spans I waste staring into a computer screen every day... It's kind of appalling.

3. I have felt happier this week than I've felt in a long time. I don't know if it's the placebo effect or what (I've been reading a lot about the magical benefits of daily meditation lately... but five minutes a day for a week hardly seems like long enough), but I've decided not to question it.

Next week, I'm meditating for eight minutes daily. My goal isn't to sit for long spans of time, but instead to notice the impact of a daily seated practice. However, it seems like five minutes is just long enough for me to get settled.

If you meditate, how long do you sit? Is your goal to sit longer?

Introducing: Mindful Monday

This is what I image prolonged meditation should feel like.. floating on a cloud...  in a bathrobe..

In the last few days, it seems there have been little reminders to meditate everywhere I look...

Mindfulness Meditation Training Changes Your Brain
Meditation, Your Key to a Stress-Free Life
The #1 Health Habit You're Not Doing ... Yet

OK, Universe, I get it! Meditation can change your brain ... It will help you calm down, manage stress, and focus--not to mention a whole slew of other positive benefits! So, why is it so hard to commit to just a few minutes of quiet reflection every day? I don't know... It shouldn't be so difficult, should it? I'd like to think I can do ANYTHING for five minutes.

This week, I'm starting a daily meditation routine--not because I feel guilty, but because I want to see if it's really lives up to all the hype! (The last time I was able to meditate every day it was only for about 30 days, and I really enjoyed it.. but what if I could do it for 60?) I'll start with just 5 minutes a day, and I hope to build from there. Every Monday, I'll let you know what I'm focusing on and update you on my progress! Sound good?

Do you sit to meditate daily? Do you just sit in silence following your breath or follow a guide of some sort? Do you have a mantra? Do you use mala beads? What changes have you noticed in yourself after long stretches of daily meditation?