Brighten Your Inner Light

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to watch children play you’ll notice they’re full of laughter, joy, compassion, and love. 

They find amazement with so much of what adults consider the

mundane, the routine, the boring. From a Ladybug walking on a blade of grass, a caterpillar inching its way up a tree, or even a stick laying on the ground. Everything is bright and warm.

They are filled with an inner light.

But what makes your adult life qualitatively different from when you were a child? Where did the curiosity you once had go? When did the days of your life begin to blend into one another without much distinction?

Very often we are bombarded with negativity, hourly, daily, weekly…moment by moment.

 

Whether it’s some form of political news, an unexpected bill or expense, a vehicle accident, a wildfire or natural disaster, or a violent altercation between human beings. Or even your daily routine. 

All of these events, when taken collectively, can diminish the light you have inside. They can make you cynical, uncaring, and unfortunately disconnected from others and ourselves.

That same inner light that you witness in children is still within you. But like any flame that is suffocating or lacking oxygen it gets smaller and smaller never quite extinguished but flickering on the brink.

So how may we bring back the ever important light inside us?

We cannot control much on the outside like natural disasters, political decisions, or accidents but we do have control over our daily mindset and activities.

And very often our typical daily activities, our routine if you will, is the reason our light begins to flicker. And our routine starts right when we wake up.

 

Perhaps when your alarm goes off you think, wow, I need to go back to work, a place I don’t like’.

Instead, reframe, try a more positive perspective, like wow, I woke up this morning. And today, I will walk with peace and spread joy and goodwill to all I meet. 

Morning gratitude is a wonderful way to introduce nurturing oxygen into your new day and into your inner light.

Now that you’re awake it is time for breakfast. Skip the sugary cereals, donuts, toast, bagels, or even worse fast food breakfast. You are what you consume.

 

Instead, cook. Dice peppers, chop onions, and slice carrots for your omelet if you choose. Or maybe some hard boiled eggs and fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Try not to use the reasoning of ‘I’m not hungry’ or 'I'm not a breakfast eater’ or 'I don't have the time in the morning. These are mindsets that suffocate your inner light. Instead, use this as a wonderful opportunity to practice mindful cooking. Become engaged with what the earth has so lovingly provided for you.

 

When you arrive at work or school, remember, everyone, teachers, coworkers, other students, supervisors, are all doing their best just like you. And just like you, they will have difficult days too, even though they won’t express it, just like you might not. If someone is short with you or is argumentative, instead of replying with anger or bruised ego, offer them a smile. They are suffering inside and a warm friendly smile is often what this person needs. Compassion and not more suffering. 

Compassion is a wonderful source of oxygen for your inner light - as well as for theirs.

When it’s time for lunch, are you reheating leftover pizza from a box? Maybe you’re going to the drive through for a bland fast food meal.

Food that has no color to it, bread or fried food, does not spark joy as Marie Kondo would say.

How could it, it’s not visually stimulating nor is it healthy. Heavily breaded food or food that is friend weighs you down. 

This part of your day really begins the night before or perhaps while making breakfast. It takes mindful effort and thought to prepare. Preparing food connects you to what you’re about to ingest or unite with your being. The smells, the texture, the vibrant colors, and the crisp sounds of cutting firm and nutritious foods.

Making your lunch visually appealing and well as wholesome breaths oxygen to your inner light right in the middle of your day.

After your day has ended or perhaps it’s a weekend, play. You may not bring out your old toys and dolls like a child but engage your mind in something creative. Paint. Take pictures. Write. Draw. Scrapbook. Bake or cook something new.

Creativity keeps the mind engaged in a way that is exploratory. And when you’re exploring, you’re engaged. And when you're engaged oxygen is being diverted from areas of stagnation to the light that is within you.

 

Another way to increase that oxygen to your inner light is to get outside. It doesn't even need to be a forest or lake but even a city street will do. Cities have cats, birds, dogs, and insects. Just observe and make it a point to take a few moments to watch the bird fly. Open your curiosity from oh, it’s just a bird to I wonder where it’s going. Is it looking for water or food? Is it flying back to its nest?

Throughout your day do good for others without any expectation of reciprocity. There is no good deed that is too small. In fact, as with most things in life, it's the small things that offer the greatest joy.

Your inner light has been hidden by years if not decades of routine, fear, anxiety, societal pressures and constructs. A light may only shine as bright as the flow of oxygen to the wick.

To change the flow you must change your mindset to one of love and empathy and non judgment towards yourself. Only then will you begin to brighten your inner light.

And with that my friends I wish you all peace and ease,

Vladimir

You are warmly invited to follow on us on Facebook and Instagram @bluelotuscenter for more way to improve your mindfulness practice and wellbeing.

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.

Website and monthly newsletter: www.bluelotusmeditation.us

For guided meditations and Dharma talks, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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The Road to Suffering: Cravings, Desires, And Attachment

We breathe, we touch, we see, we get thirsty, we get hungry, we have emotions, and we have desires. Some of these are necessary for life. Others maybe not so much.

The Buddha tells us that desires or 'cravings' are the source of our suffering. It's not that humans can't 'want' or 'desire' food when we're hungry, water when we're thirsty, or companionship when we're lonely. These are necessary conditions for us to sustain life.

But what about the desire for the large home or the expensive automobile. Most may realize that owning a Bentley or Lamborghini, or the ocean cliff home are out of reach but the craving is still there. 

One reality some don't realize is that it's both the wanting and having that causes suffering. The suffering of wanting and then the suffering of keeping is self-perpetuated. So often with any possession, a dwelling, an automobile, various clothing, many books, and more, we allow inanimate objects to posses us which increases our suffering. 

Recall if you will, a time when you were looking forward to eating at a new and exciting restaurant. Maybe it was the new Korean barbeque restaurant or the new pizza parlor friends have been raving about. Whichever, you had but an expectation of how wonderful this meal would be, how succulent each morsel of food would taste.

You order, wait patiently for your food to arrive, and the joy on your face is palatable when it arrives. The server places each plate directly within your reach. You bite into your first bite and find it tastes OK. Not great, but OK. You have experienced suffering due to a future you built about how this experience would be. This future never manifested into fruition.

You become angry, disappointed, saddened as a result. Your mind is now agitated. It never occurred to you that your cravings would not be met. And now that your mind is agitated you hold on to attachment of the unfulfilled expectation and money you spent.

My wife, who is Cambodian, has a saying that fits well here and with most of life's circumstances, 'don't care too much'.

This may seem passive or nonchalant but it really exemplifies 'The Middle Path', not too much, and not too little. Accept what life gives you as it gives you without too much expectation and with gratitude. 

When something goes your way, great. Enjoy it while it's there because it will pass. This passing may be to something more joyful, or unfortunate, or to something indifferent. 

When something unfortunate arises know that it too will pass. And this passing may lead to something joyful or to something indifferent. 

That's the beauty of life, it's always changing. It's impermanent. And it's this impermanence that allows us to appreciate what we do have, life, in that very, singular moment. We know that that moment will never, ever, come again. 

Remember that cravings and desires are future wanting and not in the here and now. And attachment is the unacceptance that all things, good, bad, or indifferent, must pass.

And with that my friends I wish you all peace and ease,

Vladimir

You are warmly invited to follow on us on Facebook and Instagram @bluelotuscenter for more way to improve your mindfulness practice and wellbeing.

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.

Website and monthly newsletter: www.bluelotusmeditation.us

For guided meditations and Dharma talks, please visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Facebook

Instagram 

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Mindfully Eating In The Busy Work Day

Nourishing Your Being With Mindfulness

Many of us may only get a thirty minute lunch break. And depending on where you work even that time may be cut short due to going to the drive thru, walking to a fast food location, or waiting in line. When we do finally get our food we feel rushed to eat only to hurry back to work.

If you are ordering fast food you know as well as I, it is not the best choice for our bodies yet alone for our cognitive abilities.

So how do we approach our mealtimes with the mindfulness it deserves? Remember, nourishing our body is just as important as nourishing our mind. 

In my opinion, the most mindful way is to prepare your food at home, either the night before or in the morning before you leave. Your meal can simply be leftovers of last-night's dinner or something entirely different. It is up to you but the most mindful aspect to consider is the time you will be needing when lunch time comes.

When you prepare a healthy meal at home for the next day you are creating space for you to mindfully enjoy this nutritious meal. Find a quiet location if you can or even a scenic one if possible. Sit comfortably as well and maybe even remove your shoes or outerwear if appropriate.

When you have your plate in front of you do not just dig in, savor it. Observe the food itself, the placement of each portion, the aroma, the colors, and the texture of each portion. How does it make you feel before you even taste it? Remember, being mindful is about observing and acknowledging the present moment. Then take your first bite. 

Observe the taste on your tongue. Observe the texture. Slowly chew your food before you swallow. Know that with each swallow you are nourishing your body as well as your mind. The entire eating ritual is all part of being mindful, of being in the present moment. A lot of care and preparation went into this meal even before you sat down to enjoy it. 

Consider where the vegetables came from before you purchased them. This about the effort that went into making the bread. Where did the seasoning come from? Everything needs water, so consider the care that a farmer went to to be sure that the plants grew healthily so that he may sell them to feed his family too. From the farm, a driver had to haul them to a facility to be carefully sorted and shipped to the appropriate store. And from the store, a worker had to place them on the shelf before you even selected this item.

Many people and events had to come together so that you may enjoy what you are about to consume. And they all worked hard to provide you with the necessary sustenance so you may perform your job as well.

Your workday is all about successfully fulfilling your professional duties, mindfully as well. But your mealtime is about you and mindfully reconnecting with your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It is not an aspect of the day that deserves to be rushed through. This reconnection helps you focus on the remainder of your professional tasks which helps you continue to support yourself and family.

Please feel free to comment below and tell us how you mindfully enjoy your lunchtime. 

Wishing you peace and ease.

Vladimir

Blue Lotus Meditation And Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.