Depression Distractions

Whew!!!

That's not a problem after all!

In the process of dealing with one of those
everyday-life-stressers

I discovered something interesting:

What craziness!
 To find a looming
dragon of depression defeated
because something else threatened!

What distracts you from stress?

Steady Hand at the Wheel

This is a wisdom favorite learned from  

a friend who often sails:

steady hand at the rudder;

steady hand at the wheel.

Practicing life-lessons has become a favorite tool;

so for this image I chose a calm day at sea,

added a layer of ABC basics, 

and attached a postage stamp to myself.  

Reminder to self: Practice the basics;

a steady hand during times of calm

will help prepare me for stormy turbulent times.

We can just let things happen ... or 

we can be proactive.

I so much prefer to be somewhat prepared!

And wouldn't funky aqua wings help?

I'd Love to ... But ...

Learning to slow down is a life-long journey for me.

It's not so much learning how ...

if I've forgotten every tip I've ever learned

all I have to do is search the internet and there is

more info than I've ever wanted ...

and I still haven't even begun to slow down.

Usually it's a matter of

following one of my favorite ad slogans:

Just Do It.

Sit still.  Stand still.

Breathe.

Notice.  Breathe.

There.  Do you feel it?

For just a moment we slowed down.

Isn't it a bit different?

Enjoy .. then move on.

What is a Mandala? Can it help me deal with stress?

Does your mind sometimes run like a hamster racing around a wheel?

Harried desperate and frenzied ... moving in circles?

Since mandalas relate to both sides of the brain

they are a helpful way to deal with the stress and anxiety of life.

With the left brain we can use reason and logic
to acknowledge the frenzy associated with stress
and consider possible forms of healing.

These ancient geometric images of interlocking shapes

are found all around the world.
Their balanced and repetitive patterns
appeal to the left side of the brain. 

Carl Jung encouraged creative and relaxing use of mandalas 

to help the subconscious open up to healing.

Journal flower-doodling

  

Mandalas also appeal to the right side of our brain as we

contemplate them and slowly settle into inner silence.

We find the concentric symmetry of a mandala all around us.

Consider a daffodil, ferris wheel, compass,

or stained glass window.

Rose Window in St. Chapelle, Paris

At this point you might be thinking about
how a mandala can help you deal with your daily stress.

Here are three spiritual practices you might try with mandalas.

* Print and color a mandala with three or four crayons, markers, or colored pencils. You can use one of the ancient sacred geometry mandalas above or the creative mandala below that Catherine Whipple created.

Mandala Swirl 6 by Catherine Whipple

Her website www.self-help-healing-arts-journal.com has 

many more mandalas for you to enjoy.

After you print your mandala select colors to use. You may either intentionally choose or randomly select the colors. Slowly color or lightly sketch different sections. The process of repeating or alternating colors around the shape will both derive from and lead you into the subconscious or your deeper self.

** Draw your own mandala.  Any concentric symmetrical shape can serve as a model.  Some people experiment with shapes on a computer; some draw flowers or the spokes of a windmill; others simply doodle with circles, triangles, and other shapes.

*** Reflect on a mandala shape that appeals to you, perhaps something you've noticed around you. As you observe the image you select, soften your eyes and relax your focus; simply rest with the colors and shapes to move into mystery beyond words and thoughts.

Our daughter often finds mandala-like shapes!

Each of these practices is an invitation
into sacred time and holy space.

There is no correct or incorrect technique, 
no proper or improper procedure.

It is the process itself working within us: a means of grace.

I'd love to hear about the process of working with your mandala

or see a picture of it; you can send it to me by email.

Enjoy the journey!

Tranquil Waters, Gentle Waves

Every Friday morning I meet a group of friends

at one of the parks in the Denver area.

Today we gathered near the Vintage Boathouse at Wash Park.

We spread my Great-Great-Aunt-Sissy's quilt with its faded pink flowers

beneath huge lakeside shade trees and lounged with

our coffee, tea, and morning snacks.

The peaceful water seemed to soothe everything around us.

Even the white geese with trailing toddlers

were more tranquil than usual.

I gazed out over the gently drifting current

and thought of friends whose days and realistic expectations

are anything but calm, serene, or tranquil.

Hundreds of applications and dozens of interviews,

sleepless nights and stressful days,

anxious weeks extending into months.

How long? How long, O Lord? echoes the 13th Psalm.

How long must sorrow remain? How long?

There are no words sufficient for my hopes.

But there are gentle waves drifting by.