This morning I woke up to a cold, soaking rain. Yesterday I saw the sign, "First Day of School, August 27." Last night we attended the final outdoor concert of the season. Fall is in the air.
I love fall with its crisp temperatures and colorful trees! I also find it stressful. The back-to-school trumpet echoes through the community, calling us all to attention, even if we are no longer students, teachers, or parents in the system. Summer vacation is over, and it is time to get back to work.
When I looked at the scale of fall commitments this week, I was inspired to pull out my favorite reading on stress management, Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Although I had long dabbled in thoughtful reflection, Kabat-Zinn introduced me several years ago to the "thought-less" practice of mindfulness meditation and activated the desire to make it part of my routine. I have, in the process, learned new ways of dealing with stressors when they arise.
It is clear that the Buddhist-inspired principles underlying mindfulness practice arose outside of our task-oriented Western culture. It is also clear why those perspectives have been widely embraced as the global pace becomes more frantic and relationships more strained.
Mindfulness meditation rests on a foundation of accepting, non-judging, patient, non-striving awareness. It actively allows reality to be what-it-is. It releases the illusion that we can control our circumstances, other people, or even ourselves. It embraces the flow of inner wisdom and does not fret over decisions outside our scope. It celebrates the present moment and recognizes the intrinsic unreality of past and future. It sits still and breathes.
The meditation cushion is both a symbol and a tool of mindfulness practice. Though I own one, I admit that sitting cross-legged in the recliner is more my style. In any case, I like the image of returning to the cushion in Fall. Before I race off to do errands. Before I pull out the list. Before I return calls, check emails, and call for appointments, I settle into a quiet pose to create space between mind and action. Everything works better when I start the day that way.
Organization and planning are my default tools for managing logistics and fitting everything in. Mediation is where I go to make sure I am fitting in the right things at the right time and for the right reasons. It is where I stop talking and listen for the wise inner voice. It is where I dial down the adrenaline and crank up the oxytocin. It is where I warm up the engine before shifting into gear.
How do you deal with the increasing pace of life this time of year? How do you start each day to identify the path that will take you where you want to go?
