Day 8, Part 2: Bored in the Head

1:24 PM

Chopping vegetables. I am so lonely. I am so alone. I am alone. This stinks.

Wisdom?

Wisdom…? Wisdom…? Hmmm…

1:47 PM

Confirming friends on facebook. I don’t like being alone. I am all alone. I don’t know what to do…

Wisdom?

Silence

1:52 PM

Stopped the activity. Sitting outside looking out into the garden. Am I really lonely? Hmm…actually, I’m bored. Hmmm…

Wisdom, find me now!

Well, bored is really a state of mind and has nothing to do with what I’m doing. Looking up into the treetops and into the sky. Ahhhh…lovely. Deep, full breaths into the belly. Ahhh….my Prana is coming up and I’m feeling alive again. I can be sitting in the garden bored or I can be sitting in the garden pleased as pie that I can just sit in the garden with nothing to do. Amazing.

Boredom has nothing to do with what actions I’m engaged in. It’s all about the state of my mind. Wow. I’m feeling so much more alive right now. Awareness – turning my attention to what is going on – is life, is being alive. It’s when I’m in my head babbling away on empty thoughts that I’m not “present” / in the present moment – and then my Prana takes a nose dive. Amazing.

Just shifting my awareness to the present moment with a little shake of wisdom on top has taken me out of the “poor me” game. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. Jai Guru Dev. Victory to the Big, Smiling, Playful Mind. 

Day 7 : Manana – The Week in Review

1:23 PM

Well, is it working? I figure I should check-in on the wisdom gained this week and see if it’s sticking. Manana is the “chewing” of the knowledge in the mind - going back again & again to the knowledge. Let’s chew!

Wisdom, Where for Art Thou?

Day 1: Being with What Is: I give myself an A+ (I love A+’s!) for keeping cool when the mind has said, “Oh no! This is a problem.” Even this very moment Chetana is contemplating napping (I hear chattering) rather than napping and I’m calm, cool, collected. What will be, will be. And we’ll move on.

Day 2: Annoyed with Annoyed: Oh, I’ll give myself another A+. (I’m so sweet.) Yes, I am aware of having observed the sensations of rising-up “annoyed” in my body and not getting hooked into being annoyed. I am the witness. Koo Koo Kachoo.

Day 3:Unplugging to Plug in: Oh, is there something bigger than an A+? Give it to me! I’ve been really good about stop, drop & roll into meditation to get centered when I’ve got the fever to Go! Go! Go! and am being just a jumpin’ jack of getting nowhere.

Day 4: Speak Slowly & Listen: Another A+ moment. (Is the grader biased? Perhaps a wee bit.) But, I did! I have slowed way down and stopped myself many times from thinking “Oh, I know what I’ll say next. Me next! Me next!” and instead dropped the thoughts to listen. Pause. Respond. It’s Revolutionary!

Day 5: Feelin’ Hip!: Hmmm, I’ll give myself an B for this one. Not for what you may think. I noticed in re-spotlighting that moment that I was a bit more rajastic / antsy and not so saatvic/centered. I do get credit, though, for checking the Prana chart again & again. This is a great example of Manana - Chewing the Knowledge has pushed me to go deeper into understanding. Does that make my B a B+? Oh, sure.

Day 6: Icky in the Belly = Icky in the Mind: Oh, indeed I get an A here – although, not an A+. I have been cooking fresh, healthy, veggies. However, I know my potential is greater than what I’ve been doing. Good show. More to go!

And that is the week in review. 

Day 6: Icky in Belly = Icky in Mind

12:22 PM

Yipes! My tummy doesn’t feel so good. I bought some veggie dumplings from a café near my yoga class. Icky in the belly. They weren’t so fresh. They weren’t so tasty. And I ate them anyway. Oh, Boy! It’s nothing drastic like outdated food or food poisoning. It’s just isn’t Saatvic /fresh /delicious.

Wisdom:

Take the time to cook something fresh. I know that if I make something a priority, I can get it done. And food is SO important – obviously. When I do this to my belly, I remind myself that my mood may later be low or negative because tamasic or old/stale/low Prana foods are the energy for the mind, too. This helps me out later when I’m thinking, “Boy, what got into me? I’m so testy.” 

Day 5: Feelin' Hip!

8:42 AM

I’m smiley. I feel “up to the moon.” I get where the saying “on cloud 9” comes from because I feel E X P A N D E D to the clouds. JOY! When happy we feel expanded. And when sad – contracted. Well, label me Joy!

Wisdom Here?

Indeed! Good to check in & make note of what pushed my Prana (life force energy) up. I do this check in usually when I’m spiraling down in moods. But, here’s a chance to look at “up.” I’ll walk you through my formula:

Fist Step: Ask myself, “Is my Prana high? Or low?”

Low Prana = Tired, negative thoughts coming up, low moods, depressed, annoyed with every little thing (even before they happen), snappy, etc.

High Prana = Energized, feeling alive!, Positive thoughts bubbling up, happy, content, sweet, "oh, it's ok," etc.

Second Step: Take Action by checking in with the Prana Chart 


Prana Check-in Chart  

The 4 Sources of Energy/Prana	Check in	Solution
Food & Water	Did I eat well? Fresh foods in the right amounts? Am I hydrated?	*Eat something healthy. *Drink some water.
Sleep / Activity	Did I get 8 hours of sleep? Am I exercising? Doing enough yoga?	*Go to sleep earlier. *Take a walk. *Ride the exercise bike. *Do yoga!
Breath	Am I taking full breaths? Or am I shallow breathing in the chest & not the lower lungs?	*Do pranayama – yogic breathing! e.g., Alternate nostril breathing, or some good long, slow breaths from the belly.
Calm, Meditative Mind	Have I been honoring my meditations by giving myself enough time & a good place to do them? Am I in the company of folks who uplift me?	*Meditate! *Go hang out with people who are saatvic – centered, loving, in joy & celebration. *Read wisdom-filled words of the wise & get a new perspective.

So, what was it for me that raised my Prana? I added in an excellent yoga class the day before. But, most of all? I started this blog and that has kept my head in “inquiry” and “wonder”! I'm giving myself a Calm, Cool Meditative Mind = Fabu!