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Last week, a friend and I devised a day of silent meditation, each in our own homes. From 9 to 5, we spent the day with only ourselves – no technology, no reading or writing, no other people. And, nothing “productive” in the traditional sense, nothing that could be crossed off a to do list, like cooking or cleaning or running errands. Honestly, the anticipation freaked us both out a bit. Separated from our phones, our reading, our writing, what would we do?

We spent some time beforehand talking through the guidelines. Our purpose was to experience the day and ourselves, the ramblings of our minds and the realities of our place. It was difficult to pick a day that both of us could devote to this, where we could leave our work behind, where we didn’t have appointments scheduled, and where we could tell our families not to contact us. And, we both realized that we were lucky to be able to do this experiment at all. Most people would not have that luxury.

Her theme was to move more slowly. Mine was to notice my thinking.

Doing it together was valuable. It helped us stick to the guidelines and we were able to share the experience with each other later. For me, distractions to my own work and creativity come from ingesting more and more information. So, my main goal was to stop that flow for a time. The only information that came into my awareness that day was through the senses, and from my own mind.

It was a beautiful weather day and I was able to spend approximately three hours of the time walking. The rest of the time included stretching, sitting meditation, creating a mandala (intuitive), showering, and eating.

What I noticed was that I think a lot! Even after years of contemplative practice. When I found myself thinking about something from the past or about the future, I would say “thinking” and bring myself back to where I was. I noticed that, without my camera, I actually think more. The camera does serve as a reminder to pay attention, so that I’m ready for a moment that calls to me to photograph. Walking also provides the space for intuitive insights to emerge around things I’m working on or a situation I’m dealing with and this is truly valuable. These insights come up unintentionally.

Overall, I felt relaxed and comfortable, I moved more, and felt like I really inhabited the day. It’s one I’ll remember for a long time.

What did I learn? I already have a habit of daily walking as a meditative practice that is essential and good for my health. But, for someone like me that inhales information, it would be good practice to go technology free at least one day a week. I’ll let you know how that goes.

What habit do you need to cultivate?

 

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