time alone and time
apart from my beloveds
I open my heart

sit

form and formation
snakes made of water and wind
wriggle and ripple

I am away on vacation with a toddler and 6 week old baby also the lovely wife and gorgeous grandma (my mom). However, Vacations can be more of the same on the inside. It's good to remember mindfulness and take what time you have to sit during your busy .... vacation.

Banging one's head against the wall is not the best way to go, clearly. But how and when do we know we are no longer being effective? How do we decide to make the call to stop, and take 10? Or even 1? The same can be said of our thoughts. How do we notice that they have run away with us or us with them? In order to come back, clear the cache, return to an open gentle awareness of space, there has to be this spark of consciousness - the one that notices we are on the wrong track and decides to take action. A mind within the mind. Or without.

so.

My life has gotten busier. I notice I have less time for everything. I'm not sad about this, because my life has gotten richer and more rewarding at the same time. I notice that I say "has gotten" which is a strange thing to say. "is now" "has become" "changed into" all sound a bit strange. Ah well, no time to contemplate the meaning of this. Must get back to work.

so.

I have a new technique for quickly gaining a bit of space - called "zapping the P-RAM" described in the start of this video. Also, when we say we are bored, what exactly do we mean? What happens to our minds when we feel bored? Get curious about this, and you can never be truly bored again.

I sit at work because I can no longer sit at home. Sitting at work is really different. Thoughts automatically gravitate to the to-do list or new ideas. During sitting, it is best to treat these great ideas the same way you treat any thought. Come back to the object of meditation, which is the breath. Don't make a big thing out of it, just come back. Having thoughts, good or bad, is not good or bad.

That said, here is a nice photo of the reason I can't sit at home.

so

Sometimes we don't get any rest during the weekend, especially if we are parents. 10 minutes in the office or wherever you can get 10 can help. It certainly helps me.

10 min in the morning to start the day. Office was a bit noisy - work with it.

so

Day has been busy, but I was out and about in this town a bit. Took the Hubway. Got a bit confused by it. Would not accept my code for the return trip. Meeting went well, I think, we shall see. Another meeting back at the office on the phone when I got in. With all these meetings, when do I work? OH and now I spend 10 minutes doing NOTHING. Wow. Trying not to get stuck in thought about all these meetings.

Attached is another picture of my lovely daughter. And a video for sitting. Good luck.

so

I am becoming increasingly aware that i have not enough time in the day to have a day of my time. So. I decided the best thing to do was to spend some time every day documenting this occurrence.

also

My happiness in life seems to depend  on finding at least 10 minutes a day to sit in silent meditation. Somehow, I am finding it harder and harder to find those 10 minutes. Therefore, I have decided to video myself having 10 minutes of silence each day, and if that is useful for others. Great. If not, it will be useful to me.

Attached is a picture of my beautiful daughter, who I miss while I am away at work.

so