Mindfulness

"The more attention, the better attention, the purer the attention I can pay to whatever I happen to be doing or working on at the time, the fuller my life experience." -- gwen bell

Mindfulness... it's easy to say but harder to actually do. I find that it's like dieting and exercise... always good intentions to start but difficult follow through. (That's why I love mornings! Nothing like sleeping the previous's trials away waking up with new perspective.) Came across an inspiring article about Gwen Bell, who's evidently a rockstar in the social media land.

Twitter, anyone? I don't actually know anyone personally who does twitter except a few well known yoga instructors, Judith Lasater, Ricky Tran. I can't imagine that I would have anything to say throughout the day in an abbreviation less than a sentence that anyone could understand or be interested in. You need a decoder to get some of this stuff! After all, I'm probably the last one to catch on to TTYL ('talk to you later' for those in a certain age bracket : ). Or, TK. Why can't we just spell out Thank You? After all, saying thank you is about being grateful for what someone else has done for us. So, taking the time to express that in more than an abbreviation is just, well, mindful and thoughtful. Right? I'm sounding very much like my Mamo (grandmother) who did not care for nick-names or anything shortened because it took away some of the meaning of the words. And, words can have implied significance and beauty when used with intention.

I haven't yet read Gwen's twitters. She's attempting to give up email altogether and go full on tweeting (let me know if it works, Gwen!). Even though the Web is how Gwen makes a living, she checks email just once a day. (I admit I check it a whole lot more than that thanks to my iphone.) She also runs a yoga studio in Japan while living in the US (of course she does!), teaches university classes, does multi-media consulting and offers workshops like lap top yoga... (Why didn't I think of that!?) The definition of cool these days: Yogi and techie seeking to not find balance but "balance in process". More about Gwen and how to balance in process. (Try to relax your toes of the standing leg while on one foot. Balance in process is releasing the grip while experiencing something challenging.)

"The quality of our attention directly influences our quality of life."-- GB