January 16, 2015

Everyday Mindfulness: Red Lights


Daily life can feel hectic. We cram our schedules full, leaving no space for surprises and interruptions, both of which we can depend on regularly. This feeds our irritation and separates us from joy. Yet it's possible to make breathing room in the tightest of schedules. Momentary pauses abound. 

Red lights and stop signs are beacons of stillness. It takes this subtle shift: I'm stopped from moving forward (argh!); I'm allowed to pause and be, to relax for a few breaths. This practice has buoyed me. I now welcome red lights. I don't look in my purse or at my phone or obsess in my mind, I bring my awareness back to my breath and my body. I rest at the red light.

I also do this as a pedestrian. When crossing a busy street, I must wait for traffic. I wait and breathe deeply. Or I repeat loving-kindness phrases to myself: may I be safe, may I be happy, may I live with ease. Whatever the practice, it creates a break in the busyness. It gives me access to the present moment. It moves me toward both stillness and aliveness.

5 comments:

  1. I just wrote a comment that went gone : ) so I breath now. Thank you for this reminder Joy. I'm just overwhelmed of things I have to do the next few months. It's 3 am and I can't sleep. I will try to breath and sort things out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. overwhelm is unpleasant. and it's our mental obsessing that feeds that overwhelm. when the mind is active, i find it helpful to move to my body--to stay with my breath and all the sensations of the body; to BE embodied. then the thoughts slowly fade. meditation can be just as restorative as sleep. keep breathing, dear one. :)

      Delete
  2. Good thoughts. Kinda makes me think of this poem: http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=1398

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pete! I had no idea Sarah was a poet. Deep thanks for sharing her words--her wise, insightful, beautifully-paced words.

      Delete
  3. Thank you Joy ... I am on my way to the grocery store, mindful of red lights, red peppers, red potatoes.........

    ReplyDelete