I have questions
Do I need armor and a sword to avoid falling? Judging from my days with Carol Cane, the sword would trip me anyway.
Anyway, warrior or not, I've resumed my meditation practice. I thought you might like to know which one I like.
I followed a meditation reintroduction presented online for 9.11, to help get through the day. The leader's approach was a good reminder of the general practice, but the approach I like is the visualization kind.
I expect someone taught me this years ago, and now I'm returning to it. My version is to close my eyes and visualize a long hallway with closed doors on each side. I open any door and see what lies outside of it. I just let my mind provide images and follow where they go. I find it very calming and a happy process.
Yesterday I was surprised when I opened a door and found it opened to another hall of doors! So I tried again, opened one of the new doors, and was in an outdoor scene, a clearing in a forest, with animals greeting me, a deer, a cheetah, and in the distance was a little boy sitting under a tree, eating at a small table.
It's a very nice adventure, and you do need to be able to visualize, which not everyone can. If you can, maybe try it. I find it brings my heart rate down to a steady slower pace, probably good.
Saturday's garden exertion was about raking out dead foliage where the patio will be, and incidentally finding more river stones which have been buried over the years.
While recovering, I listened to a Shedunnit podcast about poison in crime fiction, while I did a visible darn in a favorite pair of socks. Rose, I think you'll recognize the original yarn. I love these socks and I've repaired them several times to lengthen their life.
Visible darning is meant to show up, a decorative departure from the old fashioned invisible darning precious to our foremoms.
There was another sock waiting for a long time, with a bigger repair needed. I fancied trying a crochet approach to this one though.
I did this and though it looks a bit bumpy, it's very comfortable, like a cushion under the heel.
Before, the heel was completely gone, so I kind of reconstructed the shape. I picked up all the live stitches I could, and crocheted around a pretty massive gap, drawing it in as I went, until it was filled in.
I forgot to show you the wreckage I started from. I like this crocheting idea and I'll probably do it better in future. You go to darning with the skills you have.
And while my supper potatoes were roasting I did a twenty minute workout with resistance bands. I stepped up from green to blue this time, a bit more resistance.
Happy day everyone, let "good enough" reign!
You are doing so well after your surgery.
ReplyDeleteI have been gardening for two days, so I’m back using my cane.
I hope I’ll be much better tomorrow
That’s the only exercise i do lately
Gardening is quite demanding, all that weight to drag around.
DeleteMoving your body is one of the elixirs of life.
ReplyDeleteI dark my socks too!!! And I like pink.
Hugs for you.
Do you do visible darning? I'm betting yes.
DeleteI’d trip over the sword and probably slice myself. As for the armor, way too easy to fall down in it and I would think that would hurt. I like the idea of letting good enough reign.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the armor is meant to protect you when it trips you up..I have my doubts about this samurai approach.
DeleteI love those socks!
ReplyDeleteI fear were I to visualise a corridor with doors I'd inevitably open the one leading to an Escher-type world.
You say that as if it were a bad thing.
DeletePretty socks and smart darning. Your meditation exercise led you to interesting places. Stilling the mind is something I have to work hard at.
ReplyDeleteI think it's more about occupying the mind in peaceful ways.
DeleteWhat beautiful socks...no wonder you want to keep darning them! I too like visualizations for meditation. One of my favorite is to imagine a door (completely fantasy) somewhere in my home, where I can go through to a wonderful room that I invent. Usually very comfortable, full of plants, soft light, fabrics I like...and just be there for a while, maybe with some intention or other. Thanks for reminding me of it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a recurring theme in my dreams, the door opening to unknown rooms which I get to furnish. I like that one.
DeleteI have been away from blog commenting for the past week or so and had a lot of catching up to do, Boud. The method of mediation you mentioned is something I have tried as well with varying results. Soup is in my menu plans as well and minestrone will be my first choice along with homemade bread. Your misfits hauls always look good.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that a couple of blogistas have tried this visualization approach. I'm glad I remembered about it. And, yes, homemade bread is a complete meal with homemade soup. I've never tried minestrone. Noted, thank you.
DeleteGood for skillfully saving your socks! (That sounds like a tongue-twister.)
ReplyDeleteYeth!
DeleteI believe I will try that meditation.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it. Let us know if you do. Like it,I mean.
DeleteI think my mind is too busy for meditation. Glad it helps you but I have never been able to make it work. I go over to my brother's today to keep him company while his wife goes to a 94th birthday party for her Dad. My brother is in the early stages of dementia and I hope we have a good day together.
ReplyDeleteYou're a good sister, and I hope you have a good day.
DeleteYou have moved a lot of stones.You are keeping yourself strong. I haven't consciously meditated but sometimes my mind does drift.
ReplyDeleteI'm also learning to just sit. Not be doing something all the time. It's a change.
DeleteSynchronicity. I'm pondering a visible darn on husband's green cashmere jumper - a leaf, perhaps?. Also pondering meditation...
ReplyDeleteTry the visible mending. If you don't like it, you can always unpick. Cashmere is definitely worth preserving.
DeleteI darn my socks with multicoloured wool so it looks like a rainbow, makes me happy. I'm just off to work in my garden shortly, winter prep.
ReplyDeleteThe socks sound good, my speed. I have little left to do in my tiny area, and it's looking neater now. Still a couple of flowers.
DeleteThose socks are great. Love the colors. I haven't meditated in a bit but used to do it more frequently and when I was facilitating grief groups would do guided meditations with our kids (my group was 11-14). Some got squirrly but most seemed to really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know more about that if you're up for it.
DeleteI'm resisting exercise. I know. Bad boy.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel well if I miss a day. So that's a built in motivation. I don't exercise for long, maybe half hour's walk, 20minute video exercise.
DeleteOooh, the therapist of one of my kids likes to do visualizations. She taught us this one that involves making a "mind castle". You create the outside, and then you spend time walking around inside it too. After we do the visualization, we tell each other about one specific room. It's fun and relaxing! I prefer blanking out my mind for meditation, but the visualizations work well too. I like your darning. Useful and attractive!
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice scenario, noted, thank you. I can't blank out my box o' monkeys mind. I find visualizing gives it something to play with, like a restless toddler.
DeleteFor me visualisation comes as dreaming because trying to meditate makes me fall asleep. I've done invisible darning in the past, repairing cigarette burns on a fabric armchair and on a black jacket. I used to darn socks and knitted jumpers (sweaters) when the kids were little but haven't for decades now. Visivle darning would be easier on the eyes but I no longer have anything knitted.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly easier to see where you're working with visible mending but then you need to make it decorative, too. The main thing for me is that socks need to be comfortable when they're repaired.
DeleteWhen I took yoga several years ago meditation was part of it and I simply could not do it. My mind is too active (as my sleepless nights will attest) and I can't even begin to settle enough. Wish I could have success with it because I know it's beneficial.
ReplyDeleteThe idea, not understood by some instructors, is to let thought come as they will but not pay attention to them, let them drift off. I've heard of teachers saying to empty the mind. Nobody can! It's a really poor interpretation.
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