moving gracefully
as i'm breathing
i inhale the feeling
and then release
my moment rests
with the breath
i'm existing
not trying to be.
(canvas text)
Blog about the piece:
I'm knee deep right now in Alison Wright's memoir about spirit and survival; it's called LEARNING TO BREATHE. She speaks of her yoga and meditation practices and how these two things literally saved her life. Yoga, I get and I love. It grips me and fuels an inner beauty; it provides for this personal sort of experience connecting mind, body, and soul. I'm always left craving more. But meditation, it's hard as all heck! How many of you have tried to meditate, and instead of focusing on your breath you focus on the constant thoughts bopping around in your head like little kernels of popcorn? The Tibetan lamas call this little problem "monkey mind" (so the problem exists beyond me, thank goodness). But Wright says that meditation saved her. She's an avid practitioner of meditation, and at times I find myself envious of her ability to quiet her mind. Yet, even the pros have trouble with monkey mind. I found connection with this excerpt from Wright's memoir of survival, it gave me hope that I too can find peace of mind with meditation (even if my success rate is one out of ten):
Deep breath. Emptiness.
I am here, just sitting.
This intensive Buddhist meditation technique has no mantra -- the breath is used as a point of focus. I let my thoughts rise and fall as they would, without getting caught up in the narrative.
My knee really hurts. I wonder if I'm doing permanent nerve damage? What if I'm actually crippling myself by sitting for this long without moving?
Fear is just a thought. Let it go. Breathe deeply.
It's such a beautiful day. Why am I inside? Maybe I should be outside, sitting on the beach.
Don't get lost in the story...
I should be working. Maybe I can take a walk later. I'm starving. What should I make for lunch? I have so many things to do. Why am I wasting my time with this? I should be doing something more constructive.
Hey you, get back here.
I focused on each inhalation and exhalation.
Always I came back to the stability of my breath. My anchor.
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