Made it to a full 5 miles the other night. It was a little cooler so that helped. When I started out I felt tired and actually thought about cutting it short but the longer I ran - and ran through my desire to stop - the more energized I felt. I relaxed as best as I could and paid attention to my legs and hips. I experimented with using relaxation as I ran so that my body felt less strain putting one foot in front of the other and pumping my arms back and forth. Moving my legs forward I relaxed the muscles in my hips and quads as soon as I could while still extending my legs in a reasonably good running stride. I did the same with my arms by relaxing my shoulder and holding my arms as loosely as I could while still maintaining a natural running rhythm. In other words I used as little muscular effort as possible while breathing naturally and deeply. It seemed to make all the difference in the world. I also started with a slower pace.

Mid 80s with some rain mixed in and my yard is looking really good. I’ve taken the time to slow down, pay attention and enjoy it. Stopping to smell the roses so-to-speak. It helps to pay attention to the outside world and get out of your own thoughts and concerns if only for a moment here and there. This is true for everyone but especially those walking a black dog.

Last Saturday in Tai Chi class my teacher was instructing all of us to relax and pay attention to what we were doing, to allow ourselves to relax and let go. “If you do,” he said, “you will feel the rhythm of Tai Chi.” Sometimes when he talks, I feel as though he’s talking directly to me as though he knows what I’m dealing with in my personal life. “Allow yourself to let go . . . feel the rhythm” Yeah, that’s me.

Several years ago I started to attend a local Zen Buddhist center. I’d been interested in Buddhism for a long time and had practiced meditation on my own but felt to really get anywhere it would be best to recieve some instruction from those in the know.

What is Zen? Zen is very simple . . . What are you? ‘Don’t know.’ Zen is keeping this ‘Don’t know’ mind always and everywhere.

After 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.

The day my son had his wisdom teeth out I stayed home with him (doctor’s orders) to make sure he didn’t enjoy the after effects of anesthesia and surgery too much. He collapsed on the couch and flipped channels in between spiting into a large plastic cup and changing the gauze pads that made him look a little like a hamster with a mouth packed full of seeds.

He kept asking me “Why? Why does it have to hurt so much dad?”

What could I say? “I don’t know, it’s just the way things are . . . What the hell are you watching anyway?”

When I visited with my father the other day. He was back in his room with the door closed. I knocked but he didn’t answer, so I slid the pocket door open (I love those things) and saw him sitting in a chair in the dark just staring in to space. I always wonder what, if anything, he’s thinking about when I find him like that. Is he going over his life or just zoning out?

I came across these two wonderful videos of Jon Kabat-Zinn giving a talk on mindfulness to the folks at Google. He’s an eloquent speaker who explains the practice & benefits of mindfulness in ways we can all understand. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Stress Reduction and Healing

Note to self. It’s a good idea to heed your own advice. Don’t listen to sad music.

I made the mistake of listening to iTunes today, specifically some country songs I’d downloaded last year. My favorite kind of music is the blues and they say country music is just the blues for white boys and that would be me. Over the years I’ve developed a taste for just about all kinds of music and since I hadn’t played these in a while I started the playlist.

Years ago I came across the book Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I liked it so much I followed it up with another of his books, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Well written and easy to understand, both books deal with the practice of mindfulness and how it can enhance out lives.