What's on your plate?

I'm back!

Life has provided a feast of opportunities for me over the last year and a half and blog updates have fallen by the wayside. Many apologies.

On my plate, I have my rewarding acupuncture practice, my peaceful and lovely wellness center, the second year of my graduate studies in Chinese Herbs leading to my eventual Doctorate in Chinese Medicine, supervising in the student acupuncture clinic and teaching diagnostic interaction at MUIH, and last but far from least, my wonderful family.

*whew*

So, where and when to breathe?

Now.

It's all we truly have.

When a patient comes to see me, I often lead them in the following meditation:

Take a deep breath all the way down to your toes, breathing deep into your belly. 

Now, with each exhale, I want you to let go of everything up to this minute. The past does not exist except in what we say about it. And we get to tell whatever story we want to... or none at all. So, for now, just let them all drop away like rain off a raincoat.

At the same time, letting go of anything that might happen next. Letting all the what-ifs and the lists of things to do float away like a handful of balloons...

Letting all of you sink down into right now.

Pulling your awareness down through your whole body to the soles of your feet.

Noticing the spaces between your toes...

The weight of your body in space...

And giving yourself permission to stop doing... and let yourself be.

Alive and awake to this moment, 

right now,

where life is happening.

It's all we have...

and more than enough.


*ahhh...*

I'll meet you back here next time.
Unless of course, I see you in the real world before then.

peace,
Janice

Pacing

We have been car-less for nearly two weeks now & it has inspired me to review how I move through the world - literally. 

With the exception of short term car rentals on the weekends to enable me to reach my teaching gig, the whole family has been busing everywhere. And one thing, I've learned is that riding public transportation is a very trenchant example of how outlook is everything. 

I have found it to be relaxing and a wonderful way of forcing me to slow down. It also requires me to really decide what is essential that I carry with me. Do I really need to pack for every natural disaster?! I'm sure I can find a place to buy a bandaid if I really need one.

It is also the great equalizer. No matter how you're dressed or where you're going, you are in the same boat/bus with everyone else from every other walk of life. When someone doesn't realize this and fights against it, it also has the power to create camaraderie among the remaining passengers.

One gentleman got on the bus the other day and spent every stop slamming his cane into the ground with aggravation and grumbling at whoever was getting on or off the bus as though they were intentionally going slow in order to make him late. He also barely contained his desire to backseat drive when the bus driver would err on the side of caution. The rest of us at first responded to him in kind, and then with amusement, and finally with offers of help, which he declined. 

In truth, we can either fight against what is - the route the bus is taking, obstacles in our life, someone else's agenda - or we can take the time to be with what is and flow with it as best we can. It doesn't mean we don't continue towards our own destination, it just means we have a better time getting there. 

A friend of mine is currently in the hospital with a severe emphysema attack and we talk about his allowing his body to relax rather than strain against the constriction in his breathing. Tensing against it only makes it worse. I know this from my own asthma attacks in the past. My friend says that when he manages to "take himself to the Grand Canyon" and "breath the big sky", his lungs relax a bit and it is the tiniest bit easier to breathe. He is still up against a terrible illness... and he is practicing flowing with it as best he can.

I think of him, as I sit on the bus, wanting it to move faster to get me where I'm going. And I relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride.