Doubt

I practiced 90 minutes of meditation this morning, feeling great.  Went to work (my job as artist) and after two hours felt consumed by doubt.  The list is long.  I swear my brain can find a million things to doubt about my life and decisions in less than a second.  While painting, I was listening to a Podcast with Deepak Chopra.  He seemed subdued and doubtful about the state of the world, maybe consigned is a better word.   This did not help the descent I was feeling.

After mentally thrashing about for awhile,  I sat down to meditate and thrashed there for awhile.   Looked through some books for consoling, even though the more I sit, the more I know I have the answers.  Consoled from what? That I lost control of my brain again?

After driving myself suffiently crazy, I did a 30 minute chant.  Although I don’t recommend self torture, this is the time when you really see the power of chanting.  I feel my frequencies come back to a level of joy and contentment.

Right now reading

I’m reading Eckhart Tolle and Bryon Katie.  Wondering what the world would really look like if everyone lived in the present moment.  Can you image it?  The first image that comes to my mind is Ferdinand the Bull.  Remember that story?  Ferdinand wouldn’t fight the banderillos or the picadores nor the matador—all he wanted to do was sit under the cork tree and smell the flowers.  Maybe that’s what Eckhart and Bryon Katie’s world would look like.

Find moments to imagine yourself as Ferdinand.  Enjoying the incredible beauty everywhere and in everyone.  Even if you’re sitting at your computer all day—enjoy the warmth of the room, the smooth keys under your fingers, the amazing way each finger moves without your conscious thinking, how your clothes feel on your skin, a million things to appreciate and enjoy…….

Where the Hell is Matt?

May you do the Matt Dance a hundred times today!

Be well.  Be lighter, ever lighter.

The other way around

I’m sure you’re familiar with the idea that what you’re seeing in your outer world is a mirror of yourself, usually in reference to someone who is driving you crazy, usually a family member/spouse/teenager. Whatever trait that person is exhibiting, let’s say selfishness, it’s only a mirror of your own selfishness and a message to do something proactive.

Let’s look at it the other way around. Notice the fabulous, beautiful qualities of the folks you’re with today. Notice their easy laughter, their sassy humor, their depth of caring and know that this is a mirror and a message of your essential being as well.

Have a great day and notice the loveliness of everyone you share moments with.

Houseguests

I just got back from yoga.  My yoga teacher is fond of saying (and I never get tired of being reminded), “Your thoughts are like houseguests.  You can ask them to leave.”

Creating

You are the creator of your life. It’s ture though no one told you, you’ve had to figure it out on your own probably with a fair amount of misery. Now you know and the good news and the bad is that everything that happens or doesn’t happen is your creation. This very moment is your creation. Sitting here reading this is your creation. Those tight shoulders are your creation. Your contentment is your creation and you can create more of it.

You are an energetic being. The key to your joy is in management of your energy. You can expand. You can contract. Increase this. Decrease that. It’s up to you and the place to start is noticing. Just notice. That’s all. Does your energy feel light? Can you make it lighter?

Close your eyes, breathe deep, notice.

Do Things Badly

It’s in the starting. That’s where the magic is. Just start. We don’t start because we’re afraid of Doing Things Badly. Doing Things Badly is the name of Sark’s eletter and she is the inspiration for this post. Back to the starting, like this advice column for instance, I definitely am embarking, sure I’m doing it badly, run on sentances and all, the usual characters showing up to criticize me:

• Who Do You Think You Are
• You Suck At Writing And In General
• Everyone On The Whole Planet Is Perfect And Happy And Therefore Does Not Need Advice
• This Is Not Even A Sentence

I’m immune to the characters early in the day. Around 4 in the afternoon, they’re intense and I eat cookies to boost my defense systems. Today they were intense in the morning so I cruised over to Sark’s website and felt much stronger. So much so that she was encouraging readers to write about what they were doing badly so I wrote this:

Dear Susan (Sark’s other name), Your eletter was just what I needed today. I recently started an advice column in which I intend to write badly but warmly, fondly, caringly. Also upon your inspiration I intend to create more by napping more, starting right after I sign off here. Thank you so much for your limitless lightness. Tilney

A Good Day

It’s a good day for remembering how amazing and divine you are. Amazing and divine, loving this moment and who you are right now.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly in, slowly out and just feel this moment. Feel the sunshine or create some. Let it shine and warm any places of tenseness and just continue to breathe slowly.

Meditation

Q:My first attempts at meditating are laughable. I have increased my meditation time from 4 seconds to 7 seconds but I know that if my brain still races much of the day I haven’t really achieved anything like the peace I’m hoping to get. Suggestions? G.L., Michigan

A: The benefits of meditating are written about a lot lately. Mostly by folks who have been meditating for years. It is not easy so be kind to yourself and even if you add one more second per week, keep sitting down and closing your eyes.

It sounds like you have a routine of sitting already in place which is big—-give yourself a hand! And you have already almost doubled your meditation time—good job!!

This next baby step will move you quickly to increasing the time and quality of your meditation. If you add some strenuous exercise right before meditation, it helps to calm the mind. For instance, do 27 jumping jacks or push ups or sit ups, sit down, close your eyes, Notice. See if this doesn’t increase your quality of meditation. Let me know.

Un-scrunch

Un-scrunch shoulders. See how much better you feel!

Today you will remember to un-scrunch. Every time you get up from your computer, you will inhale as deep as you can and as you stretch you spine up and up and up, exhale completely and un-scrunch.

Every time you get out of the car, every time you leave the bathroom, every time you open the refrigerator….. un-scrunch, ahhhhhh

Good job!