Year Four, Day 238: Free Birthday Lunch and Focusing on Quiet

“The key is to be quiet. It’s not that

your mind has to be quiet. You be quiet.

You, the one inside watching the

neurotic mind, just relax.”

― Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

I had an early birthday lunch today.  Me, myself and I. At Sweet Tomatoes.  Free! I do love birthdays for all the free birthday goodies!  Tomorrow I will be partaking of Veggie Grill. I'm not sure if Starbucks still does free Birthday coffee, but you can bet I'll be watching for it on my app!

At Sweet Tomatoes, I loaded up on a big salad, Hungarian Mushroom soup and French bread.  I finished with a brownie a la mode.  I did not feel guilty because it was withing my eating window.  But the sugar did mess with me. I felt like I was going to pass out after the brownie a la mode!  So, after lunch I went to the gym and did 25 minutes on the stationary bike to burn off some calories while attempting to catch up on the world news.

There is a lot to digest. Good thing I had a substantial lunch. I ended with what has been become my daily massage chair experience.

I am so relaxed, I fear I may fall asleep right here at this computer terminal!

But it is dark and cold out, so I will keep this brief. I am at the county library here in Vancouver.  My favorite place, just above Starbucks and the gym.

I am still doing some deep soul work. I am finding it quite difficult to fight the slings and arrows of people's offhanded comments.  I know I should not take it personally, but I feel like I need a suit of armor!

I have not drawn a mandala today, but my next one may include a knight in shining armor.

I checked out DVD on Qi Gong - "Mindfulness Through Movement" by Lee Holden. Here is a blurb about Qi Gong according to Lee Holden:

"Quieting the mind can be challenging and elusive. It can be as tricky as catching wind in a net.

In the practice of Qi Gong, quieting the mind is achieved in and through the body. Why? Because your body is always in the present moment, always right here. Pay attention to the body and the mind enters the present moment. To be mindful is to be embodied.

The mind can flutter from past to future, from this thought to that. To stabilize the mind, the ancients remind us to pay attention to the activities of the body. Through breath, energy, movement, and relaxation, we enter into a deep, rich experience of the present moment.

This practice is based on Qi Gong, an ancient system of moving meditation. Qi Gong mirrors the movements of nature.

The river flowing down the mountain, the trees growing up towards the light in the sky, the bird soaring gracefully overhead, give us guidance in how to direct our attention and internal energy.

Qi means “life-force energy” and Gong means “skill” or “to work with”. This practice gives us tools and resources to work with the energy of the mind and body so that we live with more presence, more passion, and more vitality."

 I lay in bed last night, knitting prayer socks and watching his relaxing routine.  Amazingly, the system of Qi Gong, is not just about breathing and slow movement. It is also about letting go of negative emotions!

I am going to go deeper into this practice. It seems to align with my place in life at this moment. Quiet and mindfulness are my primary focus right now.

And on that note, I am going to head home and relax a bit.  I have many piano students to teach the next few days.

I may try Qi Gong before bed. That might encourage restful sleep!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Love,

Zita

P.S. This is day 5 of "Qi Gong" in Small Spaces! Here is the video. (Sorry, no hooping video today!)