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January Tea
Jan. 19th, 2025 02:53 pmOrange Cranberry Tea from Stonewall Kitchen which was a gift.
It's base is a black tea which is pretty stable and solid, as are most 'Republic of Tea' blends.
It then has a sweet citrus that takes the edge off a tart cranberry flavor. The result is both bright and warming and I'm finding it a wonderful afternoon tea for this cold January.
It's base is a black tea which is pretty stable and solid, as are most 'Republic of Tea' blends.
It then has a sweet citrus that takes the edge off a tart cranberry flavor. The result is both bright and warming and I'm finding it a wonderful afternoon tea for this cold January.
Mindful Monday
Aug. 7th, 2023 01:29 pmOne of the hardest parts of a routine mindfulness practice for me is the ability to let go of the swirling thoughts vying for my attention.
It requires practice. And patience. And forgiveness.
Today I practices the 3 R's - Recognize, Release, Return.
I would recognize that my thoughts had wandered - usually to something at work that would be needing my attention. I categorized it as 'work' and released it, assuring myself I would turn my attention to work soon enough. Then I'd return to the present, usually by focusing on my breath.
Sure enough, a couple minutes later the same thought would come poking at my brain. So I'd have to repeat the process.
It can happen again and again. Rather than getting frustrated with myself for my lack of focus, I remind myself to practice forgiveness - and that starts with forgiving myself.
It requires practice. And patience. And forgiveness.
Today I practices the 3 R's - Recognize, Release, Return.
I would recognize that my thoughts had wandered - usually to something at work that would be needing my attention. I categorized it as 'work' and released it, assuring myself I would turn my attention to work soon enough. Then I'd return to the present, usually by focusing on my breath.
Sure enough, a couple minutes later the same thought would come poking at my brain. So I'd have to repeat the process.
It can happen again and again. Rather than getting frustrated with myself for my lack of focus, I remind myself to practice forgiveness - and that starts with forgiving myself.
Walking meditation
Jul. 23rd, 2023 07:13 pmThe common idea most have of meditation is the image of someone sitting, legs crossed, on the floor. But that is only one option or example. There are many ways to meditate with movement.
Yoga and Tai Chi are common practices that can pair movement with meditation. So is walking.
Today I took part in meditation in movement during walk in a nearby park. Instead of treating it like a hike or as a form of exercise as I often do, I began at a natural pace and concentrated on timing my footfalls with my breath. I concentrated on how my breath felt, how my hips felt, on my feet contacting the ground. I listened to the sounds of the insects, the birds, the traffic in the distance.
I heard a bull frog. I saw a turtle. I watched a hawk glide over the trees.
The key to movement meditation is the same for mindful meditation - be present, be aware of your surroundings, but also aware of yourself in this moment.
It was a lovely morning and I returned feeling incredibly blessed and refreshed, despite the summer heat.
Here's a resource for a guided walking meditation.
https://www.mindful.org/daily-mindful-walking-practice/
Yoga and Tai Chi are common practices that can pair movement with meditation. So is walking.
Today I took part in meditation in movement during walk in a nearby park. Instead of treating it like a hike or as a form of exercise as I often do, I began at a natural pace and concentrated on timing my footfalls with my breath. I concentrated on how my breath felt, how my hips felt, on my feet contacting the ground. I listened to the sounds of the insects, the birds, the traffic in the distance.
I heard a bull frog. I saw a turtle. I watched a hawk glide over the trees.
The key to movement meditation is the same for mindful meditation - be present, be aware of your surroundings, but also aware of yourself in this moment.
It was a lovely morning and I returned feeling incredibly blessed and refreshed, despite the summer heat.
Here's a resource for a guided walking meditation.
https://www.mindful.org/daily-mindful-walking-practice/
Monday Mindfulness
Jul. 17th, 2023 05:50 pmI don't know about you, but Monday's are sometimes hectic. So hectic that the little things set everyone off. One of the best ways I've found to combat the false sense of urgency everyone at work places on returning from the weekend is to spend some time when I first wake up preparing for the day.
I don't mean the typical make coffee, shower, feed the pets, etc - but in a way I do. Making morning meditation part of the morning routine for any day of the week is an important habit for me, but Monday's in particular need some extra zen.
The first part of my morning is crawling out of bed and onto a set of meditation pillows. I spend 5 minutes focusing on my breath, clearing my mind and transitioning from sleeping to being awake. I pay attention to my surroundings, I listen to the birds outside, the early morning traffic, sometimes the sounds of others beginning their own day. I pay attention to my breath and to how my body feels - these things tell me how well I slept. My cat normally joins me and by the end of the 5 minutes, we are both ready to start the day.
On Mondays I need a little more. So at the end of my other morning tasks (which include feeding said cat and journaling with a cup of coffee), I'll take an additional 5 minutes and return to my favorite meditation spot in my bedroom. After I settle into several breaths (5-7), I will begin to set my intention for the day.
It is important not to make this a mental 'to-do' list. I'm a HUGE fan of making 'to-do' lists, so avoiding this here is a constant struggle for me. The intention needs to be something affirming vs. negative and should be something you can mentally touch upon during the day should you need it.
A generic example I often use is "Today will be a good day"
If a customer or co-worker or neighbor or whatever begins frustrating me, I can touch upon this intention and choose to alter my reaction to them in order to make today a good day.
A bad example would be "Fred won't irritate me today"
This places the onus on Fred to behave in some way rather than focusing on you and what your reaction to Fred is. A better example would be "I won't let Fred irritate me today"
Will you still get irritated? Possibly.
This exercise also helps remind us that other people's behaviors are not within our control - we can only control our reaction.
Perhaps when another co-workers asks how you can stand it when Fred eats with his mouth open or talks loudly over others, you can pass along this advice.
I don't mean the typical make coffee, shower, feed the pets, etc - but in a way I do. Making morning meditation part of the morning routine for any day of the week is an important habit for me, but Monday's in particular need some extra zen.
The first part of my morning is crawling out of bed and onto a set of meditation pillows. I spend 5 minutes focusing on my breath, clearing my mind and transitioning from sleeping to being awake. I pay attention to my surroundings, I listen to the birds outside, the early morning traffic, sometimes the sounds of others beginning their own day. I pay attention to my breath and to how my body feels - these things tell me how well I slept. My cat normally joins me and by the end of the 5 minutes, we are both ready to start the day.
On Mondays I need a little more. So at the end of my other morning tasks (which include feeding said cat and journaling with a cup of coffee), I'll take an additional 5 minutes and return to my favorite meditation spot in my bedroom. After I settle into several breaths (5-7), I will begin to set my intention for the day.
It is important not to make this a mental 'to-do' list. I'm a HUGE fan of making 'to-do' lists, so avoiding this here is a constant struggle for me. The intention needs to be something affirming vs. negative and should be something you can mentally touch upon during the day should you need it.
A generic example I often use is "Today will be a good day"
If a customer or co-worker or neighbor or whatever begins frustrating me, I can touch upon this intention and choose to alter my reaction to them in order to make today a good day.
A bad example would be "Fred won't irritate me today"
This places the onus on Fred to behave in some way rather than focusing on you and what your reaction to Fred is. A better example would be "I won't let Fred irritate me today"
Will you still get irritated? Possibly.
This exercise also helps remind us that other people's behaviors are not within our control - we can only control our reaction.
Perhaps when another co-workers asks how you can stand it when Fred eats with his mouth open or talks loudly over others, you can pass along this advice.
Hello!
I am embarking on a journey to become a meditation practitioner.
As such, this is a mainly a personal meditation journal where I expect to share things I'm doing to develop my craft.
I may incorporate tea making rituals in the future, but the angle about tea is mostly because I also like tea.
What does it mean when something is good and steep?
The physical act of hiking, being in nature, can be a powerful source of meditation in motion. So by climbing a steep hill, we can stretch our minds as well as our bodies.
This is also a metaphor for the journey of self-improvement, which can be challenging but rewarding.
It also means to soak something in liquid, such as tea leaves in hot water.
This is a metaphor for the process of meditation, which allows us to immerse ourselves in the moment - to become more present and aware of our thoughts and feelings.
I am embarking on a journey to become a meditation practitioner.
As such, this is a mainly a personal meditation journal where I expect to share things I'm doing to develop my craft.
I may incorporate tea making rituals in the future, but the angle about tea is mostly because I also like tea.
What does it mean when something is good and steep?
The physical act of hiking, being in nature, can be a powerful source of meditation in motion. So by climbing a steep hill, we can stretch our minds as well as our bodies.
This is also a metaphor for the journey of self-improvement, which can be challenging but rewarding.
It also means to soak something in liquid, such as tea leaves in hot water.
This is a metaphor for the process of meditation, which allows us to immerse ourselves in the moment - to become more present and aware of our thoughts and feelings.
