Stretch

Do you ever stretch your body? Does it feel good? Mostly yes, right? So why do we do it? To be more comfortable? To allow the body to operate the way it was designed (bend over, rotate, reach things, etc)?

For most people, stretching has obvious benefits. And there are countless other examples, such as eating, sleeping, etc., of how we can live with our body, in sync with its design.

And with all of these examples, there is a range of styles and degrees of adoption. With stretching, some people do a bit, as needed, while others do it more formally as part of their daily routine. And some not at all.

Once you understand an underlying system or the mechanics, and can see why the activity or practice helps, you can find your own way to be in sync. And usually, the more you are, the better you feel.

So how about your mind? How do you take care of it, help it be at its best, the way it was designed?

Living In Sync

Let’s recap a bit. We live in a mind. It is central/primary to our life and not just our psychological experience. Our mind impacts our immune system, whether we feel pain, our ability to learn and countless other critical aspects of life. It also affects how we get things done, solve problems, and relate to others. The quieter or more balanced our mind, the more we find ourselves in a deep peaceful feeling of connection to the intelligence behind life. This is our natural state.

The mind is designed to primarily live in this tranquil, alert, present and open state (remember the peace exercise?). When there, we seem to receive the thinking that we need, in the moment, without effort. We feel balanced and are able to think clearly, independent of what is happening around us. We can respond, if needed, versus reacting.

Whenever you have been able to leave your mind alone, that is usually where it has ended up.

What To Do/Consider

For some people, this state seems to effortlessly arise in nature. They might notice that they stop thinking so much. They stop the habitual analyzing that often fills their mind. And although this happens in nature, nature is not doing it. If they were frightened of bugs or wild animals, for example, their mind would not empty.

You could replace “being in nature” with doing sport, reading a book, or being on the beach but in all cases, these would not be the reason our mind slowed down. It’s just our design. When left alone, the mind settles. I have one client who goes for a short run every morning after he drops his kids at school. Another friend finds this state while playing Pickleball. Yet another loves to paint. And increasingly, people are turning to meditation.

For many people, meditation seems to be a simple practice to allow the mind to settle. You might hear meditation described as an emptying, a relaxing, the touching of a deep feeling of  peace and connection to life. And the more you experience that feeling, the more you want it. However, it is important to note that although meditation is a good way to reach a more peaceful state, the peaceful state is actually our default state. Meditation simply opens a pathway to experience the very best of the mind as it is designed.

Should you try meditation? That’s up to you. There is lots you can read up/research about meditating. I’m happy to share what I know if it would be helpful. Just respond to this email.

There are also lots of other ways to head toward our best design, and only you know what’s best for you. The bigger point is, look after your mind in whatever way works for you. It is literally everything you have.

Wishing you much peace and fulfillment.

Robin