words of wisdom

taking the time to sit still, be with your breath, and train the "monkey mind" to focus is no easy feat. saturday was a treat meditating with sharon salzberg. i jotted down quite a few gems that i wanted to share to help inspire a seated practice or at least a few minutes of being. here they are:

* meditation gives you the tools to look at your experiences with clarity.
* meditation is skills training and embodies 3 things:
- concentration: steadfast attention
- mindfulness: quality of awareness that can recognize experience without holding on or pushing away. aware in the moment without adding any judgment.
- lovingkindness/compassion: realizing power of states. how we interpret certain things.
* set up: tall spine. alert, yet relaxed.
* the work is to bring our systems into balance.
* an "oozy" practice is when you lose sight of the breath and go off into daydreaming
* magic moment: when you catch yourself losing focus and in this moment practice compassion and refocus.
* how we relate to what is going on is the vehicle for transformation.
* if you can have compassion for yourself without judgment, you can have it for others.
* anger is like a forest fire - burns up its own support
* through practicing, you can catch yourself sooner and will have greater compassion for self
* always look at your motivation
* equanimity is spaciousness through understanding

i hope these words of wisdom that i took away from my day with sharon salzberg will serve as inspiration.

one final dose of tranquility: try this yoga pose at your desk. interlace your hands behind your back, lift them up, and sway from side to side. release any tension in the shoulders and neck. take 10 deep breaths. relax, close your eyes and take 10 more deep breaths. voila, open your eyes and return to your computer refreshed!