Contemplate

We have all heard the phrase I’m contemplating my navel as a way of saying I’m taking some down time. Contemplation while outwardly appearing quiet, actually involves a dynamic inward process. Contemplation can involve complete immersion in a creative expression of the object of our contemplative focus or can be pursed for insight into the existential questions, who am I, what do I want and how can I serve? Observe a person, place, thing or thought, action or feeling closely. Practice contemplation upon it.

Remember to PLAY

Take five minutes and watch children play. See how often they laugh, spin and jump for joy. Notice how often they stop in their tracks and notice some treasure in their surroundings. Appreciate the vast variety of movements they make as they play.Contrast this with the narrow scope of adult movement,

Not a kid person? Watch videos of young animals playing. As adults, we go places and do things, but it is likely that we have not simply played without purpose other than to enjoy the playing itself. So take 5 and play some every day.

FEEL Wonder

Imagine looking into the Grand Canyon, gazing up at the night sky on a moonless night, snorkeling the great coral reef, watching the birth of a child or being a diver hovering next to a mighty whale. What fills your heart with wonder? Awe and wonder are deeply nourishing experiences fostering well being.

If life presently appears not to be offering opportunity for live experiences of wonder, consider finding a program featuring wondrous adventures of others and be intentional about enjoying a vicarious experience. You may be surprised how uplifting it can feel to visualize experiences like this as if they were live. Our imagination is an under-utilized gift. Consider taking five minutes to list all that is actually wondrous that may be taken for granted.

Practice Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be one of the most difficult emotions for us to process and is one of the most impactful for our emotional health. Hostility has been long recognized as having a strong association with heart disease. Forgiveness is an act of courage! To err is human, to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope is a perspective that can mislead us to believe forgiveness is out of our hands or that we need to become saintly to offer forgiveness. The act of forgiveness is actually one of self-compassion as it unburdens the heart of the forgiver. Forgiveness may first need to be extended to ourselves as a step in being able to extend it to others.

As the quote suggests, we may need to invoke whatever we hold as the divine when it feels like our human heart is not up for the task. If we find we cannot under any circumstances make our way to the table to start the process of forgiveness, we may need professional help to get there.

A simple gesture for supporting ourselves to feel the heaviness of what is unforgiven, is the placing of our hands over our heart, a gesture invoking self -compassion for the suffering of living with this burden. In the Yoga tradition, hand gestures known as mudras that are heart centered can also be helpful. Crossing the forearms in front of the chest, with the right forearm closest to the heart and the hands unfisted may engender a feeling of protection that can give us the courage to start the process. The root of courage is cour, the seat of feelings and cor in Latin refers to the heart.

Flow With the Emerald Green Orbit

Many wisdom traditions reference the metaphor of darkness and light, with light illuminating all that it shines upon and darkness cloaking and concealing in the absence of light. Light refracts into a spectrum of color we witness as rainbows. In the Yoga tradition, the energy of the heart is represented by the emerald green color. It is well known that greenery enhances healing. Entering the garden of the heart may be a familiar phrase, reflecting the association with how greenery reflects vitality.

A comforting practice is to imagine or invoke a memory of being in a lush green place. Direct your breath in an orbital pattern from heart to brow, back to heart. Imagine a circle of crystal clear Emerald light orbiting these locations. Breathe out, brow from your brow to the center of your chest. Breathe in starting from deep within, behind the heart, to the muscles between your shoulder blades, up the back of the neck, then through the back of the head to behind your brow.

The back of the heart or shadowed side of the heart is a metaphor for the unrecognized emotions that have such a profound influence upon our behavior. The brow center is a place we often touch when in deep thought or when trying to remember. Orbiting the emerald light can be a practice of inviting the shadow side of the heart to be illuminated so we can heal. It can also be a practice of inviting our head to be guided by heart’s wisdom.

Center & Affirm

After soothing with sound ( see other post of this name), place your attention on your body area where you felt the greatest sense of comfort from your vibration.

Softly hold your attention there and inquire as to what encouraging or empowering words would you most like to hear right now? Notice if any words arise. Give the process some time.

When words or phrases arise, if they FEEL uplifting to say to yourself aloud, then do so. Continue aloud, then gradually reduce your volume until you repeat the word or phrase silently.
If no words or phrases arise, then choose something that appeals to you to repeat- such as AAAhhhh, or amen, or alleluia, or Love, or Peace, etc.

Soothe with Sound

The human form is close to 70% water. Vibration travels through it easily and thoroughly. We make all sorts of sounds that express how we feel. Squeals of excitement, sighs of fatigue, groans of discomfort etc..

Recall wordless sounds that you make when soothing or comforting a child or a beloved animal. Maybe there is a tune that you like to hum?

Hum the harmonic scale-Do Re MI Fa Sol La Ti Do. Whatever the wordless sound, spend a few minutes making it and paying close attention to the sensations in the body the vibration creates.

This can train to observe inner body sensing, an important aspect of self-regulation that promotes resilience.

 

Rest Your Tongue

Your tongue is a muscle that has an optimal rest position when not speaking or eating. The front third of the tongue lightly touches upon the ridge of gum behind the top teeth. This tongue placement gently drops the jaw so that the top and bottom teeth have a few millimeters of space between them. The lips touch, without pressing. The tongue does not need to push into the teeth, so that the muscles in your throat remain soft. In this position, air cannot pass through the mouth for breathing; only through the nose.

Refresh Your Eyes

Vigorously rub your hands together to generate warmth. Close your eyes. Cup each hand and place them over your closed eyes.

Become aware of the play of light and darkness behind your eyes and watch it for a little while. Slowly roll your eyes in clockwise circles- not straining in any way to do so. Repeat using counter-clockwise circles, then let the eyes be still for a few minutes.

Slowly drop the hands, then softly open your eyes. Notice ways your vision may appear to be refreshed.

Sleep Well

You gotta have it and it is golden! Sleep is the cycle that cleanses and replenishes our body systems. The brain’s circadian rhythms follow darkness and light. Exposure to hours every day of light from computer and cell phone screens, TV at night and bright artificial light after sunset can all over-stimulate our nervous systems and can disturb these natural rhythms. Eating late in the evening, under-hydrating and use of caffeine and nicotine also adversely influence sleep quality. Frequent disturbance of our circadian rhythms and poor sleep quality erodes health of the body systems. Insomina and sleep apnea are prevalent in our culture. Take 5 and visit this web site to educate yourself more about the relationship of good sleep hygiene to your well-being. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/sleep-disease