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You might think that a podcast about mindfulness might begin with the mind. But I have found that the difficulty with being mindful is that I am so easily mindless throughout my day. Which is why the first episodes focused on noticing, attending our senses so that when automatic routines are paused for some reason, automatic reactions can be attended with grace. Because if I am on autopilot, any interruption is an opportunity to react – and, for me, it is usually with irritation. Our brains are made to accommodate new information and stimuli by allowing our bodies to do many things automatically. Our brains would literally overheat if we had to think about everything our bodies do.

At the same time, our current high-tech, over-connected existence blasts exceedingly full data bursts, the bulk of which is useless. So, intentionally separating from the sources of these data catapults is crucial to brain health – and the resultant body/soul health. When my mind is uncluttered, unrushed, un-attached . . . an interruption no longer registers as such, as an interruption.

In his First Principle and Foundation, Ignatius of Loyola talks about “making use of those things that help to bring us closer to God and leaving aside those things that don’t.” Fro Ignatius, this Holy Indifference is foundational to peace and right relationship with God and others.

Thomas Keating describes Holy Indifference this way: “Without thinking or feeling some emotion, there is just awareness. There is then no desire for bliss, enlightenment, or to teach others. Things are just as they are. In that so-called emptiness, enjoyment arises of itself. As soon as we try to enjoy, the enjoyment eases. Somehow at the bottom of emptiness (openness, pure awareness), there is enjoyment, fullness, presence and peace.”[1]

Holy indifference is an invitation to hold loosely a matter or item or opinion. So, think with me about a recent issue that is occupying your thoughts these days. Imagine how it affects your attitude toward that subject or about a person | imagine it as a physical object, placed in the palm of your hand. Hold it there. Wrap your fingers around it securely, keep it safe and secure. Next, imagine someone with a different view trying to pull a finger away, and the next finger, etc. but you hold on tighter, more firmly and the possibility for scratches or broken bone increases.

Imagine again that you hold this object in the palm of your extended hand, with your fingers loosely relaxed, open. Someone with a different view holds his hand in the same way. With both held loosely you both gently take each other’s object and create a larger one – one that you both can carry. You have not lost a part of you, the other hasn’t lost a part of him. Rather, you both have contributed to a larger view, a fuller perspective, an effective, healing potential.

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

As you listen to the rest of this version of Leonard Cohen’s “Come Healing,” consider again a matter, an issue, or person that is occupying your thoughts. Perhaps you need to spend more time with the one you thought of earlier, or something else comes to mind. As you breathe. In. Out. Breathe. Hold the issue in your hand, make a fist. First, gently relax your thumb. Notice it slacken. Pay attention to how the other fingers cannot hold on quite as tightly. Loosen the forefinger. The remaining three loosening their grip still further. Slowly allow the rest to open out. See the issue for what it is. Take note of how you feel toward it. Turn it so your perspective is from another vantage. Acknowledge the impact it has had on you. Acknowledge that it does not define who you are. See it as part of your formation – as you are in the presence of God – this More Than who is in this situation with you – now. And leave it here in God’s presence.

This does not mean you won’t have to face it again. You likely will. And it will be another opportunity to practice Holy Indifference.

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com And if this podcast has been helpful to you, please click a short review and share it with someone else you think might benefit. I am grateful to you for participating with me in mindfulness aimed at peace and reconciliation.

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

Come Healing

Leonard Cohen

Guitar and vocals: Howie Snyder

O gather up the brokenness

The splinters that you carry

And let the heavens hear it

Behold the gates of mercy

O solitude of longing

O see the darkness yielding

O troubled dust concealing

O let the heavens falter

O longing of the branches

And let the heavens hear it

O let the heavens hear it

[1] Thomas Keating, “Notes from a Deep Conversation,” Contemplative Outreach: Silence, Solitude, Solidarity, Service – News 31, no. 2 (2015): 1.

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Traffic

We live in the Chicago area. Driving is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of meditation. It would be a very long list before driving in Chicago might make it in relationship to meditation. Yet it is precisely in moments like driving in Chicago that mindfulness practice is essential.

“Can you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matt6:27 God is there already. God is with you now.

When I consider chaos (Chicago traffic, for example) I am reminded of the genius artists apply to the chaos of media, of possibilities and expressing beauty, ascribing meaning through the chaotic elements. The technique I want to guide you through today is basically a Visio Divina (divine vision – art) meditation you can practice anytime but also apply to what you see while in traffic. This one refers to the Icon of the Madonna, and all of this will be on the website, eirenicole.com. By practicing visual prayer, meditation in sight, it becomes easier to see into the landscape no matter the contents, evidence of God’s presence.

So, one of the techniques used by iconographers is the use of compositional lines. The one gazing sees things from all angles, as God sees them. They give the impression that the vanishing point is in the heart of the viewer. Even lines of nature are painted as straight lines, lending “stillness and intensity to the figures. Brush strokes of pure white seem to flash out like lightning. According to a contemporary iconographer, ‘This quiet luminosity suggests the Holy Spirit within the subject, constantly renewing and creating life out of chaos.’”[1]

Imagine the glare of the sun off of the sea of windshields ahead as the “quiet luminosity of the Holy Spirit within the traffic – constantly renewing and creating life out of chaos.” Breathe.

Henri Nouwen reflects: “Acting, speaking and even reflective thinking may at times be too demanding, but we are forever seeing.” As one might use the icon as a guide gaze at the image with an inner eye to see what the iconographer is communicating, take in the side of the road or highway. With an inner eye, see: “All features…tell the story, but on different levels, and like the trees and mountains, bow down to the Lord.” So the highway paves the way to the space you will occupy, the people with whom God is already present. Breathe.

Though you are an individual in a vehicle amid countless other individuals in a vehicle, this trek is communal, all driving to somewhere with their own stories and dreams. The beginning of communal transformation starts with you and me just being, dwelling in that house of love, the temple of the Holy Trinity. Quiet your soul, make space as you drive for the Trinity to commune, be revealed in this car.

An icon is meant to exert a calming influence, to allow the viewer to step free for a moment from all the concerns of everyday life, to abide in awe-filled attention. “The large eyes, small mouths, and thin noses of Christ and His saints are common features in iconography and represent the refining of the senses away from a materialistic vision of the world towards a spiritual one.” Notice the lines of the cars, the variety of colors along the panels, gaze for a moment on the skyline of the city, or housetops of the neighborhood. Breathe.

As you are enclosed in this vehicle for a time, hear the words of Julian of Norwich: “When God was knitted to our body in the Virgin’s womb, God took our Sensuality and oned it to our Substance. Thus our Lady is our Mother in whom we are all enclosed and in Christ we are born of her. And Jesus is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly carried and out of whom we will never come.” Be grateful.

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

Keating, Thomas. “Notes from a Deep Conversation.” Contemplative Outreach: Silence, Solitude, Solidarity, Service – News 31, no. 2 (2015).

Nouwen, Henri J. M. Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons. 1st rev. ed. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2007.

[1] Henri J. M. Nouwen, Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons, 1st rev. ed. (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2007), 62.

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Our bodies are complicated terrain. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it, likely heavy on the hate end of the scale. There are more factors than any medical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, theological field can name for my occasional disdain for my body, but none are satisfying and none can really explain why perceived imperfections make me feel negatively toward my body. Because whatever I do not like about my body I internalize and ascribe a moral failure or deficiency to it. But why?

Cultures across the globe and spanning time, all the way back to fig leaf loin covers perceives beauty in unique ways. More fat on the body was indication that one is wealthy in many places and eras. Light skin is in many cultures historically indicates beauty and wealth, tanned skin the same in others. Curvy and slim figures represent equally fickle standards, as do the color of hair, etc. What does seem to be a common factor in determining such standards is where power lies, who controls the economy – in whatever forms that might take. And the power to take hold of ones own beauty, embrace the truth that beauty is so much more, seems to be taken out of our hands.

But it isn’t. Not really. I can choose to see beauty – in myself, in my environment, in others. It is a spiritual practice. It is mindfulness.

“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells within you? . . . God’s temple is holy and you are that temple.” (1Cor3:16-7)

So, a body scan is typically paying attention, noticing each body part, starting at one end of the body and scanning to the other, relaxing, etc.. You can find guided body scans on most mindfulness meditation sites and apps that take the listener through this process. I’d like to do something different.

First, as always, begin by breathing. Notice your breath. Inhale, exhale, slow, unrushed. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

Notice how your body feels. Is there somewhere that is in pain or uncomfortable. Spend a moment there and look at the pain – is it burning, aching? Does it ebb and flow? As you breath out, allow that area to loosen and the breath draw some of the pain out; feel the weight of it. Breathe in and notice, imagine the endorphins rushing around the area to soften the ache, heal the inflammation.

Now notice areas of your body that make you uncomfortable. Perhaps your nose is bigger than you’d like, maybe your belly is rounder than you think it ought to be. Maybe your ears stick out or your teeth are crooked. Notice those areas. Look in a mirror if you have one nearby. What characterizes that “imperfection”? By whose standard is it imperfect? Notice how it forms your own look – maybe your smile is distinct because of your teeth; or perhaps your larger nose draws the attention to your eyes that welcome and accept others, make them feel comfortable in your company. Notice. See the beauty of your shape, configured in a way that no one else’s is. Maybe you grew human beings in that belly! Or a child sits comfortably, safely on it – one round, warm, loving belly just for her.

Next, notice someone around you. Perhaps that person has an imperfection that you do not and have judged imperfect. Notice. How does that birthmark bring character to her face, accentuate the twinkle in her deep brown eyes? What story does that scar on her arm or on his cheek hold? See the beauty of that person, as an individual. What aspect of God’s character does the person, with that body contain? How has he shown love to someone by using those legs that carries a hitch? Notice. See beauty. See God. Be thankful.

Find a moment today to practice mindfulness toward your body by mindfully rubbing lotion on it – your hands, your arms, your legs. Rub the lotion into the areas that you haven’t liked and lovingly massage those areas. If there is someone around you might share this with, perhaps you might massage the back of another, or offer to rub lotion into the hands of someone with arthritis, etc.

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

6-BodyScan1

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Since taste is highly dependent on a sense of smell, some of the experiences of smell are also associated with taste. I am allergic to dairy, but before I knew dairy was a major cause for my chronic bronchitis and pleurisy, ice cream was my go-to treat. So when a soy-based frozen dessert company issued a mint-chocolate-chip “ice cream” alternative I was immediately transported back to the times my best friend and I would, on a summer’s day, ride our bikes up to the Häagen-Dazs shop and I would savor the intense flavors and cold relief of mint chocolate chip ice cream on a sugar cone.

But when I lived several months in Turkey and mid-stay after consuming a fair quantity of honey-soaked confections I became violently ill, to this day, anything with honey makes my stomach flip out.

Ps34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in God.” I will paraphrase Ps119:103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey (chocolate mint) to my mouth!” Song of Songs 2:3 “As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.”

To really taste something, I need to slow down, to sit and pay attention to what I’m eating. Taking in a breath automatically draws in the fragrance from the meal. And if I take a few breaths before taking a bite, I might distinguish some of the ingredients used in the dish.

Taking time with my meal allows my body to digest the food – enough time to provide the sense of satisfaction and fullness so I do not eat more than I need.

So try this today. Every time you are about to eat, make sure you are sitting down. If it is a meal, sit at the table – even if you are alone – and turn off the TV and keep away from the computer and phone. Breathe. Inhale the aroma, feel the warmth of the just-cooked meal. Exhale a prayer of thanksgiving for this food. Breathe again before taking a bite. When you take a bite, test to see if it is cool enough not to burn, then let the portion stay in your mouth for a few extra moments. Allow the flavor to fill your mouth, coat your tongue and notice. Are your salivary glands exploding? What is the texture of the food? Chew slowly and notice. Do more flavors squeeze from the morsels? What are they? Do they remind you of something? As you swallow, notice. Can you feel how the food travels the esophagus? How your stomach welcomes the nourishment? With each bite, do you notice more flavors? Sweet? Salty? Bitter? Bland? Slow down. Notice. Access your hunger. Are you satisfied?

Choose a meal or snack time each day – be consistent – wherein you practice mindful eating. Experiment with different spices, mix flavors you might not have thought to mix before. Sign up to receive tips and recipes from a blog such as www.chewandtaste.com.

Also, there are resources and links on my website eirenicole.com and I offer wellness coaching that integrates mindfulness practice, nutrition and exercise via a “virtual office” also found on my website.

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

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Smell is a powerful sense. In fact, psychologists and neuroscientists believe it is the most powerful of all the senses to evoke emotion and memory. This is because the olfactory bulb, which starts inside the nose and continues along the lower part of the brain, touches two areas important for processing emotion and memory: the amygdala and hippocampus. The other senses do not run the same course, so they do not have the same impact on memory and emotion. A smell is more easily linked to an event and the associated feelings of that event.

Often when I take my morning run in the springtime – when lawns have begun flourishing and the mowers begin their chore, that first whiff of freshly cut grass blasts me with a flood of emotion and memory like nothing else can. I am transported back to my childhood home on Cornell Avenue and the times I would flip and cartwheel gymnastics on the lawn as I dodge the chord and mower my dad is pushing. They are beautiful memories of home and family and love and anticipation of summertime.

Smell is a powerful sense. In fact, psychologists and neuroscientists believe it is the most powerful of all the senses to evoke emotion and memory. This is because the olfactory bulb, which starts inside the nose and continues along the lower part of the brain, touches two areas important for processing emotion and memory: the amygdala and hippocampus. The other senses do not run the same course, so they do not have the same impact on memory and emotion. A smell is more easily linked to an event and the associated feelings of that event.

Just as smell can trigger a memory of something beautiful or special, it can also trigger memory of negative events. And several studies confirm that we have a special talent for remembering negative events in far greater detail and intensity than positive ones. This is precisely why mindfulness of smell is especially important for healing and well-being, for the possibility to remain open to God’s truth to speak, God’s love to saturate and dwell within.

In the Song of Solomon, the groom sings to his bride “How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!” 4:10 and the bride to the wind, “Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.” 4:16 In John 12:3 Mary anoints Jesus with oil “and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” Jesus’ presence filled the house, the mutual love between Jesus and Mary permeated the space. We are the aroma of Jesus to God among those we encounter today (2Cor2:15).

So let us be mindful of smell today by using a similar method we used for seeing, but this time sitting with each of 5 fragrances, searching for 5 distinct odors.

Begin by breathing, but only paying attention to your breath. In and out steady, unrushed. Notice each inhalation. Sense the air moving through your nose and exhale.

Now with your next breath, as you inhale notice what you smell. What is the first fragrance you notice? Is it a strong odor? Or familiar? Is it pleasant or foul? What does it remind you of?

Take in another breath and as you inhale notice a different odor. Is it familiar? Perhaps you haven’t really noticed it before? Does it change your perspective of the 1st fragrance?

You may need to move around, perhaps go for a walk, unless you have a bag of food to go that has plenty of fragrances from which you might distinguish. Take a third noticing breath in. What do you smell? Does it make your mouth water? Or turn your stomach?

2, 1 . . . How does it make you feel? Notice other sensations in your body as you inhale. Perhaps it is an allergic reaction?

Notice. And throughout the day, practice mindfulness of smell and be thankful.

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

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As Flesh and Blood beings, we feel through a variety of modes. I can touch something with my fingers and detect its texture, walk outside in the middle of Oklahoma’s August and feel the heat and moisture; someone tells me that my painting is profound and I feel a sense of accomplishment, or dismisses my opinion and I feel shame.

Often, we feel things without seeing that joy or pain for what it is. Rather, it is internalized and becomes part of the self, often in very physical manifestations.

In a book I read last year the author writes a brilliant insight about the protagonist’s mother:

“Her great and constant fear . . . was that if anyone came to know all of her, the real her, the true, deep essential Faye, they would not find enough stuff there to love. Hers was not a soul large enough for her to nourish another . . . .

Sometimes a crisis is not a crisis at all—just a new beginning. Because if a new beginning is really new, it will feel like a crisis. Any real change should make you feel at first afraid. If you’re not afraid of it, then it’s not real change.

Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our story that we don’t see how we are supporting characters in someone else’s.” The Nix, by, Nathan Hill.

Change can feel like a crisis. Instead, I might take a few moments to notice my physical reactions and see it rather as exciting, hopeful. Vulnerability reminds me of times someone exploited my trust so I fear someone’s interest in me, thinking, I’m unlovable, or I see that feeling as related to a past experience and recognize this person in front of me does actually love me.

St. Julian of Norwich suggests that the realm of history “is composed of the ‘little things’ that are held in existence by God’s love, and that can only be properly known and loved in relation to God. . . . The soul, rather than being an enclosed space, insulated from history, is radically ‘exteriorized’ by the indwelling of God.” The life of Jesus is God’s presence within, and we imitate Jesus outwardly, physically, through acts of compassion.

I love the Message translation of John 1:14­—“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Parent, like Child, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

We are meant to feel. We are made to distinguish texture, wetness, warmth, the touch of another.

The touch of someone close to you releases oxytocin, a very tangible hormone that initiates a feeling of well-being, even love. Applying physical touch methodically can be even more healing. Acupressure is based on the Chinese concept of “chi”, the life-flow that can be interrupted by illness, stressors, etc. and inhibit healthy circulation and metabolism. The terms are associated with Asian language and designations while easily understood as referring to the very physical reality of how stress and illness wreaks havoc on/in our bodies.

Today we will do a simple self-acupressure sequence to help alleviate headache. As with all of these exercises, pay attention to your breaths. Take slow, unrushed, breaths.

Find the space, the flesh between your thumb and forefinger on one hand and gently, yet firmly, apply pressure by grasping with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. Hold for a count of 5 steady breaths in and out. 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 And switch hands. 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5

The 2nd point is on the outer tip of the eyebrow in front of the temple. Apply pressure on both sides and hold, 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5.

Throughout the day, pay attention to how things feel to the touch. Try one or more of these:

Walk barefoot. Pay attention to the ground underneath your feet. As you walk, notice how the sensations make your feet feel, are sensations sent up your legs?

As you dress, feel the texture of the sock, the embrace of the fabric around your hips—be thankful, loving (vs admonishment for expanded area)

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

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#seeandbeknown I have found that every time I have moved, I become more ill than usual. I learned quickly that each new place harbored new bugs, and the first year is one of accepting new illnesses while my body’s immune system learns how to fight them.

When I finally discovered some of my physical pain was due to autoimmune disease, I began a life-long journey to finding a balance to supporting my immune system. Autoimmune disease is basically an internal overreaction. Certain sectors of the immune system no longer focus on disease but attack healthy cells. So, many “normal” modes of targeting a virus can trigger a heightened attack on my joints and nerves. It requires listening to my body, noticing how it responds to certain supplements and foods, exercises and activities. It is a mindfulness practice that, for me, holds some urgency.

It seems as if we do a similar thing to ourselves psychically. That is, maybe I am overreacting to an internal judgment about my inadequacy and undermine – attack – the healthy strengths I do possess, and render myself socially or professionally infirm. Also, perhaps we do this as a society by passing judgment without thought, without real insight, and attack the whole of another’s position. In doing so, we debilitate constructive civil conversation.

The German-Jewish philosopher, Hannah Arendt, writes about an “inner dialogue, that happens before we speak and act with others. “What she called ‘the banality of evil’ was the inability to hear another voice, the inability to have a dialogue either with oneself or the world, the moral world.”

She also elaborates on a concept she coined, “organized loneliness.” And here we move from yesterday’s practice of hearing to today’s practice of seeing. It is this experience of living in a society in which individuals are unseen and disconnected, of feeling superfluous in the world. It is certainly something that I wrestle with as I dive into year 50. And it seems to be an overarching universal experience in our globalizing world—more connected and more isolated. But just as I cannot really see a truth about my capabilities until another person observes it, sees me as I am, so as a society we cannot see our system for what it is until we can understand it from another cultural perspective.

Of course, that is certainly an oversimplified observation. Still, though I feel like I cannot really change a political system, I can be a part of changing myself in the context of culture. One way is to open my eyes to see another person, another culture, another belief system. And when my eyes are open, they remain open for another to return that gaze. It is vulnerable. It is frightening. It is thrilling. How beautiful it is when two people extend trust and really look at one another. I am changed, and just maybe, we can change the world.

So, let us begin today with really seeing. I like this practice because it reminds me of the childhood game of eye-spy.

Begin by choosing a color. Let us say blue. Look and see 5 different things that are blue. Notice the variation on blue – are they different hues, shiny or dark?

Next look to see 4 objects that move. Name them. Notice how they move (does it fly, float, move with the wind, roll).

Again, let us choose types of trees. Find 3 different trees. What distinguishes them? What are the shapes of the leaves? Are they changing color yet? Notice the variations in color and visual texture. If you must snap a picture for instagram, go ahead. Just edit after your done!

Now look for 2 people you didn’t notice a moment ago. Do you know them? If not, are they ones you would feel comfortable getting to know? Consider why.

Finally, find 1 object that is less than an inch.

How do I need to change my perspectival lens so I can really see someone today?

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It is certainly true that in order to center our hearts and minds, quiet is extraordinarily important. But sometimes you can fight fire with fire, and with a cacophony of sound a single tone, a chime or gong can serve to draw the mind away from the chaotic noise – toward a center, and truly hear.

When I am overwhelmed and it seems everyone is vying for my undivided attention and it feels like the sky is closing in on me, all the sound I hear sets my teeth on edge, my head ready to explode – or implode. And what comes to mind is the scene in which the Grinch ruminates on what rankles him about Christmas in Who Ville, “That’s one thing I hate is the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!”

It is certainly true that in order to center our hearts and minds, quiet is extraordinarily important. But sometimes you can fight fire with fire, and with a cacophony of sound a single tone, a chime or gong can serve to draw the mind away from the chaotic noise – toward a center. As the sound dissipates, it is easier to follow the quiet into that space in which Jesus waits, love dwells – the heart.

Not only does the sound help to draw the attention to center, it can also be healing. There is a fair amount of research that suggests different frequencies modulate particular areas of the nervous system – one wave pattern will work to regulate a particular pattern of synapses in the brain, another pattern influencing a different area. And if you pay attention, you might notice that one tone or chord when played can bring a certain alert sense to the front, while another might loosen a sense of heaviness in the back of the brain. There may also be a scientific basis to the assertion that certain brainwaves affect certain emotions.

Whether one might prove the efficacy of applying a certain range of tones to alleviate specific emotions or provoke others is not especially important. What is important to note is that music is transcendent. Music transcends time and culture and language and politics (though there is some research suggesting a correlation between certain styles of music and political affiliation, but that is for another discussion!) We love to make music. We are moved by music.

Many communities in every continent throughout history have used music and tonality to bring a balance to disequilibrium, often falling back onto the precision of Pythagoras’ frequency intervals (a chart can be found on the website).

Paying attention, being mindful of sounds is much like mindful breathing. And in this way, we begin with paying attention to how we breathe. Are you sitting in a position that is comfortable and relaxed, at the same time, alert? Open while not forcing each breath.

I will strike a chime, and I would like for you to listen all the way through the sound. We will do this three times, and each time I will guide you to attend to different things.

Listen

Allow the sound to center you, to draw your attention, your inner sight into focus.

Sense the sound acting on your brainwaves to calm and order them.

Listen

Loosen the chaotic fragments of distracting noise (destructive self-talk, injured feelings, your lists to check off). Let them fall away and hear the sound.

What tone surrounds the note? Does it bring to mind a memory? A feeling?

Listen

as God draws you more deeply into God’s presence, with that memory, that thought, listen for when sound ends and the silence begins, where the voice of God can be heard.

What did you hear?

As you go about your day, listen to the sounds. What do they look like as you imagine their sources? Listen past the sound to the person making it. In these next moments, can you pick out four distinct sounds? Maybe one you haven’t really noticed before?

Listen

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

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Breathe again.

When I am rushing around trying to get all the things done that seem so urgent, or twirling around in my mind the circumstances in which I find myself that feels overwhelming or impossible to endure, I find that I am nearly holding my breath, my breathing is so shallow. Because I am so focused on everything I’m concerning myself over I cycle through inhalation and exhalation at the minimum to . . . still be breathing.

Jesus told his disciples, “I came that you might have life, and that you might have abundantly.” When I am breathing in this way, I am clearly not abundantly breathing, and in this way I cut off the life-giving potential my body has with the kind of breath my body was intended to receive. It is also evidence of my lack of belief that there is this More Than that is mindful of me, and mindful of each person that intersects my life—even the ones that are the source of my distress. The poet Rumi wrote:

This being human is a guest house

It is the very unexpectedness of joys and meannesses that disturb us. So today’s breathing practice will be about acknowledging those stressful things in our lives—they are very real and just as present—seeing them for what they are, welcome them as part of your day, your formation, and breathing past them in these moments. In doing so, you might find it easier to think about those situations a little differently. I will revisit that last point in a later episode. For today, let us focus on the essential act of breathing.

Remember to consider that the words breath and spirit are often used interchangeably in sacred texts, and by breathing you acknowledge the spirit of God present in you and around you.

One of the most helpful breathing exercises for me, a shallow upper-chest breather, is to be attentive to breath filling the lower part of my lungs – evidence of which is the expansion in my belly. If you are helping a child pay attention to breathing in this way, a useful technique is to ask the child to lie down and place a favorite stuffed animal on her belly, or a small pillow on his stomach. You are welcome to do the same if that is appealing to you and you are in a suitable space. Otherwise, you may place your hands with fingers interlaced on your abdomen if you are lying down or back against a chair (or one hand if you are driving, or standing in line, etc).

As you breathe in a steady breath allow your belly to press against your hands.

Notice the tension of your fingers as they begin to pull apart as you breathe in.

Feel the fingers nudge back together as you breathe out.

As you draw in another deep breath, Notice how your shoulders pull back and down.

While pushing out the air trapped deep in your belly Accept the loosing of your neck.

Breathe in, expanding your abdomen.

Breathe out, pressing today’s sense of urgency out of the body.

Breathe in, the abundant space that is life – transcending time.

Breathe out an expression of faith that the Source of life makes all things well. All will be well. All is well.

Throughout the day and stick with the one that is easiest to use given where you are (alone, in a car, at work, in a stressful conversation, etc.)

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

“Meditation,” violin: composed and performed, by, Kaaron Waltz Gross

Ukulele, performed, by Samantha Snyder. Bird chirping, performed, by Balinese birds.

The post Episode 2 Breathe Again appeared first on Eirenicole.

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Breathing is as natural as, well, breathing. Unless, of course, you have a cold or some variation on asthma, or sticking your head out the window of a fast-moving vehicle . . . . If I am breathing it means I am alive. With each inhalation oxygen fills my lungs to maintain my body’s metabolism. As I exhale, the breath removes the byproduct of the metabolic processes in the form of carbon dioxide.

Breathing also plays a significant role in physiological and psychological regulation. It affects my ability to walk or lift my arms or move my fingers across a keyboard. The efficiency with which my breathing operates regulates the plasticity of neurological function – that is, healthy, unrestricted breathing helps me process thought and emotions well.

I do no think it is an accident that the Hebrew word for breath, ruach, is also the word for Spirit. So, because breathing is foundational to any mindfulness practice, this first exercise will be about noticing how we breathe. And since a primary objective for this podcast is to bring the spiritual back into the practice, I will incorporate reference to the Spirit of God.

Parker Palmer writes, “Breathe in my life, breathe out my gratitude.” Generosity of spirit is life-giving. I do not know what this looks like exactly. It certainly has as many variations as there are unique individuals. I do know it requires space and time—to know who I am most truly amid the suffering, the joy, the pain and delight—so I am enabled (with time) to recognize those same in others. It is a commitment. It is action. It is love.

God breathed. Life happened. It is beautiful. It is good.

You may wish to revisit this episode several times before moving on to the next, or following one or two episodes. Do whatever you need to make this a habit. My challenge then, is that you follow my direction here now, and continue to practice mindful breathing throughout the day – pick a reminder place-marker (washing hands, opening the car door/house door, putting shoes on) an action you are already doing everyday, and be mindful in that action by paying attention to your breathing.

I will lead you in a basic technique to try today and we will revisit breathing tomorrow with another technique.

I have heard this way of breathing called “square breathing” because the count is: in 4 and 4 is the count out. So, begin in your space whether sitting, standing or lying down, be comfortable yet alert, calm while attentive. With mouth closed (unless you’re congested, then leave lips slightly open), slowly breathe in: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – and hold for 2: 1 – 2 and exhale at the same rate: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 and hold for 2: 1 – 2. Again. Breathe in the life giving oxygen, clearing your head; breathe out the toxins generated by the stress of the day. Again. Breathe in God’s presence into your being, hold 2, breathe out the remnants of that hurtful remark by another today. Breathe in the joy God has that you are, you exist. Breathe out those ideas that you are alone in all of this. Breathe in knowing that countless others breathe the same air. Breathe out in gratitude for life-giving breath.

Continue, at your own pace. Do not rush, do not push. Be gentle with your breath. Notice.

You may continue practicing this mindful breathing, perhaps in a prayer, even after you turn off this podcast. Remember to choose a place marker to evoke mindful attention to your breathing.

As always, resources used in these episodes, along with the transcript can be found on my website: eirenicole.com

And today, may you walk at the pace of grace.

“Meditation,” violin: composed and performed, by, Kaaron Waltz Gross

“The House of God Forever,” music, by, Jon Foreman, performed, by, Samantha Snyder

The post Episode 1 Breathe appeared first on Eirenicole.