January, 2013 | Chi For Yourself

Archive for January 2013

When Practice Isn’t Perfect: Your Best Effort Toward Consciousness is Good Enough

January 30, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Here we are, about to say goodbye to the month of January, and maybe goodbye to those New Year’s resolutions. Remember the resolutions? Maybe your list included taking a yoga class. Or getting back into a meditation practice. But the new committment came with conditions. You had to change your schedule, or block out some time in your busy day. And now we find that what we promised we’d do is not so promising after all. It’s easy to fall into the habit of perfection and not so easy to meet the expectations we set up for ourselves.

You’re moving along on your spiritual path, and you deserve to feel good about it. Just remember that you don’t have to achieve perfection. It’s okay to have moments of intense reaction. Someone cuts in front of you on the freeway or in the grocery store line. You may feel angry and then guilty over your reaction. Suddenly the spiritual capital you built up seems to have turned to vapor. Be patient with yourself. It will do more to keep you on the path than letting ego’s striving for perfection give you a bad report card. Challenges will pop up from time to time so look at them as temporary events rather than as a part of who you are.

Your situation is different from others’ and your behavior will be an outgrowth of your experiences. It’s possible that you will never stop having strong reactions to your everyday situations. But if you do no more than notice what you’re feeling and know that there’s little you can do about it over time you’ll be able to change your reaction. Think of it as consciousness calisthenics.

Negative thoughts will come. With time and patience you can learn to let them go by without giving in to them. Your practice may not be perfect, but you’ll find peace in knowing that you are doing the best you can.

JohnK 1-30-2013

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Finding Your Bliss: Passion is Always in Fashion

January 23, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Many of us are cemented into professions and personal situations that we never consciously planned to pursue. We have a tendency to blame these on circumstances, and we decide to live with what is sometimes barely tolerable. I suggest we keep in mind that we have a purpose, and our life’s work is a big part of it. Think of your life’s work as a collection of features that allows you to express your creativity and intelligence while you live in harmony with your values. You relax into just being yourself. This allows you to experience the joy of living your genuine life.The normal everyday job can demand more of you than you really want to give. This sets you up for problems ranging from frustration to physical illness. But your life’s work asks only that you have passion for it.

To find your purpose in life take note of your interests today, and the passions that kept your attention in the past. Maybe you felt drawn to a certain profession or endeavor throughout your younger years, only to be diverted from your path by the time you reached adulthood. Or you may be hearing a small voice that’s pulling you toward something you’ve yet to explore. Narrow it down. In fact, spend some time meditating on it. Ask the universe to clarify your life’s work by providing signs and be sure to pay attention.

Maybe you like to get your hands dirty. Ask yourself what will let you do that. Or you may be leaning toward some other area of the work you’re already doing. If you want to help the human condition on a larger scale then consider whether you skill set and abilities can take you in that direction. Make an inventory of your strengths, passions, beliefs and values. These can help you narrow your search if you don’t know where to begin.

Know that your journey toward a life purpose may not be a straight line. You may need to redraw your personal map more than once during your lifetime. For example, you may have spent years at home raising a family, only to find out that now you’re being called away in a different direction. Your life’s work may be something that brings little recognition or financial compensation. But your passion for it will always give it meaning. You’ll know you’ve found your life’s work when each day starts with a good feeling about what you’re doing, and for the person looking back at you in the mirror.

John K 1-23-2013

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A Barrel Full of Monkey Mind is No Fun- Meditation Can Quiet the Chatter

January 15, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

There you are, fretting over the state of your relationship, or worrying about an upcoming meeting at the office. Those voices in your head are back. It’s the usual chatter that has no rhyme or reason and keeps you totally confused and without real answers. It’s called the monkey mind, and it leaves you feeling as though you’re spinning in circles.

A good way to counter the frontal lobe free-for-all is to practice meditation. This gives you the chance to counter the noise by moving beyond thought. You can become the noticer- aware of your thoughts rather than thinking them. It sounds like the same thing, but there is a difference. When you notice your thoughts you can allow them to move on by without taking you with them. That calms the feeling of being pulled in so many directions. Concentration is key here. It will let you slow down the thought process and keep your attention on observation of those thoughts.

One method of working your concentration “muscles” is by paying attention to your breath during meditation. When the monkey mind begins its cranial chorus observe your thoughts and then return your focus to your breath. Breathing meditations differ. Some have you focus and the inhale and exhale and the movement of the abdomen. Others have you concentrate on the sound of the breath. Then there’s focusing on a candle flame as a way of reigning in the mind. Soften your gaze as you notice the color, shape, and movement of the flame, all the while trying not to blink. You can vary this by closing your eyes though you want to keep watching the flame in your mind.

It seems counterproductive when you realize that quieting your mind for meditation actually provides fertile soil for the mind chatter to take hold. Just remember to be kind to yourself and don’t give up. Meditation is often called “practice”, and continued practice will help you keep monkey mind to a minimum.

JohnK 1-15-2013

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Got Resol-YOU-tions ?

January 1, 2013 John Uncategorized No comments

Ready..set..2013!

We’re off to the resolution races- lose 20 pounds, move to a nicer address, take that tropical vacation.

As we move into another year I know that many of us are asking: What is it that really matters this year?

Are your New Year’s resolutions about the small things–getting organized, losing weight, getting in shape, being a little kinder…or about something wider and deeper?

There’s nothing wrong with making small commitments, but are they enough for you and who you intend to become, what you know you must do in this world?

Or are you ready to step into something bigger and more radical–daring to fulfill your passion to evolve not only a better self, but a better world and a more enlightened future?

May I suggest some inward inspection to start the process? Ask yourself: