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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Sacred Selfishness
Since returning from California two weeks ago today, I have been missing in action. Okay, maybe just missing, because there has been little to no action. Reiki teacher training knocked my socks off. The whole idea that Reiki is not something that I do to others but something that I am ... well, I have needed time to contemplate what that means for me as a practitioner and, sooner or later, a teacher. The Reiki journey is a spiritual path for me ... deeply personal and yet encompassing us all. The training never ends when the class concludes. In many ways, it is just the beginning.
As tempting as it may be to meditate and contemplate all live-long day, I have people to love, pets to pet, a job to do, and the list goes on. Oh, yeah, there's my beloved workshop and this blog. The only thing that I've been crafting lately is a way to segment my days so that I can get my groove back ... or at least put myself in the vicinity of it. It requires some sacred selfishness. It means putting me first at the start of each day, so that I am fueled up to do, share and be what is most important to me.
Right now, maybe more than ever, it is imperative that I start my day with meditation. I am no expert, but those 20 minutes devoted to my breath, before doing anything else, improves the unfolding of my day more than just about anything else. I am vastly more patient and peaceful when I invest this time. Great for me, yes, but I believe the benefits ripple out to everyone with whom I come into contact, all day long.
If I can take 30 minutes to journal after spending those first 20 minutes meditating, well, I have exponentially increased the benefits of both. I can't explain it, but putting pen to paper and letting the words flow is therapeutic to me. I am not writing anything that would matter to anyone but me. But there's such deep value to it, meeting myself on the page ... saying and hearing what might otherwise fester into something bigger if left ignored.
If I can take a 45 minute walk with my neighbor after I finish journaling, then I am pretty well guaranteed a fantastic day. I stopped walking with her late last fall because I did not think I could tolerate trudging through another icy winter in the dark. This turned out to be one of the most miserable decisions and winters for me, ever. I learned something important. It wasn't just the walking that was supporting my well-being. A big part of the nourishment came from the sharing, the laughing, and, yes, even the bitching. She took me back as her walking buddy about a month ago and I am grateful and now healthier for it.
If I can take one hour to give myself a full Reiki treatment immediately after the walk, pure bliss! At first, it seemed too indulgent. One hour of healing just for me? On top of everything else? But it has made such an incredible difference, especially since the trip. It doesn't feel optional anymore. The cats are quite happy about it, too.
Finally, if I can spend 20 minutes making my green juice and smoothies for the day ahead while I am still in my Reiki afterglow, I can expect to have the best day ever! I have been eating high raw (but not vegan) for a couple of years. I have learned that the key is setting myself up for success in the morning. If I have mason jars of fresh juice and smoothies in the fridge, I know where to go when I get hungry. But if I wait until I'm hungry to make the juice and smoothies, I'm apt to succumb to something S.A.D. because it seems faster/easier.
Yes, my Big Five brings me five minutes shy of three ripe and juicy hours of sacred selfishness every single, blessed morning. This is why I get up at 5:00 a.m. It’s so worth it! I am so worth it!
So are you. If you were to give yourself permission to indulge in some sacred selfishness, how would your day begin? Do you have a Big Five? Maybe a Big Three? If not, what is the one thing that you are willing to do first thing every morning to fill your tank for the day ahead?
As tempting as it may be to meditate and contemplate all live-long day, I have people to love, pets to pet, a job to do, and the list goes on. Oh, yeah, there's my beloved workshop and this blog. The only thing that I've been crafting lately is a way to segment my days so that I can get my groove back ... or at least put myself in the vicinity of it. It requires some sacred selfishness. It means putting me first at the start of each day, so that I am fueled up to do, share and be what is most important to me.
Right now, maybe more than ever, it is imperative that I start my day with meditation. I am no expert, but those 20 minutes devoted to my breath, before doing anything else, improves the unfolding of my day more than just about anything else. I am vastly more patient and peaceful when I invest this time. Great for me, yes, but I believe the benefits ripple out to everyone with whom I come into contact, all day long.
If I can take 30 minutes to journal after spending those first 20 minutes meditating, well, I have exponentially increased the benefits of both. I can't explain it, but putting pen to paper and letting the words flow is therapeutic to me. I am not writing anything that would matter to anyone but me. But there's such deep value to it, meeting myself on the page ... saying and hearing what might otherwise fester into something bigger if left ignored.
If I can take a 45 minute walk with my neighbor after I finish journaling, then I am pretty well guaranteed a fantastic day. I stopped walking with her late last fall because I did not think I could tolerate trudging through another icy winter in the dark. This turned out to be one of the most miserable decisions and winters for me, ever. I learned something important. It wasn't just the walking that was supporting my well-being. A big part of the nourishment came from the sharing, the laughing, and, yes, even the bitching. She took me back as her walking buddy about a month ago and I am grateful and now healthier for it.
If I can take one hour to give myself a full Reiki treatment immediately after the walk, pure bliss! At first, it seemed too indulgent. One hour of healing just for me? On top of everything else? But it has made such an incredible difference, especially since the trip. It doesn't feel optional anymore. The cats are quite happy about it, too.
Finally, if I can spend 20 minutes making my green juice and smoothies for the day ahead while I am still in my Reiki afterglow, I can expect to have the best day ever! I have been eating high raw (but not vegan) for a couple of years. I have learned that the key is setting myself up for success in the morning. If I have mason jars of fresh juice and smoothies in the fridge, I know where to go when I get hungry. But if I wait until I'm hungry to make the juice and smoothies, I'm apt to succumb to something S.A.D. because it seems faster/easier.
Yes, my Big Five brings me five minutes shy of three ripe and juicy hours of sacred selfishness every single, blessed morning. This is why I get up at 5:00 a.m. It’s so worth it! I am so worth it!
So are you. If you were to give yourself permission to indulge in some sacred selfishness, how would your day begin? Do you have a Big Five? Maybe a Big Three? If not, what is the one thing that you are willing to do first thing every morning to fill your tank for the day ahead?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
I'm Back. Really.
I arrived back in Cincinnati before lunch time on Wednesday, April 8. I have been in a thick, persistent fog ever since. Is it really April 18? I mean, REALLY?
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