And this marks the first time in forever that I've actually kept up a daily meditation practice for more than a couple of days. I've been meditating off and on for probably 15 years, but have never, in all that time, managed to develop a real daily practice. Probably the last time I meditated every day for a week or more was when I did a 10-day retreat at Karme Choling in Vermont (maybe right down the road from you, Deborah?) and that was 4 years ago. I'm curious to see the effects that 90 days of meditation will have on me.
I think I'm discovering a powerful secret: in order to learn to do something, start really really small. Like 50 jumps with a jump rope, or 5 minutes of meditation. It feels ridiculously small, silly even, to do so little of something. My Type-A brain says, "You'll never get anywhere if you start so small!" But with daily repetition, and tiny incremental increases, that small start leads to a new skill. I struggled so much with jumping rope during the PCP, but now I can (usually) knock out 100 or even 150 jumps in a row without tripping. I recommend jumping rope to people all the time, but with the caveat that it takes a while to get good at it and you have to be patient and keep at it. I am not typically patient or persistent, but within the structure of a program I gradually, slowly learned how to jump rope. I'm grateful to have the chance to work on another skill now.
New diets coming tonight, I bet. Only a little bit of trepidation. :)
yeah I know good old Karme Choling. About an hour away. Very pretty place. I went there once.
ReplyDeleteStart small... brilliant woman as usual.
I'm glad you can do so many jumps. Frankly I'm still absolute thrilled when I do 50. 40 is my general goal. I trip way too much still. I'd cut down to one or two times a week. I am pretty sore again. Not used to this every day thing.