Aloha from the 1st Day of 2019,
Thanks to this amazing Solstice I feel something New this year. Here is how my year began. I walked across the street to visit with friends for a few hours, then came home and quietly greeted 2019 with Jim.
The last three days I have been sorting out my life, organizing my physical world as I put Christmas decorations away. A deep cleansing was in process, and the print-out was hyper cleaning, organizing, purging and creating new worlds, room by room.
My fitbit is programmed and I am surprised that my typical day includes 10,000 steps plus. I walked along the cliffs today, and it was San Diego cold. I wore a heavy scarf with my jacket as I walked beside the December blue ocean.
Living in Paradise is such a gift.
At sunset I sat in my very clean meditation corner that looks out on the world. For the past 3 weeks it has been home to a Christmas tree. I played Baroque music and lit candles. It was so quiet. Then I went to the kitchen, and for the first time in my life, I really changed the way I cook. I took my candles and music to the kitchen, and enjoyed my cooking meditation. Wow!
I did not make a list of Resolutions this year, I let them come to me. The first one that came to me was on Facebook. A friend posted a short video suggesting that cooking our own food was important. Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are related to a generation of people who don’t cook. Something just clicked, and there was Resolution #1. Cooking became part of my practice. So I used my new waffle maker which makes perfect waffles, and had a homecooked breakfast, and dinner.
So, my two suggestions to you: Pay attention to life, and let Resolutions come to you. Try different music and sounds to bring you to stillness. Baroque music with its 40-60 beats per minute brings you into alpha waves quickly, and then you are a breath away from meditation.
So be Happy, it is a new year. Every day may bring you new resolve!
Aloha and be well,
Lynne Miller
American Dharma Teacher