Breathe

I'm evolving my mindful breathing practice. My intent for now is to sit quietly and focus on my breath for at least ten minutes each day. I'm not entirely there yet, but acknowledge that it's a process which develops over time and is definitely not as easy as it sounds.

Like many, I am challenged with the simple task of carving out the time. It's interesting how distracted we get with mindless tasks that fill our days while finding all kinds of reasons not to take five quiet minutes to connect with our breath. It's not always a pleasant experience which is another reason many of us tend to avoid it. Thoughts come and go, images come and go, and it requires a lot of patience with ourselves.

I'm going to continue developing my routine of mindful breathing. As I do, I feel connected to my body and am grateful for the hard work it does every day.

Express Yourself

Tell those you love that you love them.
There are never too many moments in which you can do this.

What Can You Do?

One definition of irony is an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

Today I decided to get my car washed. Rather than clean it myself, it seemed easy enough to drive through a prepaid service station and have machines do it for me. I admit that I was partly motivated by the thrill I get while sitting inside the car as it gets covered with soap, when I can't see out the windows and it feels like the world could be falling apart and I'd never know... Anyway, I was really looking forward to my car feeling and looking clean again. So I chose the "Rainbow" package, dutifully paid my fee and joined the queue. After the wash is complete, you are instructed to proceed slowly under the powerful hanging dryers. A digital timer reminds you there are 60 seconds available for this final step. I carefully rolled through, kept my eye on the clock and hoped to dry my car completely. When my minute expired, I set off to the grocery store.

While I was shopping, a flock of birds pooped all over the roof and windows.

Isn't that ironic?

Authenticity

The wind is howling outside, Flynn is cuddled up with his stuffed animal on one of his many beds strewn throughout the house and I am home from school recovering from my latest bout of Strep throat. It is here, sitting at my dining room table, that I contemplate the subject of authenticity. How closely aligned am I or are you to your personal truth?

I believe one of the many reasons people bond so deeply with dogs is for this very quality of authenticity. The photo I'm including here is dear to my heart and embodies living in the moment! It isn't surprising that an abundance of authors have written books about the bonds they share with their dogs, and have written novels from the perspective of their canine companions. We all need reminders to be authentic from time to time and who better to deliver the message than our trusty pooches?

I watched a video blog this morning by Gabrielle Bernstein (http://gabbyb.tv/videos), a modern day teacher of mindfulness and self awareness. She brought up some simple signs to pay attention to when it comes to following your inner truth. For example, if you are behaving in a way that creates anxiety or guilt, there is a strong chance you've diverted from what you know to be right.

Despite all that we can intellectually comprehend about mindful practices, I find that staying connected throughout our daily behavior is where the rubber hits the road. We all have ideals of what we know to be true and good, however, there may be a disconnect between what we believe and how we behave. Authenticity is present when you're living out your beliefs in real time. Let us pay attention to our behavior today. Notice, without judgement, whether our actions align with what we know to be our truth.