Day 7

These Wednesday summer days I've been spending with my mom at the Huntington Gardens. She took me out to the tea room with crust-free sandwiches and bite-size deserts. It was a lovely English tea party we had like the ones I used to have with my dolls when I was a little girl or in my case, they were Russian tea parties.

My flip flop broke as soon as we got to the gardens and they had no shoes at the gift shop. I spent the day hopping on one leg and walking on grass. In a way, I was a like a kid again and didn't even know it. When things that we deem as "bad" or "out of the program" happen to us, as adults we try and rationalize "why did this happen?" or "it always happens to me." In reality, curve balls are designed to snap us out of the program and see what's actually happening. I enjoyed hopping and walking on grass, but I wouldn't have thought of doing that if my flip flop didn't break.

The Practice

Morning Qigong & standing meditation - 30 minutes
Afternoon Zazen (sitting in stillness and observing the breath) - 30 minutes

Reflection

I didn't count my breaths today during the sitting meditation. I was right with it. They were deep and long. I had a few projections and fantasies, but I snapped out of them pretty quickly. I got a little antsy toward the end and had to take longer breaths. It didn't last long though, because the alarm went off soon after.

I usually tend to to walk around my room right after meditation and without calling it anything, I'm still in meditation. I didn't know what I should afterwards, so I didn't do anything and went with what happens. It led me to listen to Byron Katie on YouTube, she asks 4 questions in her work in regards to the legitimacy of our thoughts and they are:
1. Is it true?
2. Are you sure?
3. What's the emotional reaction?
4. Who would you be without the thought?

After listening to her, I had no definite thoughts, so I went for a care-free walk around my neighborhood.  Everything is exactly as it should be.