awareness Archives - Mindfully Written

3 Things a Puppy Can Teach About Mindfulness

When I got a puppy just over two months ago, I had no idea what I was in store for. The amount of work, and love, has been more than I expected. And he’s also taught me a lesson or two, or three, about mindfulness.

Everything in Life is Worth Sniffing

Figuratively of course. Dude will sniff or bite or lick anything at least once. Old horse poop, lets check it out. A little tree, better taste it. He is wide-eyed and observant to his surroundings. We can all do a better job of stopping to check things out, noticing our surroundings and taking in the beauty that is life. Next time you notice something interesting, go ahead and sniff it.

Eye Contact is Awesome

To keep him safe in our mountain environment, it’s important that he learns to check in and make eye contact with us. We need it from him, we expect it from him, but it seems like less of a priority in personal conversations. Maybe he can help us get better with that.

On a similar note, it’s important to give our full attention. If he wants to snuggle and I’m working but attempt to give him something, it’s not enough. He wants full attention…don’t we all.

Emotions are Hard to Manage

Everything isn’t rosy with the little Dude-face. He makes us angry. He is naughty sometimes. He pees on the floor randomly (luckily less now) and jumps on the couch ump-teen times a day (and is met with “off” every single time). Sometimes we get frustrated. We get upset. We get angry. When he was younger and would bite, I would nearly cry at times from pain and frustration. What was clear to see early on is that it’s a skill to learn to manage emotions even when others make it difficult. But it can be done.

Maybe I’ll do a follow-up as he gets older, but the point may be that if we take the time to look around, give our full and undivided attention to those around us, there are a lot of lessons right in front of our eyes.

Topic for discussion:
What has your pet taught you about mindfulness or living in the present moment?

Stop Suffering Today

by Amber Erickson

I came across an article in Shambala Sun today titled, “Suffering is Optional.” I, like most, glance at the heading and smirk to myself. At first glance, it’s ridiculous. On second glance, it’s true. At third glance, that one phrase is a reminder that has the potential to shift much of our Earthly experience, if only we allow it.

In times of pain – physically, mental or emotional – our first instinct is to dwell on that pain. But we dwell in a way that suggests that pain is a bad thing, or must go away as quickly as possible. We often become frustrated or attempt to ignore the problem. Mindfulness has another proposition. It is possible to sit with the pain, to truly feel the pain and to look to understand the pain a bit more. In my paradigm, it’s about breathing and allowing oneself to feel. In other paradigms, it’s about being aware and seeing the pain that is reality rather than looking outside of reality to escape the pain. It’s all the same.

How to stop suffering

Now, I understand this may make sense to some and may seem crazy to others so I will give a practical example. Today, while packing boxes in preparing of moving, I slammed my ankle bone into a door frame. My old reaction would have been to hop or limp erratically and unconsciously hold my breath waiting for the pain to subside. It’s possible I would have complained as well, just so others would hear and give me a little sympathy. With a mindfulness practice; however, the approach happened a bit differently. I hit the ankle and upon realizing the pain, I stopped right where I was, breathed slowly and focused all my attention on my ankle. Where attention goes, energy or prana will follow. So I sent breath to the site of the pain. I felt the pain, I questioned the pain, I figured out exactly where in my body the pain was coming from. I wondered if there was pain anywhere else. I examined the skin to look for any sign of the impact. And while I was breathing and considering – which maybe occurred over the course of 10 seconds – I realized the pain really wasn’t that bad and was gone pretty instantly. It’s not to say that paying attention will make the pain go away. It’s quite the opposite actually. I’ve learned this lesson time and time again in my yoga practice. The more focused I am on the sensations, the stronger they can be. Not always, but sometimes, with the increased awareness comes increased sensations. However, learning to allow oneself to truly feel is a powerful lesson that can reverberate throughout life. Learning to feel the full range of emotions, the full range of pain and the full range of pleasure can have profound effects.

Just like everyone else, I’m still working on this. I have found that it’s easier for me to be aware of and truly feel physical pain. Emotions and pleasure are a bit more challenging. Maybe others have a different experience.

Pain will never go away, but we can choose to not let it make us suffer.

Today, I challenge you to attempt to feel in times of pain and suffering. If you feel inspired, comment and let me and others know how it went. This is no easy task, but even thinking about it from time to time can help.

May you choose the path of less suffering today.

Namaste.

How Art is an Expression of Mindfulness

by Amber Erickson

The other night, my husband and I met at a coffee shop. He rode his bike there after work to meet me. I was there doing work I didn’t get done during the day. He asked if I’d bring his sketchpad.

That sketchpad has been around and seen its fair share of coffee shops and park benches.

While I was thinking about a blog topic, he opened the sketch pad. I, without so much of a warning, blurted out, “Why do you like drawing?” He laughed – that was a big question. Slowly, the answer emerged and I took notes, because it has a great tie-in to the themes of this blog.

For many of us, education and cultural value gives priority to science and math. The sciences are seemingly more important, and if you are good at them, you often get pigeon-holed into that category. The artsy students hang out in the art studios, the rest of us are science, math and language whizzes. They were separate. There is no art in the sciences. There is no science in art. But they don’t have to be separate – imagine what innovation and creativity comes when they work together.

The reason my wonderfully talented, intelligent and compassionate husband likes art is more subtle and deep than just the joy of creating something beautiful. It’s more of a spiritual practice, although he wouldn’t necessarily call it that. He uses art, primarily drawing – and almost always black or gray – as a way to develop the skill of “seeing” things and getting past the conceptual brain. Rather than looking at a tree and saying, “Oh that’s an ash,” you can learn to see the shape and the lighting and the colors and the form and the patterns and how it fits into the larger context of life. For him, it’s being able to get closer to objective truth of seeing what is really there rather than just the label of what we think is there. An ash isn’t just an ash. An ash is a lively form that sways erratically, yet rhythmically in the wind, with various shades of green and patterns of light and dark. It has movement, it has a whole world going on under its bark and in its roots – all hidden from us and not usually considered. There are probably birds and insects and other varmints running around and we don’t often stop to think about or see them.

When drawing, you can’t really just draw the concept of a tree. Well, you can, but then it just looks like an elementary Christmas tree of trunk with a round top (this, for reference, is how I draw). But this doesn’t capture the essence of that tree. It’s a generic representation of something. Truly SEEING the tree opens up all sorts of new ideas and allows you to practice seeing other things in life. Nothing is what we think it is from a first glance. There is always so much more depth and context and interconnectedness to explore and discover. Learning to see something enough to draw it (he usually draws trees) helps you learn to apply this principle throughout life. Much like meditation allows us to practice discernment of thoughts and not getting caught up in them, drawing helps practice awareness and seeing.

The beauty of drawing is that it isn’t about the outcome. Few people see the drawings, and most of them sit silently in sketchbooks. It’s not about them. They are just tools. They help the drawer to get past the labels and to explore a different way of looking at the world. They provide the training to help uncover the subtle beauty of life. They help him express himself better. I think they, and he, are beautiful and capture the essence of each other.

What’s in a Word? How to Speak More Clearly

by Amber Erickson

Words change meanings over time, some words never really mean much to some, but a whole lot to others. So what is in a word? Well, there are consonents, vowels, syntax, context, pronunciation, definition and slang definition. But depending on where you are, these concepts aren’t static. We all know about dialect and accents, and love to argue about who is right. As a Minnesotan, I am all too familiar with this conversation. In some other countries, words are spelled based on how they sound. Some people pay attention to literal meanings, others are up-to-date on slang uses and some people just don’t know many words. It’s all just part of the variety and uniqueness of each of us regarding language.

But this can be problematic. When I say I’m fine, that tells the listener nothing. It just leaves them guessing what I actually mean, and how I use the word “fine” and whether there is something deeper that I am expecting them to understanding. Talk about confusing and unnecessary! I am equally guilty of this. It’s so difficult to say what you actually mean and in language that is clear, simple and comprehensive. Words like good, bad, nice, fine, ok, etc. should just be removed from the English language. While I’m not sure of the feasibility of that or the potential impacts, it’s interesting to think about. How would our relationships change? How would our self-expression change? Would that reverberate and affect our self-esteem or ability to say what we mean to say? Would it help get rid of the deceitfulness or vagueness of language? I don’t know the answers, but I can say it would affect my life if I could improve my language usage.

The challenge this week for myself and any of you is to pay attention to speech and how you use language. Be aware that language is just a set of sounds that help describe a situation or event in a way that everyone in the certain group understands. It is not truth. Language is not definite.

So how can you speak more clearly? How can you (I) say what I’m actually intending to say? How can we take some of the suffering and confusion out of relationships?

And, go…

Learning to Love the Rain

by Amber Erickson

It’s raining today. Thunder is rumbling in the distance and right now, the rain has temporarily subsided. I can hear the water flowing from the rain gutters out into the grass. I can feel the cool breeze flowing through an opened window. The sound of cars on the road is more moist sounding than usual. Everything about today looks, feels, sounds and smells damp. It’s lovely.

Every time it rains, there are those who whine or complain. It may put a damper on outdoor activities or planned trips to the beach on a summer day. But when I stop to consider the amazing wonder behind a rainfall, I lose any sort of scorn over it. A rainstorm is one of the most obvious ways to see the cycles of nature in action (clearly the circadian rhythms of night and day are more obvious). Water evaporates from bodies of water into the air, where they then become water again and fall from the sky. While simplified, this circular pattern is Mother Nature at her finest, showing the reciprocal nature of the amazing environment around us.

On a more simple level, I think of rain as cleansing. Just as I bathe, the Earth must bathe. Rain is how Mother Earth cleans herself. I always enjoy watching as the plants take on a new luster, a new sense of vitality. I think of rainy days as a time that Mother Earth is taking for herself – it’s like taking a personal day to do what you want to do, to rest, to revitalize, to reflect, to be still and calm.

Now, I understand the argument that rainy days often lead people too feel down or sluggish. I get that; I’m no different. Rather than working right now, I’m tempted to make some tea, grab a blanket and a book and curl up on the couch. I might do that later. But I think this temptation is worth thinking about. When it rains, the animals go into hiding. Birds aren’t singing, squirrels aren’t running about, and even the people appear to be waiting out the storm. I believe this is part of our nature. Rather than running about and thinking of a storm as an inconvenience to our day, maybe think about the message the rain is sending us. Do you need to take it easy today? Are you in need of more self-care? Is the go-go-go mentality slowly wearing you out, making you lose your luster or vitality? Maybe it’s a just a good, cleansing rain you need – mentally, physically, emotionall or spiritually.

How do you react when it rains?