Mindfulness Retreat
Today I attended a mindfulness retreat at a yarn store. It was the perfect combination -- yoga, journaling, and knitting. As soon as I saw it on the calendar, I knew I had to go. It was held at a local yarn store about 50 minutes from me. It's the same yarn store that I attended a yarn tasting at a few months ago (you might remember hearing me mention that in Every Shawl Tells a Story). I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to take part in the yoga portion of the day, but when I inquired, I was assured that it would be fine. I don't get to that yarn store very often because it is kind of far away (any drive over thirty minutes tires me out these days), but when I do, I always find what I'm looking for, and I always feel welcome.
Upon arrival, each participant chose a seat and a journal. All of the journals are handmade, the paper inside thick and decorative. We started with talking about what mindfulness means. Very simply, it means being in the moment. We want to be aware of what we're doing while we're doing it. We need to train our minds to not wander, just as we'd train a puppy to stay -- by gently pulling it back in when it wanders.
We talked about setting an intention (what do I want to get out of this)? We thought about what we are grateful for; what brings us joy. We sat up straight in our chairs and practiced deep breathing.
Mindful Eating
When our leader explained mindful eating, it called to my mind the peacefulness of enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet morning (for me on the weekends and in the summertime) before the boys wake up. It also brought to my mind what I do on my workdays -- I get to work early for a few different reasons, but one of the things I do is sit quietly at my desk and knit for a few minutes while I listen to the hallways fill up with staff.
Lunch was amazing. I had never had a vegetarian meal before, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't like what was being served. Man, was I wrong. It was wonderful. There was a salad, a cauliflower dish, a rice dish, and bread. I don't like cauliflower. Apparently I was just not ever preparing it properly.
We practiced mindful eating. Before we picked up the fork the first time, we took three slow, deep breaths. After each bite, we put the fork down, not to be picked up again until the bite we had just taken had been chewed and swallowed. As an aside, this last bit is very similar to what I was taught at Weight Watchers years ago. Then, it's purpose was to eat slower, therefore less. Today's purpose was to make us aware of all of the different flavors and textures of the food. Really think about the food as you're chewing it, all aspects of it. For me, it was difficult to keep my mind from wandering to what I might knit with the beautiful blue yarn I had picked out earlier. 😄
Mindful Knitting
After lunch, we gathered back in our circle and took up our knitting. As with lunch, we were encouraged to focus on the task at hand. Before picking up the needles, we examined the yarn, paying attention to the colors, the textures. I was using a very pretty yarn with teal and black/grey colors. The yarn I was using felt just a touch rough while I was knitting with it, but after it's knitted together it is ultra soft; softer than I remember it being yesterday when I worked with it. It, again, was difficult for me to stay focused. My mind wandered to an upcoming trip I'll be taking, and what we were going to have for dinner tonight. I had to keep reminding myself to gently lead the puppy (my mind) back to sit and stay.
One thing I noticed was that time seemed to move very slowly. I had looked at my watch before we began, and a little while later heard the clock chime 1:00pm. I was astounded that that little time had passed. If felt like I had been sitting there for two hours, not fifteen minutes. Yes, I know, usually it's boredom that makes time go so slowly. Not the case here. I was most definitely not bored. I guess I was really in the moment. I mention this because, ever since my diagnosis, I've been doing my very best to not hurry time. You know what I'm talking about. We all do it -- "I can't wait until it's time to leave work" or "I can't wait until Friday" or "I can't wait until my vacation next month". I tell people all the time to stop wishing away your life! Time is too precious to waste. Be happy where you are; live in the moment; pay attention to the people around you; find joy in everyday things. So, I was overjoyed with the way time slowed down for me while I was learning how to mindfully knit. 💙
Yoga
During the yoga portion of the day, there was someone there who modeled modified (seated) yoga for those of us who couldn't get down on the floor. We relaxed. We breathed. We stretched. We held poses. We focused on specific questions. It felt amazing.
Journaling
Periodically throughout the day, and especially between activities, we wrote in our journals. We wrote what we learned in that segment. We wrote about what distracted us. We wrote answers to questions we had been asked to think about.
At the end of the day, we talked a bit more about what we'd done today, and the benefits. We were reminded that this is our first time, and it will take practice. Eventually my mind will stop wandering. I do plan to use what I learned today in the future; I really think it will be helpful. I am so glad I attended, and so grateful to my husband for driving me there. Thank you, Ellen, for hosting this amazing day.
In closing, we were left with this quote:
Upon arrival, each participant chose a seat and a journal. All of the journals are handmade, the paper inside thick and decorative. We started with talking about what mindfulness means. Very simply, it means being in the moment. We want to be aware of what we're doing while we're doing it. We need to train our minds to not wander, just as we'd train a puppy to stay -- by gently pulling it back in when it wanders.We talked about setting an intention (what do I want to get out of this)? We thought about what we are grateful for; what brings us joy. We sat up straight in our chairs and practiced deep breathing.
Mindful Eating
When our leader explained mindful eating, it called to my mind the peacefulness of enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet morning (for me on the weekends and in the summertime) before the boys wake up. It also brought to my mind what I do on my workdays -- I get to work early for a few different reasons, but one of the things I do is sit quietly at my desk and knit for a few minutes while I listen to the hallways fill up with staff.
Lunch was amazing. I had never had a vegetarian meal before, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't like what was being served. Man, was I wrong. It was wonderful. There was a salad, a cauliflower dish, a rice dish, and bread. I don't like cauliflower. Apparently I was just not ever preparing it properly.
We practiced mindful eating. Before we picked up the fork the first time, we took three slow, deep breaths. After each bite, we put the fork down, not to be picked up again until the bite we had just taken had been chewed and swallowed. As an aside, this last bit is very similar to what I was taught at Weight Watchers years ago. Then, it's purpose was to eat slower, therefore less. Today's purpose was to make us aware of all of the different flavors and textures of the food. Really think about the food as you're chewing it, all aspects of it. For me, it was difficult to keep my mind from wandering to what I might knit with the beautiful blue yarn I had picked out earlier. 😄
Mindful Knitting
After lunch, we gathered back in our circle and took up our knitting. As with lunch, we were encouraged to focus on the task at hand. Before picking up the needles, we examined the yarn, paying attention to the colors, the textures. I was using a very pretty yarn with teal and black/grey colors. The yarn I was using felt just a touch rough while I was knitting with it, but after it's knitted together it is ultra soft; softer than I remember it being yesterday when I worked with it. It, again, was difficult for me to stay focused. My mind wandered to an upcoming trip I'll be taking, and what we were going to have for dinner tonight. I had to keep reminding myself to gently lead the puppy (my mind) back to sit and stay.
One thing I noticed was that time seemed to move very slowly. I had looked at my watch before we began, and a little while later heard the clock chime 1:00pm. I was astounded that that little time had passed. If felt like I had been sitting there for two hours, not fifteen minutes. Yes, I know, usually it's boredom that makes time go so slowly. Not the case here. I was most definitely not bored. I guess I was really in the moment. I mention this because, ever since my diagnosis, I've been doing my very best to not hurry time. You know what I'm talking about. We all do it -- "I can't wait until it's time to leave work" or "I can't wait until Friday" or "I can't wait until my vacation next month". I tell people all the time to stop wishing away your life! Time is too precious to waste. Be happy where you are; live in the moment; pay attention to the people around you; find joy in everyday things. So, I was overjoyed with the way time slowed down for me while I was learning how to mindfully knit. 💙
Yoga
During the yoga portion of the day, there was someone there who modeled modified (seated) yoga for those of us who couldn't get down on the floor. We relaxed. We breathed. We stretched. We held poses. We focused on specific questions. It felt amazing.
Journaling
Periodically throughout the day, and especially between activities, we wrote in our journals. We wrote what we learned in that segment. We wrote about what distracted us. We wrote answers to questions we had been asked to think about.
At the end of the day, we talked a bit more about what we'd done today, and the benefits. We were reminded that this is our first time, and it will take practice. Eventually my mind will stop wandering. I do plan to use what I learned today in the future; I really think it will be helpful. I am so glad I attended, and so grateful to my husband for driving me there. Thank you, Ellen, for hosting this amazing day.
In closing, we were left with this quote:
Waking Up
"Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully in each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes
of compassion."
-- Thich Nhat Hahn
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