I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Relax the Mind, Relax the Body

From the Cosmic Tarot, the Seven of Pentacles; from the L'Oeil de Lotus, 'Illness:'
          The two cards drawn today emphasize the mind/body connection. Just as eating healthy food helps us to have a healthy body, what we feed the mind can affect the body as well. Research shows that mindfulness techniques, as well as other stress-reduction practices, are a good complement to medicine (but not necessarily as an alternative to it).  In the wise words of Sister Chan Khong, "Body and mind are two faces of one reality and they support each other. Because of the way we live and consume, stress accumulates in our body and erodes our sense of well-being. By taking care of our body and incorporating moments of deep relaxation into daily life, we reduce stress, anxiety, and irritation, and help balance body and mind. Sometimes our body needs to rest, but our mind still wants to do many things. Though we think we can overcome the needs of the body with the mind, this is not something we can continue doing forever. From time to time, we need to stop, bring our awareness back to our body, and relax."

Posted by at
Labels: ,

4 comments:

  1. Carolyn TindorNovember 27, 2018 at 11:07 AM

    Good advice for us all. Relax and take it easy from time to time, if not the body will force us to rest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thesycamoretreeNovember 27, 2018 at 11:19 AM

      I think listening to the body is at times wiser than listening to the mind. :)

      Delete
  2. Sharyn Mallow WoerzNovember 28, 2018 at 8:26 AM

    bring the mind back to mindfulness. sounds so easy. Perhaps that is why we say 'I can't meditate'? Bringing the mind back to center Is a form of meditation I think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thesycamoretreeNovember 28, 2018 at 11:43 AM

      There is an old Zen saying: "Enter the mind through the body."
      Sit. Ask yourself "what is happening now in my body - what do I feel, sense, etc.?" Pay attention and observe but try not to judge. That's mindfulness meditation, even if you only do it for a minute. :D

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)