Quieting the Lizard Brain

Sorry for the absence. I've been feeling a little off lately--disengaged, uninspired, lacking passion. I've realized that I haven't been doing things consciously lately but rather checking things off on the To Do List. I've been going through the motions without being present.

Instead of going for a run, I've taken walks the past couple of nights with the intention of clearing my mind and finding that inner peace that I've been missing. But instead I found myself walking and reading emails, texting, returning phone calls, multi-tasking-- exactly what I had wanted to NOT do. Walking was supposed to be a way to be in harmony with nature and bring awareness to myself...  

All of this doing and not enough being has left me feeling unfulfilled, dissatisfied. Although I'm sure that one solution is to go on a little "Me" spa retreat to recharge and refocus, it's not happening anytime soon...So what's the fix?

Practice being mindful. As the Buddhists believe and science has confirmed, mindfulness is a source of happiness. Meditation, or the practice of intentional, nonjudgmental concentration, has been shown to alter neurological functioning, improve the immune system and regulate emotions.

So, just for today, I am going to live with intention, avoid multi-tasking, slow down, breathe deeply and be aware.

“Life is made of moments, small pieces of silver amidst long stretches of tedium. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but particularly in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead now, that won’t happen. We have to teach ourselves now to live, really live…to love the journey, not the destination.”
- Anna Quindlen