Piece Together Peace December 2010

As I discussed in this post, I set an intention for myself for the month of November to make meditation a somewhat regular part of my life. I have never spent much time meditating or had any luck or success with it when I tried. I remember my dad (who has meditated most of his adult life) meditating after a long workday, or on a Sunday morning when I was a kid. I really had no idea what he was doing, or why, I just knew that we weren't supposed to make too much noise! Over the past year or so, as I've struggled with finding balance and peace in my life as a busy working mama, my dad and others have recommended meditation to me as a tool I might want to consider. So, November was my month to give it a try.

I decided that guided meditation would be best for me at first. My mind is so busy all day every day (and many insomniatic nights, too) that I didn't feel like I'd have the self control to quiet my mind on my own. I picked up a copy of Guided Meditations for Busy People at the library and put it on my ipod.

Although I didn't find as much time to meditate as I was originally hoping for (3-4 mornings a week? right!), I did take 15 minutes or so to meditate on the mornings that I could drag myself out of bed a little early. There were times that I just couldn't get into a rhythm...my mind was still zipping all over the place, and I didn't feel like I got anything out of it. Then there were times that I actually did feel my breathing slow, my mind settle, and my body relax. And what a beautiful thing that was for me! And even the times that I didn't feel like I quite got to the relaxed state I was aiming for, I was still taking some time to be quiet and still, which I don't really do that often, so those were still valuable sessions.

I believe in the power this practice can have for me. I truly hope to continue to use meditation as a way to keep me grounded, calm, peaceful, and present.

My December intention for my own personal Piece Together Peace project is a simple one. The holidays are oh so busy for me, and more so this year with my lofty goals of handcrafting many of my christmas and chanukah gifts (why is it that keeping the holidays "simple" ends up being more work? hmmm?? anyway, I'll talk more about that later...). Needless to say, we're a busy bunch of Petersons right now. But I LOVE this time of year and have found myself really getting into the holiday spirit. So, my intention is to ENJOY! I want to really enjoy this season of family, friends, food, music, crafting, and magic. I want to soak up the wonder of it all and try to see things through Sadie's eyes. I want to show and teach my daughter that this season is NOT about commercial, consumer, crap! And how will I do this? I'll breathe, smile, stay present, be grateful, and not put unrealistic expectations on myself. And I'm looking forward to it.....