Warm December

It is sunny and pleasant here in Indiana. Tomorrow they are forecasting 50 degrees. If anyone is reading my blog I would really like hearing from you. Last weekend I finished painting the walls in the dining room, a light sky blue. It looks really good with the wood around the windows and the green plants. I am looking forward to the mopboard being installed so I can move back the furniture. All these things take time.

Last night I went to meditation. It was good and I was able to get into it better than prior. It felt like I was almost free of my body. Usually I am so uncomfortable that I can't reach that feeling but last night was different. Instead of concentrating on the breath we could choose to concentrate on whatever we were feeling. I chose the stiffness in my shoulders and was amazed to feel the tightness dissolve. Also the pain in my bottom disappeared once I focused on it. This morning in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, it said that the practice can lead to calmness. Not just while sitting but later in your daily routine. That is true.

We did a short meditation which focused on others. We asked that the pain of others be lifted by lifting their anger, bitterness and delusion. It felt really good to be able to give this thought to others. Sometimes that is all we can give but it can change something. How we feel about others can change our attitude and our approach.