The Limits of Navel Gazing

I'm old enough to remember a silly phrase that was used back in the day when referring to meditation. As  eastern meditation practices made their way to the US in the 1960's and 70's, many were suspicious and considered these efforts a waste of time, and simply 'endless navel gazing.'  Somehow, contemplating one's own life was ridiculous and pondering one's belly button or human existence was dismissed and ridiculed.

Fast forward to today, and meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices are trendy and everywhere. We practice yoga or meditation with the idea that we will calm and quiet the chatter in our own minds and somehow be able to live our lives from a space of tranquility and quiet strength. All of those things are worthy goals, yet any contemplative practice can end up being a bit meaningless or at least devoid of its richness if it becomes too focused on self rather than our connection to others and all living beings. If we pay lip service to being more peaceful and content, and then head out into the world and go right back to being judgy or aggressive in our speech or actions, we aren't really living out our meditation practice.

How do we use our meditation or mindfulness practices in a way that benefits us and our world? While an internal and very personal process, quieting the mind and becoming more focused and thoughtful only takes us so far. It's when we link that quiet presence with our values and beliefs that we find true and meaningful change. When we learn that we can find a stillness and calm within, we become less reactive and fearful about outside events. We get a bit more able to sidestep petty dramas and let go of having to control every detail. We explore what we really hold dear and begin to live our lives in ways that reflect what we truly value. When we move away from fear and reactivity, we can respond in ways that honor and reflect who we truly want to be in the world. When we're scared, we get panicked, grabby and worried about getting our fair share. When we can stay out of fear and in a state of presence and awareness, we can see abundance and make the difficult and challenging decisions to stay aligned with our deepest truths.

I  hope you take time today for some quiet, whether it is a yoga practice, meditation time, or contemplative prayer. Remember the goal is to help you be a better human. It doesn't mean things will always go smoothly and you'll never be sad or frightened. When the next big challenging thing confronts you, may you have the strength and resilience to rely on what you've practiced. Pause, breathe, consider all options. Then move forward with strength and the commitment to living a life that aligns with your deepest truths.

Buzzwords

Our culture loves buzzwords. I'll admit that I find them pretty annoying, but they do reflect a certain stance or thinking in our culture at the time. Maybe you remember overused words like paradigm shift, reaching out, giving yourself grace, and the recent one: it's all about your nervous system!

When I hear these types of phrases batted about, I have to smile. After all, these are not new ideas-yoga traditions have been talking about these concepts for hundreds of years. What is a paradigm shift, but awareness and the flexibility to think about things in new ways? The phrase 'I'm reaching out to you' is an attempt to make our communication sound supportive and open (which, when used by sales folks that don't even know me, feels downright nauseating!). Grace was a word everyone was using recently. To me, grace was a term I learned about in my faith journey; God would be gracious to us, despite our failings. Again, nothing wrong with treating yourself with some grace and loving yourself warts and all, but as the word became overused, it began to feel cliche and almost dismissive of the inner work one really has to do to develop a sense of compassion for self and true acceptance of who we really are.

Now we have so many helpers all talking about our nervous systems. If you haven't heard it yet, get ready, as it is becoming a very well used and likely over-used term. Again, I am reminded that this is not a new word or notion. Yoga teaches us about our nervous system all the time. When we focus on breath, we notice it can rev up our nervous system and energize us, or we can use it to calm and activate our parasympathetic nervous system or relaxation response.

Currently, for a whole host of reasons, whether it's related to political division or an overload of stimulation due to technology and screen time, we do find ourselves with nervous systems that need tending. My yoga mat is my favorite space to address my body and find ways to calm or move and use the energy I have in ways that are productive and balanced. Breath work, movement, time in nature, and creative pursuits can all bring us a renewed sense of stability and a way to re-set our physical and emotional systems.

So, if your nervous system feels out of whack today, join the club. But please remember that you are in charge of your own body and energy each day. Be deliberate about what you focus on, as where our thoughts go, so goes our mood, behavior and actions. Do one thing at a time. Rest. Listen to your own breath as it flows with each inhale and exhale. Find ways and practices that help you re-set and enable you to move and respond in ways that work for you. Be good to your nervous system.

The next time you hear a buzzword, smile. Remember that the wisdom behind the phrase is often much older than the latest trendy phrase.