For compassion and presence

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”  ― Mother Teresa 

 “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”  ― Dailai Lama XIV

Summers afford many an opportunity to change up the routine. In that spirit, for this 1^st Wednesday August wellness email, I simply invite you to ponder these few words.

“It doesn’t matter what our spiritual, political, or social background is, we all long for tenderness, understanding, and safety. What gives meaning to our lives is to give and receive the care, sensitivity, and love that nourish our spirits…

What difference would it make to wake in the morning and greet your family, the stranger beside you on the bus, the troublesome colleague, with the intention to listen to them wholeheartedly and be present for them? Compassion doesn’t always call for grand or heroic gestures. It asks you to find in your heart the simple but profound willingness to be present, with a commitment to end sorrow and contribute to the well-being and ease of all beings."

-             - Christina Feldman, Compassion: listening to the cries of the world

          “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  ―Aesop

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”  ― Mahatma Gandhi

For Presence

Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.                                                

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

       - John O'Donohue (1956-2008), To Bless the Space Between Us

  

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” – Psalm 103:8

[An aside: I read that the word for compassion, in Hebrew, is the plural of the word “womb”; to have compassion is to be towards someone a little bit like every mother is to her own child. Another source says the root of the word has the primary idea of cherishing, soothing, and in a gentle emotion of the mind.]

The Buddha was once asked by a disciple, “Would it be true to say that part of our practice is to develop loving kindness and compassion?” “No,” he answered. “It would be true to say that the whole of our practice is to develop loving kindness and compassion.”

Walk anywhere, anytime

  “But the beauty is in the walking -- we are betrayed by destinations.”
― Gwyn Thomas

“If you seek creative ideas go walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ― Raymond I. Myers

I like to walk. And I now appreciate walking a million times more after a couple of foot/leg mishaps in this last year (breaking my leg last fall and contracting cellulitis in my foot this spring – thank God for modern medicine). Since walking is my main source of exercise, I perk up whenever I read of a benefit associated with it. 


Walk after eating.

Just 15-20 minutes of walking 15 minutes after a meal can help with digestion and improve blood sugar levels (especially for those with Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome).
Quoting from NY Times wellness blog -
*In one study in 2008, German researchers looked at what happened when people ate a large meal and then consumed either an espresso or an alcoholic digestif — like brandy or flavored liqueur — or walked at a slow pace on a treadmill. Walking, they found, sped the rate at which food moved through the stomach. The beverages had no effect.
*In a study published in 2009, researchers found that a 20-minute walk about 15 minutes after dinner led to lower post-meal blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes than either a walk before dinner or no walking at all. Another study, published recently in Diabetes Care, found that in older adults who were overweight and sedentary, walking for 15 minutes shortly after each meal improved daily blood sugar levels to a greater extent than a single 45-minute walk in the morning.

 “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols

Walk outside.
A few small studies have found (as reported at NY Times wellness blog) that people have lower blood levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress, after exerting themselves outside as compared with inside. Studies haven’t yet established why, physiologically, exercising outside might improve dispositions or inspire greater commitment to an exercise program. There’s speculation that exposure to direct sunlight, known to affect mood, plays a role.

 “Now shall I walk or shall I ride? 'Ride,' Pleasure said; 'Walk,' Joy replied.” ― William Henry Davies

Walk anywhere anytime.

You’ll reduce your risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol profiles, diabetes, and heart disease compared to your sedentary peers.
Researchers Paul Williams and Greg Fonarow compared the total running expenditure based on amount of (self-reported) time/distance participants ran or briskly walked. They looked at six years of data from the National Runners Health Study (pool of 33,000 runners) and Walkers Health Study (pool of 15, 000 walkers) — conducting a large survey at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. All runners were between the ages of 18 and 80 (with many clustered in their 40s and 50s), with men representing about 20% of the walkers.
The study, published April 4, 2013 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, reported at cbsnews and webmd and citing this article* (below) – found
-walking reduced the risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure by 7.2%, compared with the runner's reduction of risk by 4.2%.
- walking lowered the risk of high cholesterol by 7%, compared with 4.3% for running.
- walkers were 12.3% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, compared to runners at 12.1.
- walking reduced heart disease risk by more than 9%, compared with 4.5% for running.

“Warning: Before beginning a program of physical inactivity, consult your doctor. Sedentary living is abnormal and dangerous to your health.”  ― FRANK FORENCICH, Exuberant Animal: The Power of Health, Play and Joyful Movement

Less than one-half of Americans engage in the minimum-recommended amount of physical activity of 2.5 hours a week, a 2012 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found. The report, however, did show 62% of Americans went on a 10-minute walk each week, up from 56% five years ago.

Especially since it’s summer (where I live) it can be altogether pleasant to be outside, and engaged in movement. May you find many moments to enjoy moving – dancing, gardening, running, walking – this July.
Always I wish for all wellness goodness to you!  

PostScript: For you runners – there IS an advantage to running over walking: greater weight loss, possibly due to significantly higher blood levels of a hormone called peptide YY, which has been shown to suppress appetite. In a study published in April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, reported on here, you can find more.
 *Paul Williams, Ph.D., staff scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, life science division, Berkeley, Calif.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, and professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; April 4, 2013, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

A few quotes/poems to encourage or bring a smile --

"With beauty before me, may I walk 
With beauty behind me, may I walk 
With beauty above me, may I walk
With beauty below me, may I walk
With beauty all around me, may I walk
Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk"
-  Navajo: Walking Meditation 

“Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God,” - Deuteronomy 30:16 (The Message)