* ...."Turn Around and Say Good Morning to the Night
For unless they see the sky,
For they can't and that is why,
They know not if it's dark outside or light...."
What is Zen Time? Does Time Exist? Can Time Bend and Stretch?
** "The Sun Rises in the Evening...."
Most of the "time" my husband and I live on Zen Time. "Anytime" is OK for sleeping, eating, resting, exercising in an open ended and spontaneous flexible schedule. Except, of course, when we have appointments or arrangements to be "on time" for an event.
Near the end of 2012, one afternoon, I was "timing" laundry. Timers go off in my house all the "time." Sometimes I have two timers running at once, for different functions. My husband jokes, "You are a Two-Timer!" Once I had three timers, but one of them smashed to the floor and broke!
A beeping timer called me to come in from blog writing to check on the laundry. "Earth to Dahlis." As I looked at the clock, I perceived one and one half hours has slipped by? But the laundry load was still running in the washing machine?
What?
The laundry cycle on gentle only runs thirty minutes. I asked my husband if he had started a second load of clothes. He hadn't. I checked the clock again. I "recalled" setting the timer at 1:30 PM and it was almost 3 PM?
I growled to myself, "I hope nothing happened to the washer!"
Finally, the washing cycle ground to a halt? The motor seemed OK. Still puzzled, I loaded the clothes into the dryer and started a second load of wash. Setting the "timer" carefully for only fifteen minutes this time to check the machine's progress. It ran as planned, this "time!"
I felt I was in a time warp in multiple dimensions? Why? Especially when I write or paint, I zone out into a tunnel of concentration, "hyper-focus." Momentum, like a runaway horse, carries me further and further into completing the "race." "Winning" is my creative goal of brush strokes on canvas or words on a screen...or, actually anything else, sorting pictures into categories, for example. Every creative streak has its own frequency of "Space and Timing," spliced into chores, tasks at hand, or planned unplanned events.
Artist at Work
*** Dreaming Aloud
A friend of mine wrote a paper in grade school, an independent project called The Value of Daydreaming. The teacher had little comment or encouragement. She showed her paper to a neighbor, a physician friend, "Exactly!"
**** Einstein knew the value of creative daydreaming. He used "Thought Exercises" to focus his imagination to access his fullest scientific and mystic potential. Einstein's job at the Patent Office taught him skills he needed to piece together his scientific papers. Nicola Tesla, William Blake, Johannes Brahms, Leonardo da Vinci and many other pioneers in art and science accessed "imaginings" through meditations, self hypnosis or other means beyond the physical to reach untapped potential.
* "....This Broadway's got
...a lot of songs to sing,
If I knew the tunes I might join in...."
The untapped power of music steps in to boost focus for writing and critical thinking.
Tai Chi and Qigong can also help unlock your creative brain providing pride of accomplishment and high achievement. Many of my Tai Chi students became accomplished painters and writers. Left and right brain functions can be better balanced. After learning and practicing Tai Chi, my left brain expanded to enable sharper, logical writing skills to develop making this blog possible. People with attention span challenges may find music accompaniment beneficial for work and play and Tai Chi and Qigong practice helpful for calm and focus.
Tai Chi encourages relaxation and contemplation while exercising adding a pleasant positive space in your day. Self hypnosis can be another tool of Qigong (energy exercises). Dr Yang Jwing-ming explains how in his book The Essence of Shaolin White Crane. The deeply relaxed brain can receive pieces of information spliced with creative ideas for new insights and discoveries.
** "With no bird singing, the mountain is yet more still...." Thomas Merton
Moving Forward Now and Zen
Related Posts:
Tonal Vision (Jan 2011), Phantoms (May 2011), Carry Water Chop Wood (June 2011), T-I-M-E and In the (K)now (Dec 2011), Space and Timing, (July 2012), The Edge of Time, (Aug 2012), and Amazing (G)race (Jan 2013)
Resources:
* Elton John (music) and Bernie Taupin (lyrics), Cd Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters from Honky Chateau album.
** Zen and the Bids of Appetite book by Thomas Merton, Zen Sayings
*** Foo Fighters Cd Selections Walking After You and February Stars
**** Ancient Aliens, The Einstein Factor, (2013) series on H2, History International.
Chants of India Cd Ravi Shankar, Produced by George Harrison, selection Vandanaa Trayee, opening music, Ganesha, Saraswati, music Guru.
The Mozart Effect, book by Don Campbell. Use music to stimulate and heal the brain. Chinese music and Ragas from India may also help along with traditional and classical
selections.
http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Dr. Paul Lam creates Tai Chi for Health Programs, music for Tai Chi practice and more.
http://www.ymaa.com Dr. Yang, Jwing-ming, Tai Chi, Qigong and Martial Arts Expert, Chinese Music available. Books include The Essence of Shaolin White Crane.
Patrick McKenna and Rick Green, comedians with ADD create documentaries ADD and Loving It and ADD and Managing It. ADD Lost My Car Keys, book. http://www.pbs.org
http://dbasham.blogspot.com A Time to Lay Fallow (Blog Post Dec 30, 2012) and other posts by Debra Basham on Yellow Brick Road Your Path to Heart and Health
http://imaginehealing.info Create your healing experience for yourself, friends and family and pets too with Joel P. Bowman, Ph.D., and Rev. Debra Basham, CHTP, NLP, HTt
Time Warp Technologies, by Debra and Joel
dahlis.roy@gmail.com Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor, request free PDF illustrated E-book, Silver Butterfly Create A Vision, Awaken Your Creative Spirit.
Photos by Dahlis Roy:
Sunlit Clock, Artist at Work (Cheetah at Play), and Winter Beach
