Mindfulness Class #4

Great class last night. People really "brought it" - there was a lot of intense discussion. We discussed body cues and our pleasant and unpleasant events log. I think as a result of the work I have done with L I am very aware of my body when I feel things emotionally.

I never bothered to note what I was physically feeling when I was upset or happy. As I recently discovered I typically just ride anxiety and anger until they buck me off and I slowly peel myself off the ground. Due to the log I noticed my chest gets tight when I am angry, stressed, frustrated - experiencing something unpleasant. For me a pleasant event has the opposite feeling - an openness in my chest and looseness in my joints. I have discovered that by noticing the physical sensations it is somewhat easier to stop myself from getting on that path. It is new, but I think it will get easier to stop myself on a more regular basis.

We ended class with a poem that really, really spoke to me:

Life in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson

CHAPTER 1

I walk down the street.
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.
And I fall in.
I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

CHAPTER 2

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It takes a long time to get out.

CHAPTER 3

I walk down the same street and there is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there, and still I fall in.
It's a habit.
But my eyes are open and I know where I am.
It is my fault and I get out immediately.

CHAPTER 4

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

CHAPTER 5

I walk down a different street.