Sunday, January 07, 2007

I Wanna be Meditated

The other day I snapped a picture of some trees in a Brentwood neighborhood, since the leaves were a brilliant red and I wanted to capture what Fall is like in LA. In January. But I can't find the attachment to plug my phone into my pc so you'll have to take my word for it.

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This morning I went cycling along the ocean w/ my friend and we started talking about meditation. I've written about this before and think it's as good a time as any to bring it up again since I want to. Quick overview: Why meditation? Because it's good for you. Kinda like brussel sprouts only it doesn't smell. For real though, meditation is cool because it gives you clarity, patience, and stillness; plus it's been known to cure baldness in men and ditziness in blondes. Statement not evaluated by the FDA.

A lot of people think that meditation is only for Buddhists or weirdos or both. It's not. Mostly though, I usually hear that you can't stop your mind from thinking. Call it ADD, call it boredom, whatever the affliction -- I get it and it's okay. I don't know anyone whose very first time, or even their 100th time, could keep their mind from drifting. I still have more practices than not where I'm like "Hmm I'm hungry...Ooh! I should go to JacknJills...That guy in yoga was weird...My hamstrings are sore...Focus!... I should do a workshop...Oh yeah focus...Boy I'm hungry..." and so on. Fortunately, it doesn't matter. The benefits of sitting, even if the mind wanders, are still gained.
So commit. Grab your Timex, set it for 5 minutes, and keep doing it, even when you don't want to for just six weeks. Six short weeks. I promise it's magic.

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Went to a Seane Corn workshop yesterday where we did declarations for 2007 which are essentially like intention setting. It was cool to be in a workshop and get to work in a group sharing with others anonymously. I said my declarations to the group and then of course immediately afterwards the one that really resonated with me popped into my mind but I couldn't exactly stop everyone else to make my important announcement. Me me me. So here it is, drum roll, please: For 2007, this is my year of listening. In honor of my commitment I'm about to ask Dre to candle my ears. She hearts me a lot and umm, owes me a favor.

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Ally's back and how motherscratchin' rad is it that she breastfeeds while she teaches? No, not hidden in a corner w/ a blankie and all that -- just as natural as it actually is, holding her boy, and walkin around as she cool-as-a-cucumber calls out bakasana, again. She wrote the book on balls.

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