PatSamples

Have You Been in Your Body Lately?

I like to experiment with being in my body. Sounds simple enough, I realize. Where else would I be but in my body? But, funny thing is, I find myself more often feeling like I'm out in front of my body than in it. My attention, my energy, my sense of being is out there in the future, rushing ahead to the next thing or two I've got planned. If I stop and check in with my body, I feel tension in my shoulders, my belly, my facial muscles. I'm straining to get something done, and my whole body feels the effects. I've recently been making a point to stop often during the day to settle back into my body, paying attention to how this rushing out ahead of myself is affecting me. I enter a state of mindful, compassionate attention. I begin with my feet, noticing how the feeling of life is flowing through them, also noticing the space inside my feet. Then I move my attention to my ankles, noticing and feeling the aliveness and space inside them. And so on, up to my skull. This is a gentle process of noticing without judgment and without the need to change anything. The simple act of noticing - becoming aware - is powerfully transformative by itself. More…

Imagine Your Way to Success

Ever seem like what's in front of you is more or less hopeless? That's happened to me. I showed up recently at the Minnesota State Fair to give a brief but important (to me) presentation as part of Minnesota's sesquicentennial (150 years) celebration. In a big chautauqua tent, I was scheduled to give a short, audience-engaging presentation on body wisdom twice between panel presentations by high-powered speakers. More…

Put More Fun into Your Work

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Have You Seen "Young at Heart"?

Young at Heart is the most entertaining and inspiring film I’ve seen in quite a while. I laughed and cheered often and sometimes cried while watching this documentary about a singing group, ages 75-92, who perform punk rock music, James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” and other music that breaks all stereotypes for this age group. Nothing showy or rock-star imitation about this group though. They look and act like folks from down the street and they sing with all their heart – the words clearly articulated so you can understand them. They made me “feel good.”   More…

Grab That Snack -- Or Not!

With obesity now an epidemic -- and dieting rarely a solution, what's a person to do when the pounds pile on? Not snack so much? Sure, that might work. Cancel your reach for chips, donuts and cookies, and you'll see a major decrease in calorie intake and a corresponding reduction in waist size. But why is giving up such snacks so difficult? We can find lots of places to place the blame for that. Snacks taste so good. They're everywhere. The ads constantly entice us to eat them. They're handy, convenient, quick. Yup, all good reasons why snacks seem to almost involuntarily show up in our hands and slip between our lips. More…

Hey! Stop for a Minute!

Does your mind race most of the day? Mine sometimes does. So many things to do. So many things to keep track of. So many decisions to make. My mind is like a runaway horse. More…

I Can Talk - Can You? Isn't That Wonderful?

Last Saturday I couldn’t talk. I opened my mouth and sometimes the words wouldn’t take form. At other times what came out of my mouth was not what my mind set out to convey. It was a jarring experience, not having any control over my speech. I tried to call for help, but I couldn’t use the phone. I just looked at the handset and couldn’t get my fingers to punch the numbers. I couldn’t even remember anyone’s number to call. And I was drooling. More…

Get an Energy Boost

Recently I discovered a way to get an energy boost. I don't know if you're like me, but I often feel pooped out during the day, like I need a nap. But even if I try to rest for a while, I don't come away with much in the way of new energy. I just feel a little more relaxed. More…

When Somebody's Mad at You

Does it bother you when people get angry at you? That's sure the case for me. While I don't care what people think of me as much as I used to, I still am jarred when people raise their voice at me or send a ferocious email. My whole body goes into "freeze" mode. My heart beats faster, the muscles in my shoulders and belly become tense, and I get still (freeze). In my mind, I'm either justifying whatever I did that upset them, recognizing I need to apologize for something, or noticing (with compassion) that they're experiencing stress that is making them irrational. No matter what my mind does with this attack, my body goes into survival mode. I'm "frozen." I'm not feeling safe, and my nervous system is equipping me with defenses ("freezing" so I appear dead already or go unnoticed). It's an instinctive response that's as ancient as cave people freezing or running to escape the attacks of hungry animals. More…

Your Story May Touch Someone Else

Time and time again in my writing classes for people over 50, I see how much the class members are touched by each other's stories. Some students think they don't have much to write about or that "I can't write." But once they put something down on paper and read it aloud in the class, something quite remarkable happens. More…