Harshing My Mellow
May 14th, 2008After work last night I was feeling a little worn down but managed to force myself to run. It’s much nicer to run when I have more energy and actually look forward to it, but I can’t let my mood dictate when to run. Starting out I felt sluggish & wanted to stop and walk but I managed to push through it instead. By the time I was at the half way point I felt much better and it seemed less like a chore.
At times when the pull of inaction and the inertia of the couch or bed is calling me, I make a concerted effort to observe my thoughts as though I was a disinterested third party observing from the sidelines. It enables me to see that I’m not my thoughts and I don’t have to give in to them. They will always come and go and constantly change.
Yesterday & last night before and during the first part of the run, I found myself ruminating a lot. Old friends, lovers and family came to mind along with all the regrets. If only I could go back in time just a few years . . . To my ruminating thoughts it somehow seems more reasonable and achievable if I ask for a shorter amount of time. Doesn’t make any sense I know but that’s how rumination works and that’s where being mindful really helps.
Observing my thoughts during the run I was able to see just how often they changed. By the half way point I was amazed at how much my thoughts had jumped around. From people and situations that cause me pain and heartache if I indulge them, to art I want to make, yard projects, home improvements, work, family, and on and on. Your mind can really be like an overly caffeinated monkey, jumping from tree to tree.
After the run I practiced Tai Chi and QiGong in my back yard. Every time I’ve asked my teacher how to relieve stress, improve my form, calm my mind, etc. his answer is always the same, “Practice more.” So I’ve taken the challenge to give up my laziness and practice everyday.
It always strikes me how it only takes 15 to 20 minutes of practice before I notice my thoughts calming down and my body relaxing. Pretty soon much of the internal chatter has subsided and I notice things like the smell of the lilac bush in the back yard, the sound of birds, dogs, etc. Perhaps more unusual is the awareness of the periods of quiet in between the sounds and the feel of the air on my skin. In short I become more aware of the subtleties of life. I can’t think of anything as beneficial to my health as taking time daily to actively relax my mind and body, breath deeply and slowly and just focus on ‘now’.
You’re supposed to practice Tai Chi and QiGong in a quiet setting where you won’t be disturbed. Loud noises or interruptions that may shock you are considered harmful. My teacher likes to tell us about how Buddhist masters would often post a student outside their door when they would meditate for extended periods so they would avoid any shock to their system while deep in the ‘zone’ of meditation.
The other day when I was practicing on my patio my calm was disturbed by a large rabbit running straight towards my dog Cosmo who was investigating something in the grass by the fence. The rabbit stopped about 3 feet short and stood on its haunches to look at her. After a few seconds it ran away. It was then I noticed that Cosmo had something in her mouth and I knew it was a baby rabbit.
I yelled at her to drop it but she ran away and stopped at the other side of the yard literally gulping it down. She’s done the same with a blue jay she caught - ran under the deck and inhaled it. Even more amazing is she never got sick from it.
I had just watched the National Geographic show where a small pride of lions attack some Cape Buffalo and are joined in their attack by an alligator after they fall into a watering hole. The herd of buffalo confront the lions and drive them off in an amazing display of the cruelty and realty of the natural world. I just never expected to see it on display in my back yard. Can’t really say ‘bad dog’ as she’s just doing what dogs do. Still she sure harshed my mellow.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:20 am
When the body works with the mind it is pretty incredible! Aristotle says it well at the end of this article:
Health Psychology: The Mind-Body Connection
by Keith Sonnanburg, Ph.D.
At the turn of the 20th century, the leading causes of death after cardiovascular diseases were infectious germs (e.g., influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, gastritis, colitis, diphtheria, typhoid). Now in the 21st century, the most reliably fatal conditions are strongly affected by lifestyle. Cardiovascular diseases (like heart disease or stroke) still top the list. These are followed closely by: malignant neoplasms (tumors that can be triggered by environmental exposures and accelerated by neglect of emotional responses), accidents, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (often resulting from smoking), influenza and pneumonia, diabetes mellitus (for those afflicted, the self-management of behavior strongly affects the course of the disease), suicide, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis (often following drug and alcohol abuse).
Risk factors that most of us encounter in everyday life include: crowding, pollution, noise, sleep deprivation, and various environmental exposures. Additional risks for many segments of our population involve: social isolation, limited education, inadequate or unbalanced diet, hazardous occupations, financial stressors, substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, lack of exercise, obesity, and poor health care. In recognition of the strong behavioral components affecting major diseases, a growing knowledge about behavior change, and the possibilities offered by biofeedback, behavioral medicine was established at a 1977 conference.
The more recent evolution of psychophysiological and behavioral medicine is called health psychology. This specialty within psychology identifies the correlates of health, diagnoses and treats certain chronic diseases, prevents illness, and modifies behavioral factors involved in physiological and psychological rehabilitation (e.g., lowering hypertension, controlling serum cholesterol levels, managing stress, alleviating pain, reduction of cigarette smoking and alcohol use, diet, and exercise). There is also a growing body of interdisciplinary research called psychoneuroimmunology (wherein psychological variables are known to directly change nerves and the body’s immune system response to physical threats).
Strictly biomedical explanations ignore the context of neurophysiological events. These physically measurable phenomena are adaptively linked to environmental changes and demands. Computer malfunctions don’t only follow breakdowns in the machinery (i.e., hardware). A more common complaint is that flaws (”bugs”) in the instructions (i.e., software) derail required operations. Psychology takes human “software” into account. Causal pathways (which “hardware” components the “software” controls) established in mind/body medicine include: the nervous system, the endocrine system, the immune system, the musculo-skeletal system, health-related behaviors, and the effects of social support.
Aristotle once wrote: “Soul and body, I suggest, react sympathetically upon each other.” Now, millennia later, we know how and why.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Oof. Baaaaad dog! Oh well…
This post is just one fine example of why I enjoy your writing so much. You explore and report on a whole rolling landscape of thoughts, emotions, and physical experience, from pathos to humor to philosophy to photos that crack me up. I love reading this blog.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Lisa I think that article is right on. I especially like the analogy to computers and software. We all need to work on debugging or rewriting our software. Thank you for sharing.
Faith, Wow, what a beautiful compliment. Thank you! I appreciate your comments.