Life On A B-I7

A Worthy Goal

It’s good to have goals. This morning when I was sitting quietly and breathing and letting my mind wander freely, I realized something out of the blue. It occurred to me that being able to sit cross-legged would be a wonderful goal to work toward.

The way I am built, I find the notion almost laughable. But now that I have taken the time to write this down, I feel more strongly about this desire than when it first came into my head.

It’s going to take awhile.

The Creator’s Time

The Brahma Muhurta is the hour of the morning that is refered to as “The Creator’s Time.” This is the most creative time of the day and a good time for meditation. Brahma Muhurta is the 48 minute period (one Muhurta) that starts one hour and 36 minutes before sunrise. Since sunrise is dependent on one’s latitude and. longitude, Brahma Muhurta is slightly different each day. Brahma Muhurta starts a bit earlier each day until you read the summer equinox, then the Brahma Muhurta time starts to get a bit later each morning until you reach the winter equinox.

I have a page in my journal for each day. I have recorded sunrise for my location for each day and calculated the corresponding Brahma Muhurta time. I have written those times down in my journal. I look at the time the night before and plan my morning. I try and use that time for meditation and writing.

Below is my prayer to celebrate the new day during Brahma Muhurta.

Read Mindfully

Read a book as slowly as possible. Intentionally slow down. Focus on each word of each sentence. Think about how the sentence is structured, what the author wants you to take away from the sentence. What do you see that you would not have seen if you had read the words quickly.

Four Considerations

I use these thoughts as focus for meditation. I repeat each of these slowly and ask how aligned I am with each of these. It’s useful to run through the list more than once, answers may differ as I delve deeper each time.

Drive with Intent

I have a nice sound system in my Tacoma. That has nothing to do with this exercise, but it makes the exercise more enjoyable.

I put my favorite mantra on and set it to play in a loop. I listened while driving to the next town, about 15 miles away. It made the trip enjoyable, actually luxurious. Here’s what I observed.

1. It makes the drive less stressful.
2. I tend to stay at or below the speed limit.
3. I get to my destination at almost the same time as I would otherwise.
4. I get there safely without incurring the ire of other drivers.
5. I don’t mind being courteous along the way.
6. The best: I am able to empty my mind, travel time becomes a non-issue.

A Mindfulness Practice

Do these seven things slowly with intent.

1. Smile for 3 seconds
2. Take one slow breath
3. Name one good thing
4. Straighten your posture
5. Label what you are feeling
6. Look far away
7. Ask one powerful question: What would the happiest version of me do right now? Go do it if you possibly can.

These ideas were stolen directly from Instagram. Proving I guess, the platform is not a complete waste of time.

Daily Mindfulness Exercise

I try and do a mindfulness exercise every day, These end up being whatever feels good in the moment. I’m sharing one here as an example, and also a reminder to myself. This is one I stumbled into recently that I enjoyed very much.

I sat down in my journal and with no pre-conceived notion of what I wanted to say, I simply wrote whatever came to mind as slowly as I could. Slowing down was hard. The goal was to fill the page with whatever thoughts came to me. Doing that slowly was difficult. It made me realize how often we rush thoughts out without really considering them thoroughly before we release them on the world. During this reflection I also realized how often I interrupt others when we are conversion. The exercise gave me some valuable insight, worth working on.

Om Nama Shivaya

Om Nama Shivaya is the mantra to Shiva used to show gratitude to the deity and also to request the granting of gratitude. We cannot have too much gratitude, We should show gratitude every day, to everyone we meet. By showing gratitude we elevate ourselves and all those around us. We are also showing the deity how much we adore peace.

I try to smile on the pickleball court as much as possible.

Do You Believe in God?

Do you believe in God? It doesn’t matter.

At times I’m not sure that I do, yet I believe that God resides in everything. It is our job to learn to recognize that reality and appreciate that truth. Appreciation is not about religion or any form of worship, it is simply about recognition and what you hold in your heart every moment. If you can appreciate God in all that you see, you will be incapable of harming your fellow man, your fellow beast, or your planet. If you can stand on this ground and look out at all that is around you and see God in it, you will see with clarity what is right and what is opposed to that which is right.

Here is a Baul song which provides a beautiful example of what it means to see God in everything. The Bauls are the roaming minstrels of India, they do not practice their belief in temples, they practice it on the street, in song.

My soul cries out,
Caught in the snare of beauty,
Of the formless one.

As I cry by myself,
Night and day,
Beauty amassed before my eyes,
Surpasses moons and suns.

If I look at the clouds in the sky,
I see his beauty afloat.
And I see him walk on the stars,
Blazing within my heart.

Conversation

“If you are in a conversation with yourself you can be in conversation with the world.” —Suleika Jaouad

Always be asking yourself questions. Always be seeking new answers from within. If you can do this honestly and with intent, you will form the capacity to listen and ask questions of those around you. You will have the ability to listen and ask questions in a way that brings you closer to others and at the same time closer to yourself.

Sharing

Be careful not to overshare. Whether it be with a partner or a friend, oversharing can hurt a relationship. Never delve in to details of a past relationship unless there is a clear path and purpose to doing so. Make sure the person you are sharing with has given you express permission to go on that journey. Oversharing makes you appear needy. No one has time for those who constantly project needy.

Possibility

Once you learn to restrain your desire, anything becomes possible.

Unrestrained desire clouds the mind and confuses reality. We are unable to look at the world around us and see possibility because we are focused inward, on ourselves alone.

Thank You

“Thank you so much for sharing this journey with us. Your warmth, kindness, and joy have made this experience so much more special. With so much gratitude to you…”

One could not ask for a higher compliment. I’m humbled. Of course, we can’t always be in a place that allows us to exhibit this kind of persona. In all honesty, it was the people around me on the journey in question that helped to bring out these traits that were so kindly attributed to me…

Shiva Mantra

Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya

One of the most popular Hindu mantras and the most important mantra in Shaivism. Namah Shivaya means “O salutations to the auspicious one!”, or “adoration to Lord Shiva”. This is a powerful mantra for healing. Shiva is my personal Hindu deity according to the Birth Chart reading.

Seven Rules of Respect for Your Body

1. Stop insulting your body out loud — it shapes how you see yourself. (It also shapes how other people see you — no one wants to listen to you when you speak that way.)
2. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored or anxious. (Stop eating before you become full. Put less on your plate then you think you can eat.)
3. Rest when you are unwell (or injured) instead of pushing yourself as if nothing were wrong. (Listen to your body and allow it to heal itself.)
4. Move your body every day, even if it’s just a short walk or a gentle stretch. (Movement is the key to good health.)
5. Wear clothes that fit your body now, not an old version of you or a future version of you. (Also look presentable. Don’t wear T-shirts that alienate other people.)
6. Check your posture a few times a day and gently adjust. (Move in a way that supports good posture whenever possible.)
7. Thank your body at the end of the for carrying you through it. (Your body is the vehicle that allows your soul the time and space it needs to grow.)

These rules of respect are given by Mahakatha. The comments in parenthesis are mine.