Hello Friends,
Sorry to have missed you the last few days. I was working on a project, then yesterday and today I've had a migraine. It is gone for the most part. YAY! I got a massage today and I'm sure that helped. I had to be careful of the intensity while exercising today, but I managed to get in 45 minutes on my Gazelle glider and a half hour of strength training. It aggravated the headache a little bit, but I'm living with it. I wasn't able to exercise at all yesterday and I missed it. I haven't tracked my food since last week. I've been "good," but really need to get back to the tracking. I feel like I'm starting to loosen up, which I don't want to do.
I have soooo many books of quotes, Buddhist, yoga, Al-Anon recovery, spiritual, etc. etc. Most of them have dates in them and you can choose the quote/meditation of the day. I usually read the day's quote, but often like to just open up the book blindly and see what I fall upon. I did both today, so I'm going to tell you about both, because they are actually quite connected, in my mind anyway. The first one is from Liv Jensen in "Bad Dog!"
Within the structure of every conformity, every confinement and restraint, dwells the heart of the runaway. It is a being spare, swift, original. It speaks words of its own telling, sings songs of its own heart's consent, runs unhindered in fields of its own choosing. It is an unimpaired body and an irrepressible freedom. And it refuses to be forgotten.
The second is from Dharmarakshita in "Mind Training."
With whom shall I battle, for I am my own enemy? Who will save whom, for I am my own savior? I am my own witness, for my actions and inactions.
Both of these quotes speak to me, strongly, to my independent spirit. I am unlike anyone else and I am proud of who I am! I admit that I have often done things the difficult way, and done things that would make many people tremble. I have taken many risks, 95% of which were well-planned, like moving to Lake Tahoe from Tempe, Arizona. But, as a human race we wouldn't have made any progress in this world without people who weren't afraid to step into the fire and take risks. And wouldn't life be boring if everyone conformed to all the rules of society, staying inside society's (or their family's, church's, peer group's, etc. etc.) safe, little box?
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the rules of society, family, church, peer group, etc. There needs to be balance between conforming and not conforming. That's where the second quote comes in. People have to realize the consequences of their actions, and to realize we are responsible for only our own actions. Many people get caught up in trying to be other's saviors. I've done it myself. There is no sense in trying to "fix" anyone but ourselves, not that anyone needs to be "fixed." We are perfect just the way we are, warts and all.
There is great freedom in the fact that "I am my own witness, for my actions and inactions." But when we talk about "inactions" we are really talking about a great deal of overlooked responsibility. We most often talk about what we do. But, how about what we don't do? Is there something we could do to make our lives better? (like getting healthy or refusing to lie to yourself about a pertinent issue in your life) Or other's lives, while preserving their independent spirits by not expecting anything in return? (it could be as simple as offering a friend a ride when she is sick or as complex as organizing the neighborhood with Easter dinner for the homeless people in the park down the street) Doing things for others is a less obvious way, to some, that we can be our own saviors. I have organized a knitting group at my yoga studio and am offering patterns to those who want to knit for charitable organizations. My first project will be to knit a blanket for a shelter animal. Then maybe a hat for a preemie. What can you do?
I have been my own savior when I've taken risks, and have been my own enemy, mostly due to those pesky inactions. These quotes have many different, and deeper, levels of meaning. This is just what I've thought up at this particular time, without much thinking. These are great quotes that merit further consideration and reflection.
About a month ago I bought a beautiful bouquet of organic flowers and put them in a ceramic vase in the living room. I let them dry and they have retained their vibrant colors. They are the subject of today's haiku.
Pretty dried flowers
I've decided to save you
You still bring me joy
Not really a great haiku, but what do you expect from a girl with a shadow of a migraine? LOL
I'm off to meditate. With the headache yesterday I wasn't able to, but I think I can now.
Happy thinking to you all!
Jun-ri
Sorry to have missed you the last few days. I was working on a project, then yesterday and today I've had a migraine. It is gone for the most part. YAY! I got a massage today and I'm sure that helped. I had to be careful of the intensity while exercising today, but I managed to get in 45 minutes on my Gazelle glider and a half hour of strength training. It aggravated the headache a little bit, but I'm living with it. I wasn't able to exercise at all yesterday and I missed it. I haven't tracked my food since last week. I've been "good," but really need to get back to the tracking. I feel like I'm starting to loosen up, which I don't want to do.
I have soooo many books of quotes, Buddhist, yoga, Al-Anon recovery, spiritual, etc. etc. Most of them have dates in them and you can choose the quote/meditation of the day. I usually read the day's quote, but often like to just open up the book blindly and see what I fall upon. I did both today, so I'm going to tell you about both, because they are actually quite connected, in my mind anyway. The first one is from Liv Jensen in "Bad Dog!"
Within the structure of every conformity, every confinement and restraint, dwells the heart of the runaway. It is a being spare, swift, original. It speaks words of its own telling, sings songs of its own heart's consent, runs unhindered in fields of its own choosing. It is an unimpaired body and an irrepressible freedom. And it refuses to be forgotten.
The second is from Dharmarakshita in "Mind Training."
With whom shall I battle, for I am my own enemy? Who will save whom, for I am my own savior? I am my own witness, for my actions and inactions.
Both of these quotes speak to me, strongly, to my independent spirit. I am unlike anyone else and I am proud of who I am! I admit that I have often done things the difficult way, and done things that would make many people tremble. I have taken many risks, 95% of which were well-planned, like moving to Lake Tahoe from Tempe, Arizona. But, as a human race we wouldn't have made any progress in this world without people who weren't afraid to step into the fire and take risks. And wouldn't life be boring if everyone conformed to all the rules of society, staying inside society's (or their family's, church's, peer group's, etc. etc.) safe, little box?
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the rules of society, family, church, peer group, etc. There needs to be balance between conforming and not conforming. That's where the second quote comes in. People have to realize the consequences of their actions, and to realize we are responsible for only our own actions. Many people get caught up in trying to be other's saviors. I've done it myself. There is no sense in trying to "fix" anyone but ourselves, not that anyone needs to be "fixed." We are perfect just the way we are, warts and all.
There is great freedom in the fact that "I am my own witness, for my actions and inactions." But when we talk about "inactions" we are really talking about a great deal of overlooked responsibility. We most often talk about what we do. But, how about what we don't do? Is there something we could do to make our lives better? (like getting healthy or refusing to lie to yourself about a pertinent issue in your life) Or other's lives, while preserving their independent spirits by not expecting anything in return? (it could be as simple as offering a friend a ride when she is sick or as complex as organizing the neighborhood with Easter dinner for the homeless people in the park down the street) Doing things for others is a less obvious way, to some, that we can be our own saviors. I have organized a knitting group at my yoga studio and am offering patterns to those who want to knit for charitable organizations. My first project will be to knit a blanket for a shelter animal. Then maybe a hat for a preemie. What can you do?
I have been my own savior when I've taken risks, and have been my own enemy, mostly due to those pesky inactions. These quotes have many different, and deeper, levels of meaning. This is just what I've thought up at this particular time, without much thinking. These are great quotes that merit further consideration and reflection.
About a month ago I bought a beautiful bouquet of organic flowers and put them in a ceramic vase in the living room. I let them dry and they have retained their vibrant colors. They are the subject of today's haiku.
Pretty dried flowers
I've decided to save you
You still bring me joy
Not really a great haiku, but what do you expect from a girl with a shadow of a migraine? LOL
I'm off to meditate. With the headache yesterday I wasn't able to, but I think I can now.
Happy thinking to you all!
Jun-ri
No comments:
Post a Comment