BlissQuest: 8 Triggers for Centering Yourself

We like to mix vegetables right in with flowers.

Listening to: This piano never ceases to thrill me.

Today's Bliss Formula: Espresso outside in our pink Adirondacks. Today I'll be trying some new yoga (new for me).

I started this week writing about becoming imbalanced over the weekend (which happened for a variety of reasons). I have spent the whole week getting back to myself, doing all the things I know I have to do to be in my center, to feel good and to be productive.

And this got me to thinking about reminders. Remembering to be centered. Remembering what is important. Remembering what we value and where we want to put our energy. A good thing, of course, is to practice the whole bliss station concept by Joseph Campbell that I wrote about yesterday.

But I think most of us need more than that. We need reminders that pop up constantly.

A few years ago, a Catholic church nearby started playing their bells everyday at 6 PM for quite a long stretch of time. This annoyed me. I felt like they were disturbing my precious quiet. But now I have decided to use this. Instead of feeling angry about noise pollution, I give into the bells and slow down or stop whatever it is I am doing.

Thich Nhat Hanh talks about this a lot in his books. At his monastery in France, they have bells that go off every hour and the people who live there stop and breathe and smile.

This is the first step: deciding what it is you will do or think when you hear the sounds that you have designated as triggers.

You could stop and do deep breathing.

You could create a personal mantra or visualization. This could be specific to a current problem or life situation or it could be a general wish for peace and happiness for yourself and all sentient beings.

Two that I use regularly:

May all beings find and live their bliss.

All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. (St. Julian of Norwich)

What of the triggers, you ask? Here are some suggestions:

1. Beads: Mala beads and rosaries or story beads or any piece of jewelry that you designate as sacred have long been in use for this trigger effect. Every time you touch the beads or become aware of the jewelry, the feel of it is what I like to call your "note to yourself."

2. Statuary: Placing sacred statues around your house (or building actual altars) is also helpful. Whenever you lay your eyes upon them, perhaps whisper a prayer or a wish or an intention.

3. Art: This is exactly the role, I think, that prayer cards are supposed to play. And there are all sorts of beautiful meditation cards out there for whatever tradition or path with which you are comfortable. The key here is to pay attention to what attracts you. When you find something, get a few and hide them in bags or drawers -- places where you will come upon them spontaneously.

4. Natural Sounds: Do you live near water? Or perhaps a park? Wherever you are, designate one of the natural sounds as a trigger. For example, I love the song of the Cardinal and will automatically look for him when I hear it. This would be a good time for me to just be.

5. Unnatural Sounds, otherwise known as All That Annoying, Anger Inducing Noise Pollution: Rather than lamenting not living in the woods away from all humans, why not see these sounds as opportunities to put your practice into play. Car alarms (or "horn birds" as we jokingly call them), ambulance, police and fire sirens, the thumping bass of a tin can car, a dog barking...all of it can be used rather than resisted.

6. Music & Language: If you listen to the radio at all, pick a song or two that is popular at the moment and use that. If you only listen to your own music, you can still do the same or you can pick a word as the trigger, and every time someone speaks it, you decide you will relax no matter what situation you find yourself in.

7. Weather: A lot of people see any kind of weather beyond warm and sunny as a personal affront, like noise pollution in a way. Wind used to really get to me -- who knows why? But now I use the wind. I think about how it is blowing out the old and blowing in the new or cleansing me. Choose some weather and think about it metaphorically. Rain is great for cleansing thoughts.

8. Waiting: We certainly all do our share of waiting, and again, this is something we perceive as a personal affront. We are important people; we don't have time to wait! My partner and I were in an art gallery and the woman in front of us in line was very rude; she gave us that look -- you know, where she thinks we will look back and with our eyes have this whole conversation about how stupid the clerk is. Of course, we didn't reciprocate. When it was our turn, the clerk kept apologizing, until I told her "It's okay. Waiting is one of those things you learn to do as an adult." She was so relieved. See waiting as a message to slow down. If you radiate patience, other people will feel it.

All of these triggers come down to mindfulness.

The mind is its own place, and in itself,
can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.

--John Milton

It's your choice. You live in heaven or hell, and it is all of your own making, no matter what is going on in your life.

I choose heaven, regardless of the car alarms.

What triggers could you develop?