Serenity NOW!!!!

This morning I found myself repeating the famous phrase from Seinfeld (and in the same stressed, high pressured voice as George Costanza’s father): “Serenity NOW!!!!”   When life gets chaotic (and these days it never seems to be NOT chaotic) I find myself seeking serenity – looking for calm, tranquil waters. No wonder those little gurgling fountains sell out at Bed Bath and Beyond.  I tried one but I just kept running to the bathroom.

How many times have we said “I need a vacation!!” when life gets rough. What we seek, in the midst of chaos, is that serenity – that calm either internally or externally. We seek relief from the craziness of every day and want to escape.  And in that searching, we think we have to be somewhere else, either emotionally or physically.  “When I lose 10 lbs"…"when my kids leave the house"…."when I have a new job"……just fill in the blanks here.  We want to be anywhere but here. And we think that when we get "there," everything will be better.  The trick, according to lots of famous yogi-types, is not to focus on getting “there,” but to focus on the “here.”

Josh Baran, one of those famous Zen Buddhist yogis to stars like Oprah, talks about his search for serenity.  “My mind was filled with anxiety and distraction, constantly bouncing here and there, but mostly there.”   In his quest to calm that mind, Baran learned to focus on the here and now – that’s where enlightenment is, after all, say the Buddhists.  He created his own catchphrase that became an inner anchor to bring himself back to the present moment.  “Whenever I would get worried, depressed or want things to be different than they were, I would ease my mind by saying, ‘This is it.’ Those three words stopped my habitual seeking mind, the mind that always wants something different, better, bigger or newer, the mind that is always yearning for special experiences, easier times or a different life, the mind that wants someone or something to rescue us. Whenever I found myself ruminating on how things should be different, I would say, "This is it," and perhaps only for a moment, came home to a more present experience of reality.” Wonderful, isn’t it?  But how do you change that thinking to become more mindful and accept the present, or “it?”

According to the Yoga Journal, folks at the Kripalu Center (big yogi hangout in the Berkshires)  have developed a five-step approach that could help bring you from “there” to “here?” Follow these steps and allow yourself to fall into a deep meditative state that will reveal a closer connection to the present.

1. Breathe. Focusing on your breathing is an essential practice that draws your awareness inward and helps you experience the presence and flow of energy.  Step one is always to breathe.

2. Relax. The more you relax, the more you deepen awareness of sensation. Take a deep breath in, hold it for 5 or 6 seconds, while you bring thumb and pointer finger together.  As you release the breath, separate the fingers, sending the tension away.

3. Feel. Let your sense of feeling move beyond physical sensation. Acknowledge who you are as a being of energy.

4. Watch. Sense who you are as a witness; be a scientist observing phenomena arising in and around you.

5. Allow. Sense who you are with no preferences or judgment.   Be present to the process of your life unfolding moment by moment.

 Remember, this is IT. Enjoy it.  NOW!!!!!