All posts by Gina Kleinmartin

health, meditation

The Twelfth Day of Christmas: Twelve Drummers Drumming

Leave a comment

This last day of Christmas has me thinking about the drummers, and how important it is to follow a rhythm. For many of us, we spend our time chasing emergencies and urgent things that have to be done right now, leaving us little time to breathe let alone get the things we want to get done, done.

It’s easy to go from emergency to emergency, and then be just so exhausted you want to rest until an emergency forces you back into rush mode. It can be very hard 6to break that cycle, especially if your life is running from emergency to emergency. I have been there, and I understand how hard that can be. But if the issues are coming from a lack of pacing, then that can be controlled.

Taking smaller chunks out of a project can seem like a cop out- are you really cleaning your closet if you only do a two foot stretch? Isn’t it better to dump the whole closet on the bed, then get stuck, then have an emergency pop up and at bedtime through it all back in because you need to not sleep on the pile of clothes?
It’s important to listen to your own psyche. Stop a job before you get overwhelmed because then you will burn out. Find your pace, your rhythm and keep moving forward in a way that allows you off time and a chance to recover, without guilt. Remember, that by over extending yourself, doesn’t actually get more done in the long run.

So when I hear this last gift, I will remember to pace myself and listen to my rhythm.

 

Back to introduction.
Forward to Epiphany .

Uncategorized

The Eleventh Day of Christmas: Eleven Pipers Piping

Leave a comment

 

Finally the musicians have arrived at the party! And it ought to be a great party, with twice as many musicians as dancers.

While thinking about writing these meditations, I found this article and video about seals in a hospital in Cornwall being ‘treated’ with music to calm them. By a ‘piper’, no less.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLZoW75i4pI

The idea is that by listening to the music, the seals would relax and heal faster, without the stress of being confined in a strange area and not feeling well adding to their damage. The experiment worked, and the seals were much happier. I can’t tell, myself, and am trusting their staff when they say that. I do know that as humans, we feel better and energized and more relaxed when listening to music we enjoy as well.

So for this day, I will remember the healing power of music, and to try to include it on my daily life. There are so many times we opt not to listen to music or to merely listen to ‘whatever is on’ without carefully curating it to help us into a better place. We live in an age with so many tools to allow us to find appropriate music to help us, that there is really no excuse not to have a few songs or styles set up for us to turn to when stressed or sick or nostalgic or in need of a lift. Right now for me that’s holiday music we’ve been collecting over the years, and that I will be saying goodbye to very soon.

As much as I love audiobooks and Netflix, I will try to remember that sometimes, old reliable music can be the best to soothe a heart.

 

Back to introduction.
Forward to Twelve.

health, meditation

The Tenth Day of Christmas: Ten Lords a-Leaping

Leave a comment

 

I could talk again about the wonderful party I imagined as a child the lords and ladies, pipers and drummers were having over the last few days of Christmas. But there is no need to talk about healthy movement just a day later. So instead of thinking of ballet dancers and exercise, I am thinking of what we often think of when we think of leaping. Taking a chance.

I thought about comfort zones with the Five Golden Rings. They can be a very nice place to be, but it is rare to flourish there. A few days ago I was thinking about not being afraid of making mistakes. Now, I am thinking about taking chances. And taking chances is scary. And that means risking failing. And that is scary.

But it’s worth it. Even if you fail horribly, it’s worth it to take the chance and try. As much as all the motivational posters and quips are full of pithy sayings, it is true. You ‘miss’ every shot you don’t take, you can’t win if you don’t try, faint hearts don’t win hot studs. You can spectate all you want, and even find other spectators to talk about the ‘right’ way to do it on Monday morning, but unless you are willing to make that leap and take that chance, all you will ever be is a spectator.

But trying is hard. It takes effort to give something that’s risky a chance, and it takes effort to pick yourself up and try again. But really, it’s all we can do. As Beckett said,

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

So, when I hear the Lords leaping, I won’t think of physical activity or men dancing, but I will examine my life and make sure I am trying, and that I am prepared to fail.
And that I am prepared to maybe, just maybe, *win*.

Back to introduction.
Forward to Eleven.