Cat Love

Turco and I have a daily after work ritual. He greets me at the door when I get in from work, tail curled forward in a gesture to say, "Hello friend". I give him a pat on the head and then he ushers me out to the balcony. I grab my old round bristle brush, now meshed with cat fur, and take a seat in one of the fold out chairs. The purring commences as Turco rubs himself against the bristles. He is in cat heaven. 

This ritual gives me a few moments to decompress from my work day and breath some fresh air before I think about what to make for dinner—a kind of sitting meditation, if you will.

Picture: Turco + Brush = Cat Bliss

Quieting the Mind

They call it the monkey. It is the ever present noise-maker in the mind, reminding us of what we need to do, what we forgot to do, replaying past events, scripting future conversations, and so on.

Lately my monkey is working overtime and short of a vacation, I am looking to create a little space between my thoughts or 'clear my cache'. I have tried to meditate on my own in the past and the results have been mixed. I fidget and get distracted easily but there have been times where I have been able to create some space, quiet the noise and feel a sense of calm.

Like most things, mastering the art of blissfulness will have to come with some practice. My self-challenge for the next month is to try to take at least five to ten minutes each day and just, well, sit still. 

Here is a link to 100 benefits to meditation. 

Namaste.

Image found here.