Ten good things
Mar. 20th, 2013 12:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaberettI'm currently working my way through Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World. It's a book that discusses clinical results, case studies, trials, and methods - in the format of an eight-week course, with a set of tasks for each week. The "homework" is pretty unsurprising, really, given that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy grew out of cognitive behavourial therapy. One of this week's exercises is focussed on gratitude: specifically, on counting up ten good things. And, hey, I do that here anyway, so: I'm going to give daily ten-good-things a go here, this week.
(I'm interested in how skittish and wary I feel about saying this publically - that I'm engaging in self-guided therapy - but I think that's a good reason for me to talk about it. I suspect it's partly that I'm still very much in the middle of things, or rather at the beginning: I'm just beginning week 2, and I'm generally much more comfortable discussing my mental health and outcomes of counselling when they are precisely outcomes: when I've had a chance to let things settle, to let things solidify. Documenting this as I go along feels daunting: I don't have conclusions, yet, and I don't know if it will help, and I am unsure of my footing. And I'm uncomfortable with the fact that one of the key practices is meditation: I recognise the techniques, the format, from saying the rosary, or from quiet contemplation in Mass, but I'm apparently twitchy about the terminology: most of my associations with "meditation" as practised by whitey are, um, tied up with appropriation, rather. So there's that.)
(I'm interested in how skittish and wary I feel about saying this publically - that I'm engaging in self-guided therapy - but I think that's a good reason for me to talk about it. I suspect it's partly that I'm still very much in the middle of things, or rather at the beginning: I'm just beginning week 2, and I'm generally much more comfortable discussing my mental health and outcomes of counselling when they are precisely outcomes: when I've had a chance to let things settle, to let things solidify. Documenting this as I go along feels daunting: I don't have conclusions, yet, and I don't know if it will help, and I am unsure of my footing. And I'm uncomfortable with the fact that one of the key practices is meditation: I recognise the techniques, the format, from saying the rosary, or from quiet contemplation in Mass, but I'm apparently twitchy about the terminology: most of my associations with "meditation" as practised by whitey are, um, tied up with appropriation, rather. So there's that.)
- By the time I got back to King's Cross this afternoon, I was in full on tunnel-vision-and-closed-up-throat panic mode. It wasn't fun. But I got myself food, and I got myself onto the train, and I sat and reflected and focussed on my breathing, and it helped. I have tools. I can do this.
- I had breakfast this morning at a place that does cooked vegetarian breakfasts. These cooked vegetarian breakfasts include such delights as halloumi. Halloumi breakfast. I am just saying. HALLOUMI.
- I have barely stopped saying INFINITE SUPPLY OF FROGS since I followed the link yesterday from WTF, Evolution?
- Also via tumblr: Escape Kit, and in particular this amazing chromatic typewriter, have been really cheering me up, the past few days. Hurrah for colour in my life.
- I've been doing a fair bit of Dreamwidth volunteering - mostly identifying & Dealing With duplicate feeds. In the course of this, I have come across a whole bunch of awesome stuff - including
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
bas_potd_feed, the British Antarctic Survey's PENGUIN OF THE DAY photograph. (Relatedly, wtf_evolution_feed...) - I had lunch with a friend on Monday, and it was full of very Deep and Meaningful conversation, in ways that are very comforting & reassuring.
- While waiting for the friend to show up, I propped myself up against a wrought-iron fence in the sun, and I wrote a poem. And the person I showed it to for first-round concrit Really Likes It (or at least claims to ;), so maybe I will Do Something with it. (As in, there is a place I am considering submitting it in the interests of maybe getting it published.)
- I'm feeling very calm, and very at peace, about the bit where: tiny fucked-up thirteen-year-old me invented a lot of mindfulness techniques independently, because they were what I needed. Well done, tiny me. Here, have some chocolate. <3
- I'm really enjoying everything Helen Oyeyemi has ever written, which is odd, because by most of my standards it's Way The Fuck Too Creepy for me, but hey. There we go. Recommended.
- Food. Food is very tasty. Piles of rice and glazed cashews and stir-fried cabbage, and ridiculous dessert-for-breakfast is prepped. (In fact I will probably end up with pesto-and-mozarella-onna-crumpet followed by shave ice; I think it makes perfect sense.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-20 03:04 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-22 12:10 am (UTC)(it didn't hurt that we also picked up tiramisu and apple strudel and various other bits and bobs to share among ourselves...)
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Date: 2013-03-20 10:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-20 12:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-20 12:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-22 12:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-22 01:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-20 01:35 pm (UTC)Also omg halloumi breakfast! I am going to have to go sample this :).
(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-22 12:12 am (UTC)Interested to hear how you get on with it! xx
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Date: 2013-03-20 10:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-03-22 12:11 am (UTC)("Haloo!" "HOW DARE YOU HALLOO ME.")