The last three days of practicing ten minute meditation through breath awareness has been very challenging. My professor said we can break it up to five minutes, and another five minutes, if we can’t find the time. I know I should be able to find at least ten minutes in my day to sit still, but it’s hard to sit for ten minutes while bringing your awareness back to your breath. I do feel better though after the ten minutes, more focused and calmer. My professor recommended downloading the app/podcast: Meditation Oasis. (The app cost a few dollars but the podcast is free). Click here, Meditation Oasis if you want to try the meditation with me.
Our hw was also to write two statements every day: “I am grateful for…” I enjoy the “I am grateful for…” exercise for bringing back the awareness to the present. Today, I am grateful for not being 18 years old and I am grateful for my safety. As part of Duke staff (for the outdoor program), I had to sit through a mandatory training about safety. Safety about the buildings – if there is suspicious activity, or a tornado, or an active shooter. The active shooter video was really eye-opening. Did you know if there is an active shooter – your first action should be to get away – evacuate? I didn’t actually know that you should run away. If there is an active shooter, you should try to run away rather than lie down or hide. Second step, if you can’t evacuate, you should hide, and lock the doors. Third, your last resort if you are in immediate danger is to take down the active shooter. The first officers to arrive at the scene are responsible to stop the shooter, then the next group of officers attend to the wounded. The video seemed very timely. The beginning of the video was post office workers who were shot by an angry employee. This tragic incident happened in San Francisco, this past June. The video also showed scenes from a shooting at a school, and it reminded me about a podcast I listened to a few months ago about forgiveness. The podcast was by the mother of the boy who killed other students in Columbine, Colorado. She was speaking about the meaning of forgiveness.
My second grateful statement is – I am grateful for not being 18 years old. In this safety workshop, I sat next to a colleague, who is also working in the same outdoor program as me. She is 18 years old and we were chatting about her classes, life and she had some basic “adulting questions”, one of which was what is direct deposit and how do you enroll? I said, she could text me or email if she had other “adulting” questions and I would help her answer them.
Below – for your amusement is my color coded schedule for the work week, 8am-8pm. It does not include homework time.
withoutapillow 