Monday, June 02, 2008

A Quiet Mind

I've been thinking this morning about the importance of starting the day with a quiet mind.

Some mornings, I awaken refreshed and ready for the day. Those are the easy ones.

But other mornings, I am scattered, hazy, perhaps a bit disorganized. A little out of whack.

I've noticed that an unbalanced mind seems to follow me all day. And I've also noticed that by calling a quick timeout, finding someplace quiet for a minute or two, and taking a few slow, deep breaths, my perception changes dramatically.

In just a minute or two, that muddy mental state clears itself. Clarity returns. The day ahead seems less challenging, the next task a little easier.

You don't need to go off in a field for an hour to meditate, though you can if you want to. But if you only have a few minutes, find someplace quiet in the house, perhaps out on the porch, and close your eyes.

Two minutes of slow, deep breathing. A short break, with nothing to do but breathe.

Many times, that's all it takes. The mental chatter slows, and clarity arrives.

It doesn't seem like much, but it is. Every good day begins with a quiet, balanced mind.

If you don't have one, get one.

And don't leave home without it.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:02 PM

    THat and a good stiff drink seems to work for me. However, Eckhart Tolle, in his book "a new earth" says that you are perfect the way you are, a perfect being already exists inside you, you just got to shout "HEY, get up you lazy bastard!" and it will awaken. Or not. As wiley coyote said, "Man am I hungry".

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  2. Anonymous2:44 PM

    and then there are times you can quiet your mind by filling it with the voice of an old and dear friend.

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  3. Unfortunately I tend not to have this quiet down time until the early evening....especially in the non-winter months where I am able to escape to the garden away from most of the normal day to day stimulus. (Computers, phones, radio, tv, coworkers) Maybe I should try it in the morning.

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  4. Anonymous5:25 PM

    Maybe? Dude.

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  5. I still sit on the computer most of my day (still haven't found a job). I'm at peace most of the day until my boy gets home. I should take a page from his book, he's pretty centered!

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  6. Nothing brings to mind the voice of an old dear friend like a good stiff drink, I always say...

    Although too many morning cocktails and the posts to the monkey blog will make even less sense than they do now...

    dude.

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