Do you belive in God?

A meditator asked me "Do you believe in god?"
I said nothing.

He asked me again. "Then you don't believe?"
I said nothing.

He wanted a verbal answer. So I said, "I neither believe nor disbelieve."

He asked "Are you an agnostic?" I said, "No".

He wanted a clarification. I said, "If you believe it, you are trapped. If you disbelieve, you are still trapped."

I asked him what is God. He said, "God is the creator of the universe." I asked him then, "What is the creator of the God?" He paused in contemplation for a moment and said "It is the mind."

Tibetan Singing Bowl

Before each morning meeting at my internship, we take a brief moment to center ourselves using a Tibetan Singing Bowl. A strike of the bowl creates harmonic overtones that naturally evoke a deep feeling of relaxation.  For an office that often manages crisis and conflict, the purpose is to begin each day by taking a moment to focus on the present.

After 6 months of these meetings, I wanted to purchase one for myself. Call it Pavlov’s Dog, or what have you… the single strike of the bowl gives me immediate awareness of my breath, my thoughts, purpose for the day, and gives me overall mindfulness.  

My life has been a bit hectic (to put it lightly) and I’ve started using my bowl to end my day as well. Often times I lie in bed at night and recount all that happened throughout the day, what I didn’t get done, and what I need to do the next day; this ritual is of course counterproductive to sleep, and creates more stress, thus contributing to countless nights of insomnia. To me, hearing the sound of the strike is a signifier that another day has ended. I close my eyes and think of all the tasks I completed, the people I spoke to, the emotions I felt…. I take a deep breath in, and I ….. Exhale. That release of breath is an acceptance of my day. The day is over. Nothing more I can do. That breath is peace.

In a world full of stressors and pressures, self-care is an essential part of maintaining balance and energy. Can you tell I am a social worker?  I have friends that do yoga, lift weights, or just veg out with some bad* television. How do you handle stress? What helps you stay focused and productive?

*The Kardashians, Housewives of what-have-you, Honey What’s her ****

Keep Calm & Don't Worry

Buddhist monks and Zen practitioners have a saying on why there is no use in worrying.

The Buddhist proverb on worrying:

“If you have a problem that can be fixed, then there is no use in worrying. If you have a problem that cannot be fixed, then there is no use in worrying.” – Buddhist proverb

People worry about what might — or might not — happen in the future.    Worry is all in our heads — it is anticipation.  Worry goes hand in hand with fear and anxiety… as if the three of them are merrily skipping along in a field of poison poppies; Worry serves absolutely no purpose… in fact, worry will make you physically sick if you worry long enough.

Worry is a cognitive process in the brain, which means it comes from the thinking part — the part that visualizes and thinks; the part that is responsible for our mental processes of perception, remembering, thinking, memory, awareness, judgment, and reasoning.

Lately, I have been worrying about:

1)     Getting this last paper finished

2)    Receiving my new debit card in the mail

3)    Christmas shopping

When I worry, I do three things. First, I calculate its importance. Is it going to happen soon? Do I really need to be thinking about this right now? Next, I ask if I have any control over it. Is worrying going to change the outcome? Finally, if I have decided I have at least some control, I decide what I can actually DO to ease my worry. What action can I take?

Let’s look at my list again, now evaluated:

1)      Getting this last paper finished – This is high priority (Due Friday), and I have control over getting it done.

2)     Receiving my new debit card in the mail – This is important, but I have ZERO control over when it arrives. So why worry?

3)     Christmas shopping – This is important, but I can control how I organize my shopping to be less stressful.  I love making lists.

Worry can be stopped — the mental process can be tinkered with. After going through my steps, I feel better. I feel like I have more control, even if I really don’t.  Remember, it’s a cognitive process so you have control over it!  Worry is really all about the imagery in your mind. Create a more positive image, and focus your thoughts on it.  There is no point in dedicating energy to something that may — or may not — happen.  If it does happen you’ll deal with it when the time comes.  If it doesn’t happen, you’ve just wasted your energy.  Worrying does nothing at all to benefit any situation.  In fact, it just drains you mentally and physically.

As my mother says, “Just Breathe.”