S1E3 08 July 2020

Let's "meditate"

This week we meditate. And we cook, and walk and do all sorts of things. Can you single-task?

Transcript

Find a comfortable seat,

Feel your sit bones ground down,

Lift through your chest to straighten your spine.

Take a deep breath in for OM.

OMMMMMMMMMM

Oh wow, do I have to join in?

Am I doing this right?

My back hurts.

I need to buy bin bags. Bin bags. Bin bags.


Welcome to a quick pause. A weekly podcast offering a moment of reflection, a chance to care for ourselves and to show up for each other.

Each week I'll offer you an inspiration and a practice to try.

Traditional meditation techniques are wonderful and full of wisdom, but can often be hard to get into. After all, it can take a dedicated monk a lifetime to master them.

So with utmost respect to the ancient teachings, what could you do to meditate other than sitting crosslegged and breathing, while trying not to think?

The goal of meditation, isn't to stop thinking. But it's to arrive in your body and fully inhabit it. To feel everything as it is. And when we allow ourselves to be fully present in our body, we experience the moment without the chance to judge or trying to change it.

Last week, we thought about the idea of perfection and how it stops us from doing the things that make us feel good. We tried to let go of other people's expectations and standards to uncover more of who we really are.

This week, I invite you to think about the activities that allow you to be present in the moment and in your body. They are, most likely, things that do make you feel good. Things that you do, not because you're perfect at it, but because you find joy in them.

Mentally walk through your last couple days. Starting from the time you got up until 48 hours later. Are there moments when you were fully absorbed into what you were doing? Are there any moments when you thought "I used to enjoy that" or "I wish I had more time for this"?

For me one of those activities was cooking. I used to LOVE cooking and then it became a chore. Same with simple walks outside and noticing what's around me, often walks became a means to get somewhere rather than a chance to enjoy the outdoors.

What are yours? Which activities do - or did - you really enjoy just for the sake of it? What makes you feel present?

Can you commit to doing one of these activities every day for the next week? But really commit to doing it. No phones, no computers, just you and your happy activity.

So for me one of those moments was to fully re-commit to cooking a fresh meal from scratch, taking time to slice the veggies with care, making things up as I went. Tasting, really being there in the kitchen. And eating it, sharing the meal with my partner, taking time to savor each bite.

And today I went for a simple walk to the park and back. No phone, just myself. Feeling the feet touch the ground, the slight drizzle touching my face and my hands. Sounds from near and far reaching my ears.

What is your daily meditation going to look like this week?

Whatever you make your meditative activity of the day, try to really commit to it. How much can you invest yourself in it? Can you feel it in your whole body? How many senses can you involve in it?\

That's it. If you want to dive deeper, take out your notebook and reflect on your daily meditations, after you've completed them.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. Now, go on, try being fully present doing what brings you joy.

Until next week,

I'm Jonas Haefele and this was a Quick Pause.


Words and Sounds by Jonas Haefele

A Quick Pause is a production by slow.works

Music used: Monday Meditation by Wayne Kinos