AliveWorld is a new experience.  It is a place to share thoughts, ideas, struggles and hopes in a safe environment.  People are encouraging because we are all about being more alive in our lives.  How great is that!?!

Blogging is new for me, too.  Imagine sitting around talking to yourself and wondering if anyone is going to read it and care....or not.  It's rather amusing....and daunting.

So, I shall begin.  I hope you'll pipe in your thoughts.  We can have a conversation of the soul and mind and who knows where it will go?

Yesterday morning, settling into position on the gomden, I had the same feelings as on many work-days.  Part of me wants to be there, knowing the difference it makes to my day's focus.  The other part of me feels like there's a Jumping Bean in my tush almost propelling me off the cushion to attend to the numerous perceived demands of the day.  It's amazing how important e-mail and the phone ringing can be when it's time to sit!  Suddenly I find myself laughing.  "So if it can't wait 20 minutes, what's going to happen when you die?"  Duh.

Then I settle into the first ten minute segment.  The timer has a lovely gong, however, it is an interval timer. Choices are increments of 10 or 15 minutes.  Two 10 minute segments are nice.  Doable.  I'll have to work up to two 15 minutes segments!  Fantasies of furious E-mail storms  won't quite stop tormenting me that long yet!

Now quietly surrounded by a ficus, hibiscus and a pine, facing a little statue of Buddha, my breath slows and I settle in.  I hear the ice pellets of hail hitting the skylights, the tick of the grandfather clock, and the sounds of Hubby pouring his coffee and turning the pages of the paper.  My heart begins to smile.  I am so lucky to be here.  I'm not worried about food today, nor shelter, nor being abused, nor being bombed or shot at as a course of daily life.  I have friends.  There are people whom I love and who love me. 

And then I go back to the breath.  Sometimes it seems that even when I'm appreciative I forget to enjoy that which I appreciate because I'm busy evaluating it!  And so, it's back to the breath.

Today I sat for 3 sets of 10 minutes.  30 minutes went by easily and quickly.   But tomorrow?

Well, that's another day.