It’s my birthday today, and I usually buy myself a little something. Something that feels like a splurge, something I’ve been craving, something that I can’t hardly believe that I get to have. My gift to myself this year is all of those things, except that you can’t buy it. I’m giving myself the gift of Getting Quiet.
Really, it’s a the gift of an Experiment with Getting Quiet, because I also want to give myself the gift of not turning this into another thing on my long to do(n’t) list.
A gift of the present
I’ve had this feeling of wanting to meditate pushing at my edges for years. At least ten years, as I’m thinking about it now, and probably more. I’ve dabbled in different things, taken classes, read books, tried different techniques and ideas from different traditions, and nothing really sticks for long.
Yet I keep hearing this little bitty voice in my heart saying, some quiet sure would be nice.
So this experiment is the opportunity to ease that nagging energy and notice what happens when I spend time getting quiet every day. Not being quiet, because you can’t always control that, but getting quiet.
It’s just an experiment
And, because it’s a one-year experiment, if at the end of the year, I can stop if I want to, and not give meditation another thought for the rest of my life.
I’m assuming that won’t happen, but I want to leave plenty of space to be surprised. I want to look as this openly, not put a lot of expectations about what will happen or how I’ll feel. That’s hard to do, so I’m going to be really clear about what this gift looks like:
- Spending 10 purposeful breaths in quiet each day. Ideally at least 10 x 10, but I’ll be satisfied with just 10.
- Jotting down some notes about what I’m noticing.
- Providing a weekly update here.
Happy birthday, Shannon!
What a wonderful and thoughtful gift to yourself! I love it, and I’m looking forward to your updates about it. Happy experimenting with getting quiet!
.-= Josiane´s last blog ..Shifts and transitions =-.
Happy birthday!
What a great idea for a gift to yourself.
Happy birthday, Shannon! I am looking forward to reading your updates. :)
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..atlas has a birth day! =-.
Happy Birthday! And indeed a great gift to yourself.
Since a few weeks I enrolled in this:
http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=27
Wonderful, short weekly meditations. They are really wonderful. And because they are mostly 1,5 minutes long, it is very easy to do. I never succeeded in doing ‘real’ meditations, but this I do several times a day, and it really has a great result. I’m much more relaxed and quiet during the day.
I even listen at work, when it is very stressful. Just a short meditation and I’m centered again.
I really can recommand it!
.-= Irene´s last blog ..218/365 =-.
Belated Happy Birthday!
I have meditated on and off for the last ten years, and I always feel better during the on periods. However, it takes the off periods to show me how much I really like it!
My husband has gotten into it too and we try to sit for 20 minutes in the evening, but I like the 10 breaths idea. I will try that too.
Here’s to mindful breathing. . .
.-= Christine Myers´s last blog ..Mad Love Monday #15 =-.
[…] has reminded me of the book with her idea to have a year of experiments. Hers is based on Shannon’s experience, while mine triggers the rough plans I made at the end of the book. What I could do in which […]