When I was working in Lexington we had a unique gentleman who wanted to teach moving meditation for us - he was willing to explain, train, market, recruit participants, etc - he thought he had just what the doctor ordered! He sat down with me one day to tell me how I could make moving meditation a part of my routine and all the benefits I would reap if I would only commit to this for a 6-12 week time period....
...I don't think we ever hired this guy, but probably twice a year I think of what he said and play around with the idea of working what I recall of what he called Moving Meditation into my days....
...so yesterday I found the perfect setting for MM! swimming laps in the pool (I am up to 20 laps - Yay me!). Okay - pick a focus point or focus rhythm point - the blue tile at the entry end of the pool that is lightest in the middle and darker in a circular pattern around and the blue tile on the lifeguard side that is lightest on the left side, getting darker as you move right - both at eye level. Now - pick my meditation. It started out as "silence, peace, faith, silence peace faith, sil...", you know what I mean! Then I realized "integrity" was missing.
"silence, peace, faith, integrity"
another lap and a half...but what about "grace"?
"silence, peace, faith, integrity, grace"
close, but not quite...relax your facial muscles, Lisa or you'll waste all your energy on your face and not be able to finish....what is missing?, what would make this perfect? "silence, peace, faith, integrity, grace"
JOY! All too often the missing piece of a caregiver's life/days/minutes/conversations/thoughts.
"silence, peace, faith, integrity, grace, JOY!"
I have no doubt the lifeguard was wondering what was making me grin every sixth stroke, but I just couldn't help it. Peyton has a stuffie - a big pink monkey - named Bubbles and we decided it was nearly impossible to sound angry when saying the word Bubbles. Try it! Well, same for internally chanting the word JOY - you have to smile, even when you're swimming laps and so tired not much is smile-worthy!
No idea if MM is going to be a long-term part of my life - in this form - because really, it's just praying and that will always be a part of my life. BUT - I'm going to keep using it in my morning swims just for the joy of JOY and the reminder of integrity and silence and the comfort of peace, faith and grace.
Mom is settling in - and I guess so am I! Beware my next posting...things can change on a dime..."silence, peace, faith, integrity, grace, JOY!"
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