Take a breath

 

Where are you today? What are you thinking or feeling or looking at? 

Are you tired or rested? Is your mind blissfully wandering or skittering here and there?

I used to meditate. Ok, not very well, but I did it anyway. It helped slow down my mental gymnastics but it didn’t stop them. I thought that meant I’d failed and after a while I gave it up and moved on. I find yoga helps me more because focusing on the physical movement redirects my monkey mind. It gives it something ‘to do’. 

I’ve written many blogs about my war with ‘doing’ vs ‘being’. I know I’m not alone and that is a comfort. But I think what I really need to do is end the war. 

Waving my white flag. 

More than a year of covid is getting on all our nerves. Add scared parents and grandparents seeing their sweet little ones head off to school without vaccinations. It’s enough. No, it’s more than enough. Right?

We all need a break right now. And I don’t mean a vacation, which for some is helpful, but for me that would only add more to my mental and emotional stew. What I really need, and maybe you do too, is a rest. Waving a white flag in the face of fear. 

Surrender

Looking out at today’s beautiful, blue sky I picture a cozy, quiet hammock underneath a huge oak tree where I can lay back my head, look through the gently swaying leaves. Still green against a blue sky, I watch the leaf patterns change as the air moves. 

I breathe in the sweetness. 

I hear a caw.  

I feel supported. 

Safe. 

Although there is still so much swirling in the heads and minds of the world. Mine and yours. 

Right now, I am here. 

Doing the best I can. Maybe doing the only thing I can right now.  

Taking a breath.  

A lesson in listening

Lots of words swirl around us all right now: scary headlines, angry quotes, rude social media comments and insults. It’s hitting all of us from all sides and while some of these words definitely need to be said, my question is are they being heard? Are the right people listening? 

I read a wonderful piece by Martha Beck on listening. And how the overwhelming amount of information right now can drive you to turn off, listen less when what’s needed is to listen more. Her idea of listening is something more than just using your ears. 

4 Levels of Listening. 

Martha Beck breaks down the seemingly simple act of listening into 4 levels that involve your whole

Level One is ear listening. You hear something, perhaps scary, and you leap into survival mode.  Conflicts jump to the surface instead of cooperation and compassion. 

Level Two is body listening. The scary words cause a reaction in your body. Noticing it, breathing into it, you can help your body stay calm. This helps you notice the truth of the situation and understand your feelings and the feelings of others. 

body. 

Level Three is heart listening. Once the body relaxes, discernment happens and you can use your heart to lean in or out of the situation. According to Beck, “check to see whether your heart wants to move forward or to back off. When you’re being lied to, you may feel an inexplicable desire to move away, even to literally run. When someone is telling the truth, even though the words may be hard to hear, you’ll feel a softening and opening in your chest, a desire to hear and understand more.”

Level Four is soul listening. Beck describes this type of listening as, “a  bolt of love flows through me and toward everyone around me. It’s two aspects of one consciousness connecting, hearing our shared experience in separate bodies.” And with this type of listening a connection is made. Even if you don’t agree with the words or person, soul listening allows you to see their confusion or pain. You don’t have to change your mind in the midst of fear or prejudice, you can listen with less fear, more awareness and compassion. 

In Martha’s words, “When I listen with my ears, body, and heart, my soul is available to hear the wise voices of millions who refuse to give in to fear and bitterness. Their aim is to create a world that is safe, just and happy for all of us.”

Now these are words, I need to not just hear but listen to and act on. 

With my whole body, heart and soul. 

Throwing and Trimming = Stress Relief.

Life gets crazy sometimes. All around are the pressures to do and do and do some more. In the New Year, there’s the resolutions to be better at doing. Get more exercise. Eat healthier. Drink more water. Again, it’s all about doing. 

But what if doing could be easy? What if being and doing became one? Ok, I realize this sounds crazy. And I am not saying I want to stop, sit and stare into the nothingness 24/7. But maybe there’s a way to feel that way, be that way in everyday life? How can I live and work with less stress? How can I take what I do in yoga class and bring it into my every day?

Yoga and throwing have a lot in common. 

Throwing requires me to be centered. Physically, my hands, feet, legs, and butt, need to be in alignment, in order to pull the clay into any kind of form. Too much pressure from one hand and the clay goes off to one side. Uneven feet or legs easily pull a bowl off center or create a wobbly edge. 

When I trim, I didn’t think I needed to be as centered. But, I was wrong. At this stage of the process, I’m taking my thrown bowl, turning it upside down and working to carve away all the excess clay from the bottom of the pot. It’s important to be centered here too. It helps to the bottom even, add a nice level foot.  

In yoga, I need to be centered, so my body can use my muscles for balance and strength. Yoga breathing is designed to help concentration, to quiet distracting thoughts so I can be present. 

When I throw, I can easily be thrown off by my critical voices or monkey mind. Using my breath and yoga alignment helps me throw and trim more easily. And I thank my wonderful yoga teachers reminding me to use my abs, that training helps me throw without throwing out my back.

Making as meditation. 

I’m not good at meditating. I’ve tried it, really I have.  I know it reduces stress but I just can’t seem to sit still and relax for longer than 10 minutes. It kind of stresses me out. But, maybe I don’t have to. 

There’s another big benefit my work gives me - less stress. Yes, studies show that no matter whether you are a studio artist or not, making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormone, cortisol, in your body. Reducing stress helps you live longer (and enjoy it more, I think). 

“A research study at Drexel University found that 75% of the participants’ cortisol levels lowered during their 45 minutes of making art. And while there was some variation in how much cortisol levels lowered, there was no correlation between past art experience and lower levels.”

That means anyone can reduce stress through art. Anytime. 

So get out that coloring book. Cross stitch. Paint. Cut up some cloth or paper. Or hoorah, put your hands in clay.