A Secret To Existing More In Your Life - And A CHALLENGE!

My yoga teacher said something this morning that still rings in my ears:

"Exist more." 

Wow, what a concept!  As soon as I got home, I hunted down a Sharpie and scribed EXIST MORE on my forearm.  (This is my typical modus operandi for ideas that intrigue me.  Maybe a little weird, but I'm okay with it.)

The obvious question surfaced as I absorbed my inked arm.  How?

As technology improves, our capabilities to connect with the external world increase across time and space.  I believe the reverse holds true in our day-to-day realities; our connections to ourselves and to our experiences have diminished.   

I imagine our ancestors, tracking animal prints and smelling out poisonous plants, attuned to every twig snap and shift in the winds.  Their senses were tools of survival.    

Today, while our senses unarguably keep us alive, the sharp edges of our tools have dulled.  Unless we're questioning the milk's drinkability or waiting to yell "surprise!", we rarely place laser-like focus on any of our five senses. 

I believe to exist more we need to experience more.  I don't mean add more experiences to the calendar.  To the contrary, I'm talking about experiencing all there is to savor in each moment.  

And to experience each moment more fully, we must sharpen the tools we were given to do just that.  Reconnecting with our senses in this more evolved age will take us beyond surviving, to thriving.  

And there's that question again: How?

It's simple, and requires just 5 minutes daily. 

We are given 1,440 minutes each and every day to use however we choose.  Are you willing to gift just FIVE of those minutes to you, yourself, and only you?  That's 1/3 of 1% of your entire day.  (Can't help it... I used to be a CPA.)

Let's make this interesting.  Hear the drum roll?...

GROUP CHALLENGE!!

I challenge you (and me) to be alone, silent, and still for 5 minutes each day for the next 7 days.  Simple as that.

     1.  Remove yourself from your external world. 
     2.  Find a comfy seated position (hips higher than the knees please!).
     3.  Set a friendly-sounding timer.
     4.  Be perfectly still.  
     5.  Close your eyes. 
     6.  Observe 3 slow, deep breaths.
     7.  Scan your body for sensations (temp, tingles, lightness, anything).  

There's no right or wrong way to do this.  Your mind will wander, guaranteed.  No judgment, no worries!  Simply acknowledge the wandering and bring your awareness back inside. 

How many in this community will EXIST MORE - together - this week?  Are you up for some simple self-experimenting?

Post your commitment, questions, and experiences here so that others may benefit.  I can't wait to see what you discover!



[Gratitude to Bryan Carey, founder of Patanjali's Place, for sharing his wisdom with me once again.]