Posts Tagged ‘stress reduction’

Stuff Happens

August 18, 2016

Couch Potato Blues

If you read my last post, about Crystal City, I said something about episodes or turning points in our lives. Some turning points obviously are more major than others, such as what happened to people at Crystal City. My story here is a minor inconvenience by comparison.

Pink Floyd: On the Run (Dark Side of the Moon)

It Was Only a Small Rock!

I run. Sometimes I talk with others when I run. My left foot landed squarely on top of a rock, not large, but it fractured the fifth metatarsal bone – that’s the one that connects the little toe to the ankle. Metatarsals help provide arch support and balance. Sometimes called a stress fracture, people who do physical activities like dancing or running tend to be more prone to this type of injury. On my x-ray you could hardly even see the faint line that indicated a fracture – hopefully it will heal quickly.

Pink Floyd: Time (Dark Side of the Moon)

What’s Plan B?

When stuff happens that affects your life and your lifestyle, such as being very active (running, cycling, swimming, working out), then what? Maybe I’ll find some good quotes and include those – if life gives you lemons, make lemonade or whatever. You might like Ron White’s updated version of the lemonade quote below.

What the heck, try these quotes on for size.

Steve Jobs
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.
Read more really good quotes about life.
Ron White
I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade… And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.
Pink Floyd: Breathe in the Air (Dark Side of the Moon)

What’s Your Point?

Actually, that’s what a family member (near and dear) says to me when I start rambling on about some run I just did – she’s not a runner, but I still love her. Not sure I have a specific point, just killing time while my foot heals. Got tired of Netflix, so I thought I’d do some blogging.

The pictures in the slide show I took after one of my favorite 10K runs in Estacada, Oregon. Very interesting place as you can see in the pictures. Be sure to check out Fearless Brewing if you’re in the neighboorhood.

Signing off for now, time for more boring Netflix. Never fear, I’ll be trucking on down the road before you know it! Enjoy the pictures and the music!

Willie Nelson: On the Road Again

 

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Mindfulness – What is it, is it Important?

December 21, 2014

Merriam-Webster: The quality or state of being mindful; the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis; also, such a state of awareness.

I was watching a piece on 60 Minutes about “mindfulness”, and I thought I’d share some insights that might interest you. The link to the 60 Minutes broadcast is below.

If you look in my blog under Things to Think About, I posted “Doing Nothing: It Might Save Your Life” in October of last year. I admitted to being a Type A personality. I also admit to not being an expert on stress reduction or someone who practices yoga on a regular basis. However, I am learning about how important it is to lighten up, loosen up, and simplify my lifestyle, and hopefully to practice mindfulness spontaneously, which is the point of this blog post.

Rather than try to summarize the Anderson Cooper piece that aired on 60 Minutes on December 14, 2014, I’m providing the link to the script of the video about the mindfulness retreat and Cooper’s dialog with Jon Kabat-Zinn.

I guess for me the main take-aways were Kabat-Zinn’s ideas on mindfulness and how practicing it can help a person reduce stress, be healthier, and lead a more contented and happy life.

Here are a few more take-aways before I close, not my original ideas but quotes from others and ideas from other sources.

  • From a relative’s blog: “. . . if we wake up every morning and dedicate ourselves to doing and being good, this brief practice will no doubt lead to positive results. Through defining your intention for the day, your actions will have better results”.
  • From a Buddhist teacher named Kongtrul Rinpoche: “We are born with built-in abilities toward self-reflection and self-awareness which are our tools for personal growth”.
  • Last but not least, something that Kabat-Zinn said during interviews with Anderson Cooper about practicing mindfulness. It’s not in the script, but it was something to the effect – “If you’re thinking its something you should start practicing, you’re missing the point. It’s not a big should, it’s not like, oh, now I gotta do one more thing that I have to put in my life, that I have to be mindful. It’s not a doing but a being, and being doesn’t take time”.

Websites: http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/

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Doing Nothing

October 8, 2013

It might save your life!

I was sitting in a chair in my back yard with my feet propped up on another chair. It was late in the day with the light failing, but the failing light was magnificent and refreshing. I had moved the chairs into the direct sunlight to enjoy it more. By the way, I live in the great Northwest – sometimes I call it the great “Northwet” – so the sunshine was a treat on this Fall day. The dog was walking around in the yard and would occasionally wander over to have his head scratched. It was a sublime, very relaxing moment.

But, you ask, how is it that someone who values doing nothing so highly is spending time at his keyboard creating this blog entry and on the very same evening that he was doing nothing in his backyard? To further stretch my credibility about this “nothing” concept, in all honesty I must confess to being a type A personality. I’m the person who can’t sit still for two hours to watch a movie, or the person who always has one more thing on his to-do list that absolutely cannot be put off until later. Members of my family and my friends will attest to my type A personality.

OK, so play along with me on this for a while, just relax, and think about it – doesn’t it make sense that doing nothing could very easily reduce your stress level. Sure, there are tons of self-help books out there to support this idea, but my recommendation is that you just give doing nothing a try – no cell phone, no MP3 player, no TV, no book. Get comfortable and just sit. After you have stopped doing nothing, you can send a comment about this blog post, no obligation of course, but I’d like to get your feedback.

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