Several
years ago, I attended a conference presented by the Center for Mind Body
Medicine (CMBM). The mindfulness exercises led by Dr. James Gordon were something
special. The following is a remembrance of one of them.
Give
Me a Break
It was day two and 3:00 in the afternoon, time for
a much anticipated (and needed) break. Dr. Gordon instructed us to stand and
close our eyes. He was going to play some music and we were going to
systematically shake our bodies. We started from the ground up, gently
bouncing, moving our ankles, knees, and then hips. Continuing up the body, we
moved our torsos, shoulders, arms, and head. We shook like this for six minutes
to a hypnotic techno-instrumental. Dr. Gordon counted the minutes and
encouraged us to keep shaking, keep moving! Even though the last minute felt
like eternity, my eyes were closed, my body was shaking, and for a moment I
felt as if I were alone in the room (Actually, I was one of 400).
Cries
with That Shake
The music stopped; we opened our eyes. In
preparation for part two of this exercise, Dr. Gordon instructed us to take a
few slow, deep breaths. I was a bit worn out and hopeful part two would not
involve more shaking. Dr. Gordon asked us to close our eyes again and this time
we were to move our bodies in whatever way would feel good. The music began; I
started to sway and then I started to cry. The song he played? Three Little Birds, by Bob Marley.
I’ve heard this song a million times before but this
was different; why the tears? At the time, I was a medical hot mess, lots of
tests, waiting for results, and fretting about what the future may hold. As Bob
Marley sang to me, “Don’t worry, about a
thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be all right” I realized my body may
have been in the room but my mind was nowhere to be found. I became painfully
aware I had let my personal situations weigh on me to the extent that I was no
longer a participant in my own life! Those six minutes shook the weight off of
my shoulders and Mr. Marley brought me back, front and center, to the present
moment.
Embrace
the Moment
As I reflect on this day, I like to view it as a microcosm
of my life. While there have been many times I have desired to be ‘anywhere but
here’, something inevitably shakes me into remembering there will never be
another precious moment exactly like the one I’m in and not to fret because “every little thing gonna be all right.”
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| Three little birds, pitch by my doorstep |
