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Sitting in Silence: Zen Drop 30
Very often when I’m alone I find myself sitting in the silence.Not because I’m meditating or trying to clear my mind but because I’ve come to truly love it. Of course it’s never completely quiet.Sometimes the birds are chirping and I hear them but don’t always listen.And the cars go by out the window.Some of…
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An Acquired Taste: Zen Drop 29
Everybody’s got a thing. What’s yours? You have to acquire a taste for cigarettes to enjoy them. And then you love them. Most of the time. And then you have to have them. Same with coffee. It goes beyond addiction. It happens with anything. The familiar. Routine. Comfortable. It’s something like a fake desire. Or…
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The Early Worm Flips the Bird: Zen Drop 28
I’m just working as hard as I can right now.In all ways and meanings of the word work. I’m trying to anticipate my thoughtsand stay ahead of my emotions.Chess or checkers.I’m keeping it all right out in front of me. I know the weather. Jake the Snake Roberts had a deadly wrestling move.Once he had…
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Don’t Poop on the Dog: Zen Drop 27
So you stepped in dog poop. Now what? For starters, the world has enough shit to deal with. Don’t track it all over town. You’ll figure it out. Sometimes people say to “lean in.”Lean into dog shit? No thanks. Sometimes people say everything happens for a reason.Fine. You can explain that while I dig crap…
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The Workout Makes You Stronger. What You Add Makes It Harder.
What story are you adding that is making your experience more difficult? What happens when you notice? This mindful exercise practice can open the door to a new relationship with your workout and your mind. Exercise provides a clean testing ground for mindful training. Consider it a two-for-one. You work out the body, and you…
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Are These Gas Prices High or Something? — Zen Drop 26
Gas prices keep going up.So you’re standing at the pump, watching the numbers climb like it’s a horror movie. Suddenly, a wise old monk walks up and says,“Your resistance is only making this worse.” “Great,” you say. “Does that mean you’re buying?”Because then we might be getting somewhere. We’ve all heard it: grin and bear it.Which…
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Every time I Hear Pink Moon I Think of Her
Urgency without clarity. Ignoring what matters in real time. Without knowing why. And only recognizing it later through a song. Every time I hear Pink Moon I think of her. San Francisco to Seattle.The red sands of Shasta.The moon over Crater Lake. She wanted to stop and see.We didn’t. She wanted to stay in Portland.We…
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Keep Your Pants On
Guy comes flying into a parking space as I’m locking my bike up at the grocery store. Coming in hot.Like… if his foot slips, I’m part of the asphalt. So I give him the look. And you know how fast things escalate.This thing can go a million ways right now. Most of them bad. All I actually want……
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Breathing In… Breathing Out… One Movement
Read time 1 minute. A uniquely subtle but important reframing of breath awareness practice as movement and transition. Breath awareness practice. The foundation of mindfulness.There are many methods. Here’s one you might not have considered. Something simple: Forget counting breaths.Forget inhale.Forget exhale. Forget the names entirely. Consider, instead, the qualities within a breath. Pressure.A subtle…