I exercised this morning.
Not the usual running, biking, hiking, ellipticizing or grunting and groaning.
I did an exercise I devised several years ago, one that’s so simple I can do it anywhere and invariably it leaves me relaxed, alert and in tune with my surroundings. I’m sharing in case you might like to try it.
I start by closing my eyes and listening. I start with one sound–the whir of an appliance, the caw of a crow (if I’m outside), the rustle of the wind, the creak of the house. Then I expand, trying to hear every sound within earshot (eyes still closed). This becomes complex because the sonar landscape shifts constantly. The dryer stops, the crow flies, the house settles. Then a plane rumbles across the sky, a car starts, a dog barks, a tree shivers. Keeping track of every sound can be demanding, no matter the setting, if you work hard to isolate every noise, bump or bonk.
Then, while continuing to hear what’s around me, I listen to my breathing, the steady in and out. This makes me aware of my lungs moving, and I add–again, without opening my eyes–the sense of touch. The feel of clothes all along my body, from my feet to my neck or head. The caress of a breeze. The squeeze of a belt or a sock. It’s usually at this point I realize how poor my posture is and sit up straight.
While trying to hold all of these senses, I focus on smell, which has proved the most difficult because it is a sense we exercise so little. Can I smell my deodorant? Can I smell what my deodorant was supposed to deodorize??? Is there a flower’s fragrance wafting my way? Exhaust from a bus? A baby’s diaper?
Now, what has been happening all this time is that my mind is so busy keeping track of all these things that I have not had a second to let the usual thoughts occupy my brain. What should I pack for lunch? Can I make it to work without being too late? Why can’t the Republicans and Democrats get along? Have I told Marggie I loved her today? No room for those thoughts as I’m forcing my consciousness to monitor sensory input that normally would occupy very little of my awareness.
Finally, I open my eyes. This usually feels like an explosion. The world was totally alive and vibrant before I looked at it, and now there are all these colors and shapes and movements. Whoa! Now, if I am able to hold onto this mindfulness (oh I hate to use that word because it’s been overused and devalued) and continue to listen, feel, smell and touch while seeing, I find the world around me is crackling. And my mind is not prepossed with “me” thoughts, which is freeing.
I am not disciplined enough to sustain this exercise for long, so when I feel the energy and concentration fading, I try to say a little prayer of thanks (“Dear Lord, I give thanks for not having to deal with baby diapers today”) and go about the day.
Oh, and I did go for a run today. In Mem Gym, on the indoor track. And I did remember to use deodorant afterward.
