Meaningful Notable Moments, or (MnMs)
By: Debra Janosko
Unlike another sound-a-like treat that melts in your mouth and not in your hand, these "MnMs" are like hard candies to be savored, rolled around on the proverbial tongue until all the goody is sucked out of 'em. Meaningful notable moments fill our days. If we are too tethered to the past, tied up in the present, or tensed about the future, those meaningful moments can slip by unnoticed. A good yoga practice can help you enjoy your MnMs.
On the yoga mat in our daily practice we work hard to strengthen, stretch, and tone our bodies and our minds. Being fully present in the moment cultivating awareness that can capture the subtle nuances of the breath through the body. Somewhere in the process the mind chatter stops and we bask in a quiet stillness. It is from that stillness God emerges. We are awakened with consciousness and clarity that adds meaning to the moment. The practice continues as we roll up our mats, start the laundry, and feed the pooch. Yoga practice brings a sense of purpose and fulfilment into everyday life. Even the most mundane chores become meaningful when done consciously. I spent years going through my days in, not so quiet, desperation asking, "what is my purpose?" "What is God's divine will for my life?" Turns out it was right in front of me all along. If the dog needs to be fed, it's God's will that you feed the dog. If your laundry is piling up, you guested it, Divinity would have you wash your undies. There is a precious verse found in the Holy Bible, "Whatever you do, do it hearty as to the Lord," (Col.3:24). Feed the hungry you have around you today, (Bowzer gets hungry too) and who knows tomorrow you might be in Kolkata. It's not the "what" you are doing but the "how" you are doing it that can make the task meaningful. With a heart of gratitude and mindfulness everything you do can be chock full of divine purpose.
The mindfulness that yoga is developing in me flows into everything I do. Because of that, everything I do has become meaningful to me. This weekend I ran my first 10k running event of the season. It was great!!! I shaved five minutes off of last years time in this event. Still at that, I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm not a fast runner. I just get a thrill doing it. I've been running for seven years now and it has become routine to have a quiet prayerful meditation before each race to ask God to help me be fully present in the moment, so as not to miss my MnMs during the event. Every year I walk away with a participants medal and a few MnMs. This year was no exception. With a gun-shot start, we were off. As the race progressed, the runners thinned out according to their pace. I noticed a young lady just ahead of me that had a good pace going. I fell in behind her. Watching the white soles of her shoes, my pace was set. It all became mechanical after that. My feet just followed her feet. This went on for the the first three miles and then she started to slow a bit. I sidled up to her, told her what I'd been up to, and thanked her for getting me through the race thus far. She smiled and said, that made her feel like she was doing something right. I went on ahead hoping my feet could help her feet for a while. I turned on my mp3 radio and heard, "you gotta pay your dues if you wanta sing the blues cause you know it don't come easy...." Don't know what happened after that. My 10 minute mile morphed into an 8 minute mile and I was running through the shoots before I knew it. Not long after I'd crossed the finished line someone tapped me on my shoulder. It was the young lady that helped set my pace during the race. She said, when I had passed her that she started watching my feet and followed my pace on in to the finish. With tears in our eyes, we hugged and said our heartfelt thank yous. We may never see each other again, but in the moment we were vital to each other. This MnM taught me that being a pace setter is a humbling thing. There is no room for ego. The runners behind you today may well be the ones setting your finish line pace tomorrow. That's a pretty sweet MnM if you ask me.
You have your own MnMs. Share 'em. Savor 'em. Suck all the goody out of 'em.
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That's awesome. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteI had a bicycle accident (my husband and I collided in the street right in front of our house). My left hip was broken and I was lifted onto a stretcher by 5 people and taken to the ER via ambulance. The pain was unbelievable. A wonderful orthopedist was on call in the ER and fixed my hip in a 30-minute surgery (after a horrible 32-hour wait because so many patients were ahead of me). Rods were put into the hip and I had to be on a walker when not in bed. I had to stay out of work as a nurse practitioner for 2 months and was advised to wait even longer. I went back to work on a walker, then a quad-cane. Very shortly after returning to work in Nov. 2008 I started taking yoga classes at Mineral Springs Yoga and Fitness Center which is next-door to the clinic where I work. I have to say that the benefit I received was immediate. Deb has had a profound effect on my life. She is a wonderful, caring person and an extremely talented practitioner of yoga. She is able to transfer the calmness and stillness of the mind that is necessary for the students to practice yoga. I was very surprised at how easily I could start doing the exercises considering the fact that I was afraid to even try to sit in the floor or even stretch while standing up. I am now able to walk for miles and ride a stationary bike. I feel that God sent Deb into my life at a time when I needed her very much. And just recently Deb finished the difficult task of becoming certified as a yoga therapist. That has enhanced her ability to help me as well as others in the class who have had orthopedic problems. My flexibility and strength have increased a surprising amount since starting this class even though I am only able to go twice a week. And probably the most important thing Deb and her yoga (and the wonderful student who encourages me and helps me with mats and bolsters just because she is so kind) have done for me is to help me recover from the emotional blow that my bicycle accident inflicted. I will try to practice yoga for the rest of my life as I feel it is a truly transformational way to help achieve fitness, as well as mental, physical, and spiritual health.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteYou have a very great blog. Most people will not comprehend what mind power can do to one's success.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteYou've got a very nice blog. To turn out to be a successful person the basic issue is usually to have positive thinking.