By Christine Polk, a Finalist of NewsPortalSite’s Writing Contest
My mom, who isnot
into meditation, gave me my favorite meditation tool – jigsaw puzzles.
We have spent countless hours together and individually working on
jigsaw puzzles. An article by the Dalai Lama on active meditation
stated that it did for him what playing 18 holes of golf did for others.
It was not the quiet empty mind meditation but a thinking, active
meditation. Over years of doing many puzzles and working on my
meditation practice, I finally recognized that I had blended jigsaws
with active meditation. While looking for the piece with the little dot
of red on one bump with my eyes and a little bit of my brain, I was
also letting my mind seek out and work through something that needed
attention. We rarely just sit and think about something – think it
through. Every driver has had the experience of driving somewhere on
“automatic pilot” while the mind is focused on something else. While not
a good idea when driving, this is an example of how the mind can work
on separate levels. Doing a quite familiar activity keeps part of the
mind active (no dozing off!) while another part explores whatever
problem or issue needs attention at that moment. I go with whatever my
brain chooses as the top priority and follow that line of thought where
it takes me. It is having a conversation with yourself where you let
your mind identify thoughts, feeling and situations that need to be
examined and resolved. Don’t let it become a litany of only your point
of view but rather an exploration of your feelings, recognition of other
possibilities and points of view and acceptance of the best outcome. I
have succeded in working through relationship issues, designed jewelry
pieces, decided on a course of action that needed to be taken and
worked through negative feelings to a positive outcome – all by giving
myself time to think about the situation at hand. Think through your
feelings, identify what is causing them and change what is going on
within you. Develop this technique of split mind activity when involved
in simple, safe activities. Instead of concentrating on what a drag it
is to wash dishes, do that task with an itty bit of your brain
(automatic pilot) and actively meditate on whatever needs attention.
Whining (even to yourself) about doing boring mundane tasks is a
negative activity that you replace with active meditation – a positive
activity. You finish the task closer to a positive result as well as
meditating your way through something you do not relish.
The
final component of zen jigsaw is similar to the zen sand garden or sand
painting in numerous cultures. Once you have spent hours, days or even
weeks on a puzzle, then you break it down, box it up and send it to the
next person for there journey. No gluing the pieces together! Let go!
It is the perfect example of the journey being important, not the
destination. You already know what the picture looks like but enjoy the
assembly challenge. You have to let go of the product of your time and
work and move on to the next beautiful “meditation in a box”.
Namaste – Chris
About the Author
Christine
Polk – Retired and loving it. Reveling in the release from the stress
of work and the soul soothing time being away from a job provides for
getting to know the inner person. A reader of books, a glass jewelry
artist, a handwork devotee (knitting, crochet, altered clothing), a
wife, a daughter, fan of the Dalai Lama, recycler, support the planet
person and devotee of the power of meditation. All this and more bring
peace and joy to my days on earth. One of the best things about
retiring is the way time slows down and lets you be in the moment.
Instead of snatching a few minutes here and there, I have the calm to
take the time to devote to inner work and come closer to being in the
moment.
Take Care – Namaste – Christine Polk
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