Using the Computer for Mindfulness

A couple of weeks ago I bought Shambhala Deck with cards containing slogans relating to Chogyam Trungpa’s teachings on Shambhala Warriorship.  Each card has one slogan that is to be contemplated and includes a short commentary on the back.

I am fortunate to work at home so my office is in the same room as my personal computer.  I downloaded a small (free) program that basically plays a recording of a meditation gong every hour (it can be set for other time intervals).  Each time I hear this gong, I be sure to stop what I am doing and recite the day’s slogan out loud pausing for a moment afterwards to think about the slogan.  It’s a wonderful way to make sure that even if I am caught up in the business of my day, I am guaranteed to be called to the present at least 8 times a day (once for each hour I’m working).  On many days I can hear the bell throughout the house which has me stop other activities outside of work as well.

I have only been doing this for about 10 days, but it has been wonderful so I thought I would share in case anyone is interested.  You can use any pithy phrase, chant, prayer, etc. you wish.  You can also use a regular clock chime, set your watch alarm, or a telephone ring as your signal (or ‘Dot’, if you will) instead of a computer program.  I do not have any ‘chiming’ clocks and my phone doesn’t ring that much so my computer works just fine for me.

BTW – my wife gives me funny looks sometimes when we are in the living room when the gong goes off because I will all of a sudden recite the slogan out loud regardless of who is in the room with me. :-)

Mind the Gap

A lot of meditation techiniques and teachings speak about noticing the gap between the outbreath and the inbreath. This space is a natural gap that can be very short or a second or two depending on your rate of breathing.

While meditating on this over the weekend, I was reminded of the famous ‘Mind the Gap’ messages in London. The British have a way of reminding folks to watch their step or watch their heads by saying ‘Mind your step’ or ‘Mind your head’. In The Tube stations in London, a passenger is treated to a repeated message of ‘Mind the Gap’ played in a very Orwellian, 1984-ish tone over the PA. The recording is meant to remind passengers to be aware of the space between the stopped train and the platform as they step on or off the train.

How wonderful that folks in London can be called to mindfulness while waiting for a train! Imagine sitting/standing on the platform and having a disembodied voice repeatedly call you out of your mental musings and back to the present moment by telling you to literally ‘Mind the Gap’.

I will no longer be able to see one of those ‘Mind the Gap’ T-shirts again without thinking of mindfulness.

Dignity

I was just thinking about warriorship. I was considering how the Shambhala warrior’s dignity comes from trusting basic goodness.  Tender and exposed and not looking back.