Running with the Mind of Meditation.

"The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness." -Sakyong Mipham

Sunday morning movement.

I'm halfway through this book, and it's fascinating- mostly because it weaves together two major areas of my life…sport and meditation. I would have never guessed there would be so much overlap between the two, but apparently there is, and who better to describe the intersection than a Buddhist meditation master who also has nine marathons under his belt?

We've thought so long that these two activities are separate and vastly different from each other, but really that's the farthest thing from the truth. So read the book. Then drop into silence. Then lace up the shoes.

THINK.

I've learned lately how powerful our words can be. As a little girl, I loved the book "Silver Boxes" by Florence Littauer. It was such a strong visual that our words should be like little silver boxes with bows on top, making the receiver feel loved and warm.

Yesterday I spotted this on the trail and it seemed oddly out of place- bright pink letters splashed across a pipe, tucked underneath the moss and leaves of the dirt trail. But it caught my eye, and made me pause. Which is so valuable in this life where we are constantly rushing around, grabbing our coffee and not making eye contact with the barista and jabbering on our phones and erupting reactively with hurtful words that somehow slipped out of our mouths in the moment- so fast that we couldn't catch or retract them. And like arrows, they had already pierced the heart of the listener, spreading their poison into the veins.

So before you speak, THINK:

Is it True?
Is it Helpful?
Is it Inspiring?
Is it Necessary?
Is it Kind?

This is a good litmus test. Because our words form our thoughts, which ultimately turn into action.

So even if it seems as unnatural and out of place as those bright pink letters smack dab in the middle of a trail, try it. THINK before you speak. Who knows, the words you speak into someone may be the tiny acorns of life, and years later when you revisit that trail, you'll see how that mighty oak tree really did grow.

The Journey.

Some deep truths from Mary Oliver…

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stories.
But little by lithe,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save.


Tonight I watched a segment with Tom Shadyac, who presented the topic of polarity- light/dark, life/death, abundance/loss.  We are taught from the beginning to run from trouble, disaster, danger, disturbance-  but in reality, this is the heart of all growth, of all of life.  It's what makes us better artists, better poets, better writers, better humans. How can we understand abundance if we have not experienced loss? How can we fully grasp the beauty of trust if we haven't first tasted the sting of dishonesty? Mary Oliver shared with Tom Shadyac that her poem "The Journey" was birthed from one of her most darkest and painful experiences. And yet, out of such a dark seed bloomed one of her most famous poems. It's true, all of life, with all of its duality, is a living and breathing art form in one way or another.

Write It Down.

"Pay attention to the weather, to what breaks your heart, to what lifts your heart. Write it down."

-Ellen Meloy

#oceantherapy

Today was all about exploring the coastal trail, sitting, writing and moving on to a new spot and repeating.

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." -John Burroughs

I find it interesting how words easily come in and out, mostly steady like the waves. Sometimes there will be a bigger wave that crashes harder- sometimes it is painful, sometimes it is inspiring. The day was gorgeous, full of pelicans and seagulls and sand and scattered white fluffy clouds and hot chowder and delicious seafood.

Sunset from the deck of Sam's Chowder House

My 7-year-old niece got a hold of the book of poems I wrote for my dad's Christmas present. And now she is officially obsessed with poetry. It's endearing, but she also keeps me on my toes, constantly asking me to tell her a poem. On Friday, my brain started to hurt after awhile and I wanted to eat my dinner, so I changed it into a game where I would make up one poem stanza, and then pass the mic. This would give me 30 seconds to get in another bite of food before it was my turn again.

Last week, my mom took her to Lawrence Hall of Science and all she wanted to do was write a poem. So she sat there and began to write, "It was a blustery autumn day…" when my mom answered, "Kaia, it's winter time." She very matter-of-factly responded, "It's my poem. I can write whatever I want to."

She's only seven. And she's brilliant.

So the next time you feel stuck creatively, take her advice. Don't feel obligated to conform.

Write whatever you want to.

You will be pleasantly surprised.

Intention Setting.

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you make mistakes, 

then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, 

pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. 

You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something." 

 -Neil Gaiman

There was a lot of 'pushing myself' on today's New Year's Ride.
So good for the soul. And the legs.

January 1st. I'm so over New Year's Resolutions, goal-setting, blah blah blah. At the end of the day, I've realized that it's not necessarily the end-product or goal that we seek, but rather the feeling. Quitting smoking allows you to feel freedom. That trip to New Zealand to visit your family allows you to feel connected. Crossing the finish line of that Ironman allows you to feel strong, brave and courageous.

Rather than working from hard and specific goals to get desired feelings, what if we switched things around and started with the feelings? This is an expanded perspective, but focusing on the feelings FIRST will cultivate much more serendipity in our lives that will ultimately fulfill those desires in ways that we could have never possibly imagined.

No more New Year's Resolutions for me. Just intention-setting, if you will. I am cultivating these feelings in my life for 2015-

Creativity.
Connection.
Ease.
Abundance.
Gratitude.
Intimacy.
Service.
Joy.

I encourage you to do the same. Write them down, and see how all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve them. Ready??