I listened to and watched a days session on mindfulness the other day. One of the sessions was on Mindfulness Journalling. Writing nothing in particu;ar but whatever cane into your mind at the time. Starting with a blank piece of paper and letting your thoughts go.
The practice could be given a theme or a topic but that didn’t and doesn’t gel with me so just writing what comes in to your head is the perhaps the way to go.
Now I have started I don’t know what to write. There are so many issues going on in my mind and putting down on paper or publishing them on the web is a daunting task. I feel as though I am in fact procrastinating. Not getting out and doing the jobs I ought to be doing, although they are domestic duties , in particular trying to remove all the ground elder from the embankment, which need doing and I perhaps ought to go a do some of that. That in itself is a mindful exercise as I switch off and concentrate on the weeds and the soil.
Perhaps I shall go and do some and then come back to this when my back is aching!
Well, I am back, and my back is aching. I didn’t do too much and shall go out again. Little and often is the plan. It is good that I have something to do. In this time of isolation, because of the Covid Pandemic, I find I am able to just potter in the garden and my desire to go out somewhere has diminished. Maybe it is becasue there are few places to go to and feel comfortable. It is the old adage: you never know what the strangers have been doing or if they are potential carriers of the virus.
The whole situation seems a bit crazy, exemplified by the fact that although there are sufficient test sites, the ability to evaluate the samples is surely wanting. I understand the analysis has to be done within a certain time period after the sample was taken but why aren’t those facilities geared up to the likely surges? Perhaps Boris and Matt Hancock will get a grip of it now that they realise what is happening. Unfortunately the media and the opposition blame the government for not having the foresight. That is stressful too. Everyone shouting out what a waste of time everyone is in government. Perhaps the government should give up and delegate all the responsibility to the media and the media readers.
Matt Hancock has announced at lunchtime what the media suspected and increased lock-down rules for areas in the North East ranging from Newcastle, Gateshead down to Sunderland. The media expected Durham to be included but hat hasn’t happened yet. The revised rules is effectively putting a curfew on pubs and clubs etc from 10:00pm to circa 05:00am. Not sure how that will make a big difference. It is a bit close to home though, not that I go our clubbing and pubbing.
Well I have been dipping in and out of this today, and have found the exercise useful in as much it gets my thought out of mind and placed somewhere else. Not quite like watching the space between breathing in and breathing out, but nevertheless useful. with all this going on, plus other stuff I can’t yet put down in words as it is too personal, I am finding it difficult to be in the present moment.
I shall try again another time.
Thanks