Sit. Stay.

I was reading another yoga instructor’s blog (I do a lot of that), then I was listening to a podcast about yoga (I do a lot of that, too), then I was watching a YouTube video…. Get the picture? I study my craft All. The. Time.

There are two reflections that come out of this. One, I learn a LOT about the human condition and two, my husband says I get too deep in the weeds sometimes. Dang it, he knows me too well.

On the human condition, we are all over the place. We like to laugh and cry. We like to jump in, and we like to escape. We like to meddle, and we like to ignore. We like to take control and we like to release the reins. We like to volunteer, and we like to sit on the sidelines. And this is just what’s going on in my head. LOL! I have no idea what’s going on inside of you. Maybe we share some similarities. Or not.

I wonder, does anyone wrestle with so many inane thoughts like me? Is it still raining outside? I don’t need to water the new trees. This will make the fire ants come back out. I need more treatment for them; I’ll get some when I go get the neem oil for the roses. On my way back from the bank. Where are the deposit slips? I need new checks. Do I want to order them from the bank or is there a cheaper place? The bank. Right, I need to file the sales taxes as well. Where are those forms? And on and on.

I can get exhausted from just brief seconds of thoughts, and I do, frequently, except when I’m trying go to sleep, then they are like two cups of coffee, all jazzy and thorny at the same time. But I made a recent discovery. These thoughts are like puppies, and I love puppies. I can train them. It’s a little difficult at first, but with enough treats they can become well behaved and even joyful to be around.

When I greet a thought, it’s like saying hello to a puppy. We get all excited and stimulated by the acknowledgement of each other. Hello rain (connect the rain to a puppy wiggling all over the place and peeing a little), yes, you are here (puppy dances a little more), and I can find gratitude in your watering the new trees for me (puppy starts to settle with my attention). No, I am not concerned about my outside activities, they can change (puppy pauses for the briefest of seconds). My plans can change (good dog, here’s your treat). And poof, that thought is gone.

I have been employing this ‘Sit. Stay’ process a lot lately and have had marvelous results. My thoughts, just like puppies, behave so much better when I really see them, accept them for what they are, and redirect the energy. Taking a pause during the day or especially during meditation we can notice the parts of us that are powerful and celebrate, and those that are weak we can ignore them with compassion. We tell the weak parts of our mind or thoughts to Sit. Stay. where they are, so as not to disturb the parts of us that are trying really hard and have a lot of things to do.

Terry is probably right that I do get too deep in the weeds sometimes, but he also knows that is where I do my best work and am the happiest. Weeds. Woods. Deep. Three of my favorite words. When he says this, which he did just this morning, I do step back and see if that is true. Today it probably was so I gave myself permission to drop whatever the situation was (I don’t even remember now). It was a reluctant action because I was attached to my thought, just like a puppy will do when we are training him to fetch. He wants to bring you the ball, but he doesn’t want to let go of it, but he wants you to have it so you will throw it again, but if I let go then I won’t have it and that might take away my happiness and who would I be without my slobber covered ball?

I love this concept of telling my mind to Sit. Stay…. I only wish it would work with people. LOL!