Yoga at work - part 2

As humans, we lable things. That's how we communicate; how language was first formed. We even have lables of our own (usually chosen by our parents, but one can always get creative later in life ;) )

So at work, it makes perfect sense that we lable things here, too. Some of them are useful at times. Your "To Do" box tells you what needs to get done. But, as we all know, feelings of apathy, boredom, feeling depressed or overwhelmed, or sheer panic can set in when looking at that In Box. Here is a little exercise to try the next time that happens.

First of all, take just ONE thing out of your In Box. You can only deal with one thing at a time, and for now, it is this. Now, especially if it's something you don't want to do, pretend you're doing it for someone else. Don't lable it as anything unpleasant. Instead, give it an imaginary lable like "very important document". Imagine that you've just done your best friend in the world a very nice favor, taking care of that important document. How does that feel? Much better than still staring at it in the In Box, right?

Now, I know this exercise is imaginative, and silly to some extent, but in another way it makes perfect sense. Every time you complete a difficult or unpleasant task at work, you ARE doing a friend a favor - yourself. You will reduce your stress level, feel more able and competent, and begin to see that by applying yourself meditatively even to those tasks that aren't your favorite, you are contributing to your place of work (even if this is home), which in turn contributes to the whole Universe. And who doesn't want to show up to work to help the whole Universe? :)

Work as yoga (part 1)

I've been pondering this topic for a while now, and haven't written anything yet because I want to be helpful, not just a string of observations. Although I suppose sometimes those can be helpful too :)

Basically, what I've been noticing is that humans are very good at switching into an "on" state, as I'll call it for now, but then we drift back "off" without that same realization or immediacy. For example, remember a toy that you really, really wanted as a child? How visceral the desire was? And how delighted and engaged we were if we did get the toy? But then, without our even realizing it, our interest in the toy began to wane, as life moved forward and other things became important.

When we first start to practice yoga or meditate, I think we are very much like excited children. We often think, "this is IT!" This is going to be the enlightenment I've been searching for, this is going to be the end of my troubles. Even though we know it is irrational, we secretly hope to be hit by that lightning bolt of eternal joy and wisdom. For some people, just one yoga or meditation session is proof enough that "this stuff doesn't work". Their mind still felt busy, maybe even worse, they were physically uncomfortable, etc. It's ok. Not every practice is for every person. But for those who came back again and again, despite the fact that the lightening bolt never came.... they started to notice something extraordinary. The lightening bolt is there ALL THE TIME. It is our life force, our prana, our connection to vitatlity. We can stay connected to it and live an illuminated life! But through routine and inattention, we often let it slip away.

And work, especially offices, are wonderful breeding grounds for routine and inattention. In fact, they practically beg for it. And that is why, my yogis, this can be your greatest practice of all. Start simply. Become aware of your surroundings. What does your office feel like? Sound like? Now become aware of breathing, sitting right there at your desk. How does that feel? Do things slow down? Can you reconcile breathwork with officework?

Your next task is mini-meditations. You can do these seated, or use walking meditation to get up from your desk. Every hour, devote one minute to meditation; to just watching the breath. If you walk as you do this, to the water cooler for instance, don't get lost in your own head. Instead, become more aware, inhaling and exhaling peace and goodwill toward everyone in your office. Over time, the goal is to stretch out these mini meditations, and begin to watch the breath while doing work tasks such as typing, etc. In this way, we can literally create an 8-hour meditation challenge for ourselves! I'm not saying that's what you have to do, but I am trying to promote the idea that you can meditate any time, anywhere.

Next up: dealing with money as a spiritual practice?
Namaste.

The Best... you already are

Continuing with the theme from Friday's post about what it truly means to be "the Best" (vs. what our culture has constructed as 'best').

It has been noted by psychologists that very bright and talented children often have very high levels of anxiety and low self-esteem. Why should this be so, when they are obviously talented, often more so than their peers?? It turns out that the reason is because these special traits and talents are so focused on by the adults in their lives, that these children feel that not knowing something or just being ordinary at something is a failure in some way. Subconsciously, those proud and loving parents are sending their child the message that they will be unlovable if they are not perfect. They must always be The Best in their parents' (and teachers', etc.) eyes.

Even if we were not one of those few talented children who could memorize pi to 40 digits or some other amazing feat, we have all felt that fear of, or actual rejection by, a parent or other authority figure for failing to live up to expectations. As small people, we were taught that we were being "prepared for life", and if we did not learn the lessons well enough, we would ultimately fail at life (or some other such threat, spoken or implied). But guess what? As children, as small people, we were not preparing for life. We were living life. And, along with the wonderment, we learned some harsh lessons along the way. As we grew up, we wondered: how can I be successful? How can I make my parents happy? How can I make myself happy? How can I be good enough?

Well, the answer, happily, is that you already are good enough, and you always have been. Your parents' pressure on you as a child, intentional or not, has no bearing on you or your inherent 'goodness'. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and therefore don't need to be perfect at anything! That's one of the big pros about living in a society where you know and are connected to your neighbors and/or other community. So put your talents to use, whatever they are, and graciously accept the help of others when you need to. This has no bearing on your status; your self-esteem - you are already, in the words of the Tejobindu Upanishad, your "Shining Self".

[...trying to find a link to the Upanishad for you, but no luck! Anyhow, the opening lines are:

Let us meditate on the Shining Self

Changeless, underlying the world of change

And realized in the heart in Samadhi.]

Non-compete clause ;)

"The best, like water,
Benefit all and do not compete.
They dwell in lowly spots that everyone else scorns.
Putting others before themselves,
They find themselves in the foremost place
And come very near to the Tao.

In their dwelling, they love the earth;
In their heart, they love what is deep;
In personal relationships, they love kindness;
In their words, they love truth.
In the world, they love peace.
In personal affairs, they love what is right.
In action, they love choosing the right time.
It is because they do not compete with others
That they are beyond the reproach of the world."

-Lao Tzu