clarity

Your mind is like the water.

When it is agitated

it becomes difficult to see,

but when you let it settle,

the answer becomes clear.

- Kungfu Panda



My mind was feeling stuck today -

so I wished it to be like water...

just

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I am using this as my background right now --

whenever I swish my windows to the side, I see it... and I take a breath...

to see & notice

Today, I decided I would try to spot as many blue things as possible during my morning walk.

Blue things I saw today

* door of a house
* bucket (plastic)
* writing on a concrete post
* advertising sign painted on a wall
* garbage (bags/wrappers)
* frame of an unopened shop stall
* little socks hanging from a line
* window bars
* gate of shops, closed

There are a lot more blue things in my neighbourhood than I had ever previously noticed. Most of the time when I am walking, I set my mind on ‘nature’ mode and so automatically take in mostly browns and greens. Ah, the greens! But today, when I decided to start looking out for blue, blue objects started appearing. My eye was drawn to little details or faraway things simply by their virtue of being what I was looking for: blue.

What we seek, we see (selectively so). When I look out for bad things, the negative aspects of a conversation, or of a day, fly to my attention, like iron filings to a Very Strong Magnet. Similarly, when I make it my business to see what’s interesting or positive in my environment, it is then I begin to notice those things popping up everywhere. They are sometimes tucked away inside tufts of grass; sometimes they masquerade as something else, perhaps functional and otherwise ignored.

Nevertheless, what this morning exercise suggested to me is that good things have never been absent, except from my mind. And, that noticing good things doesn’t mean forcing myself to see positives-only-dangit, but instead noticing things just where they are, as they are.


How can you practice the art of Noticing?

Maybe you could pick a color and see how many times it shows up in your workplace or school. Or right when you wake up, try to pick out & describe 5 different things you can see or hear from where you are sitting. You might be surprised by what you Notice right where you are!

new year mindfulness

Take each moment

& experience it like it is New...

because it is.


Have a mindful new year!

on openhandedness

A simple gesture can change the way we relate to ourselves and the world.

Our minds affect our bodies, but the way we carry our bodies can also change our minds. There is some fascinating research on this by Dr. Amy Cuddy, who explores how body language (eg. the way we choose to stand, hold our shoulders, lift our heads) can actually improve stress hormones, confidence levels, and ultimately our performance.

OPENHANDEDNESS

The way we hold our hands, too, can say a lot about (and to) us. I have worked with some individuals who literally try to keep out their feelings with clenched fists. Just to keep their palms relaxed & open on their lap as they talk about something painful -- it's terrifying. It feels safer to keep themselves closed to everything. But the truth is that:

When we close ourselves from fear or hurt,
we also close ourselves to joy, and vitality.
And that, deep down, is really what we crave. When we learn to open our hands in the moment, in some ways we are choosing to feel everything, which is vulnerable but often so necessary.

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE

As Madeleine L'Engle said, the world teaches us to clutch (onto safety, people, opportunities, ideas, things) but more often than not, this results in more tension, heartache, and loss.

Here's a 30-second exercise for you to try sometime:

1. Right now, wherever you are sitting or standing, hold out your hands in front of you, with the palms facing up.

2. Make fists with both hands and squeeze them as tightly as you can for up to 10 seconds. (If done properly, your arms will start to shake ever so slightly.)

3. When you reach 10 counts, breathe in and then exhale, relaxing your fists. Let your hands open up slowly, until it is like you are holding a smooth little gemstone in the center of each palm.

4. Stay here for just a moment, and breathe.

What was it like, to hold your fists clenched? What did it feel like in your arms, in your hands? Did it change your breath, your facial expression, your body? (If you're not sure or can't remember, you can always try the exercise again!)

Now, what was it like to hold your hands open?

You can feel what openhandedness is from the difference. In a world that teaches us to clutch, if we choose to let go, give freely -- stay openhanded -- then we make space to simply receive. Sometimes, literally opening up our hands is a good reminder of this.

If you try this exercise, I would love to hear your thoughts! This post on Openhandedness was made for this week's InspirationRx, but has been one of my personal themes this year -- see my post on The Pie.

green tea mindfulness

Here at KARMOMO, I hope to muse sporadically on how --

Mind & body are interconnected,
and food (or drink) is an important bridge between the two.
Body. Green tea is loaded with flavonoids, anti-oxidants that help prevent cellular damage from the sun, stress, etc. Not only does it have less caffeine than your regular black tea, it is also linked to good outcomes such as healthy weight maintenance & cancer prevention.

Mind. Some people believe that green tea (for similar reasons as above) can also be helpful for memory & learning. More than that, preparing & sipping a cup of green tea can itself be a relaxing and soothing respite from stress and busyness. To that end, here is a simple little exercise/script that you can try:

GREEN TEA MINDFULNESS

Make a cup of tea. Stop everything else you're doing. Wait for the tea leaves to steep into the water. Notice the warm cup in your hand. Look at the golden shade of the tea - can you describe it? Observe the curls of steam rising from it. Breathe in their warm, soothing, grassy scent. Sip slowly. Let it roll over your tongue. Enjoy this moment...

SOME OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY

* Steep green tea in hot water, serve with a slice of ginger & almond milk (my mom's favourite!)
* Make green tea, add lemon slices & honey, and chill for a refreshing iced tea
* Mix green tea (matcha) powder into a healthy green smoothie with mango
* Make noodles and serve them in a green tea broth -- see Mark Bittman's recipe here

Further readings:

Benefits of Drinking Green Tea, Harvard
Green Tea, University of Maryland Medical Center
How to Make Matcha Tea, Teavana

Do you drink green tea? How do you like to have it?
PS. Something to consider incorporating into your morning routine!

a morning routine

Rising sun through the window,
wild dogs barking outside on the dusty gravel.

A cup of warm chai tea,
made with milk delivered yesterday on a bicycle.

A lemongrass beeswax candle,
with the sweet burnt smell of a wooden match.

Finding stillness in an open book --
In the day, before it begins.

- Morning in India, KARMOMO

Right when we wake up, it often seems that the world rushes at us with all its demands: emails to read, activities to schedule, meals to prepare, work to finish, things to plan and worry about...

Finding a tranquil moment in the morning is not always intuitive, but it sets the tone for the rest of our day. If we jump out of the bed and straight into the mayhem, we will likely feel frazzled all day. But if we spent five minutes -- even one! -- to create a place of stillness, we could maybe carry that peace with us throughout the day, an inner garden tucked away from chaos and stress.

But how to find that place of stillness?

I've found that tea, music, reading, journaling, walking, stretching, deep breathing, a slow breakfast, even some cleaning, can be helpful. Though it is almost not so much important what one's morning habits consist of, but rather that:

(1) they are enacted with a certain intentional mindset -- research has found that people engaging in the same activity (even bed-making or toilet-cleaning) can reap different benefits from it depending on how they view that activity, and

(2) that they are practiced every day -- routines create a sense of predictability and calm, and over time (if thoughtfully crafted) become in themselves a source of anticipation and joy.

What are the components of your ideal morning routine, and what do you enjoy about them?
Thanks to Besotted's Inspiration Rx for its theme of Tranquility!

practicing gratitude

We are grateful for good things. This much is obvious. But, sometimes, we let ourselves celebrate only if/when good things happen. However, I've been thinking --

Gratitude is not only a response...
it's also a practice.
Just as the best artists commit to honing their skills in a consistent & systematic way, we too (in daily life) would benefit from a regular, deliberate practice of gratitude. This takes us out of a passive posture, and helps us develop a proactive perspective, such that

we no longer have to wonder when good things will happen --
instead, we have trained our eyes to see (and even create) goodness around us.
I've been thinking lately how gratitude can exist in three different components -- though it is really at its fullest when all come together:

1. Notice

This is the act of becoming aware of things for which we could be grateful. Like saying to the self "Gee, this is a pretty nice day!" or "Wow, that peach tasted amazing" or "Hey... I'm alive!" Sometimes we're on auto-pilot and don't even stop to notice, i.e., we're not mindful.

2. Savor

It's one thing to notice something nice and then move on to the next thought, the next idea, the next worry... But savoring is allowing that observation to linger, to expand in the mind. Literally, "savor" means to taste fully, with all the senses. So, not just noticing a nice day but giving ourselves time to reflect on all its dimensions -- like the soft breeze, the scattering of squirrels, the weight of shoes on the pavement, the sun's warmth on the arms... ahhh.

3. Express

A person can go around noticing and even relishing secretly in things. But real gratitude is something that, if experienced, cannot be contained. It must find its outlet, whether in a diary journal, or over a cup of tea with a friend, or shouted out from the top of a mountain climb. Expressing what we're grateful for, in turn, helps us to savor experiences more fully -- it makes our appreciation real, tangible.

So start by noticing. Just looking around. Being an observer of the world around you. Then once you've noticed something, savor it. Try to come up with 5 things about it that you find incredible, or different, or human. Give yourself an extra 10 seconds to bask in appreciation for it. Finally, express it! Call a friend, or give someone a hug. Tell a coworker or the person next to you in line. Keep a running list in a notepad. Watch it grow.

Yes, practice gratitude.

How often do you practice this "art"? Which component do you find yourself doing the most? The least? PS. THANK YOU for reading this blog! I am grateful for you.

PS. Now available as an art print, tea mug, & market tote!

being mindful

Just planting a seed of this concept, which I use frequently in my work... 
To unpack in the days to come!


- Available as a print & for your phone! -