Tsunami of Anger - rrarrh!!

As a woman of color I have been tossed and battered by furious storms of rage, despair and grief throughout life. Only recently have I realized that the way to enjoy this roller-coaster ride is learning to “surf” the waves, no matter how violent and unpleasant.

When I feel angry, I channel my Jon Bon Jovi or Twisted Sister, putting on music videos by these bands if I have them handy and singing my heart out while stomping my feet and tearing up scrap paper viciously. It’s like a toddler tantrum for a 44 year old in the safety of home. Then I flop down on the floor, exhausted and happy like a dog after a long run. :)

Mind the Bump: an Australian website for parents practicing mindfulness

I learned about Smiling Mind from a neighbor who is 8 years old.   This boy enjoys getting ready for school in the morning, being ready to leave for school 10 minutes early.   Then he sits quietly on the couch waiting for his mother and older brother.   He uses the Smiling Mind app to meditate. 

Now the same organization has launched a website for parents of infants.   In this video, they give a succinct, clear explanation of how mindfulness helps new parents foster their children's brain development.

Still working on meditating 10 minutes a day

About 9 months ago, on August 29, 2014, I decided to meditate 10 minutes every morning as a gift to myself.  My goal was to establish a solid habit of daily meditation by the time I turn 45 in 2015.  
 
I asked my friends to join me for pledge periods of 10 days each.  I established a Google group so that we could keep in touch, and an on-line sign-up sheet to keep track of the pledges.

I've made significant progress.  There have been weeks when I have meditated for 10 minutes every day.  There are weeks when I only meditate once.  Sometimes I manage 4 days a week, sometimes even 5 days a week. 

And when I'm on retreat, away from distractions, with volunteers cooking all the meals for me, living in blissful silence, following the routine of meditating daily is a joyful practice.

Since the ten-day pledges stopped in mid-February, I've struggled to continue meditating daily.   Two of my friends assure me that they meditate daily, so I should just think of them.   But somehow it's not the same as knowing the name of one person who is meditating with me for a 10 day stretch. 

I've hired a habit coach to help me with accountability.  He has suggested that I establish a morning routine so that the first thing I do in the morning automatically triggers the next action, and so on.

I decided to start by doing the things I normally do out of habit, and trying to find a good spot within this routine where I will meditate every day.

This is the routine I followed this morning:
Woke up at 6:30 AM
Used the bathroom
took medications
used neti pot (nasal irrigation to clear congestion)
boiled water to make tea
poured water over tea bags
meditated for 10 minutes while tea bags steeped
drank a cup of tea mindfully, in silence

Let's see if I can repeat this routine tomorrow.