refreshing my spirit

I promised myself that never should there be a day without me having a minute to stop for my body, mind and soul to refresh. Yes, just like wriggling-off your body of some excesses (bad thoughts and bad spirits too).

Well, I practice some one-minute meditations. This activity is quick and yet it gives me a dose of some positive energies enough for a day. I tried doing it with some of my clients before our counseling sessions and have observed that they are receptive to it. It is called "just-a-minute" meditation (CD) given by a friend, Tita Corrie who is from the Brahma Kumaris. The mantras are psychologically supportive so I also let my children listen to it. My kids and I attended some of their spiritual awakening activities and I think it is one enriching experience wherein you get to practice "listening and understanding your inner self" . There is not much investment involved except your time and willingness. Try it.

However, there are times when I am not really able to sit down on it , so I usually have to incorporate some mantras whenever I have my simple pleasures of a cup of chocolate or coffee and sometimes tea. Chocolate (the beverage) as I have featured has always been a part of my bloodstream since time immemorial. And I am happy that it is becoming more popular nowadays because of its health-giving attributes. It came upon me when I was a teenager, that chocolates are unhealthy and has to stop eating it or else I get heavier and stockier. But of course, I did not stop. Anyway, another beverage that is so positive to me is the coffee. I got addicted to it when I was working before in a non-profit organization. Got unfixed and long hours of work that I started to have more than a cup a day. Made my mind work faster. The tea gives me the calmness I need because I am usually frantic about just anything else. There was a time in my life, when I dreaded it. I came to like it however when I have to lose some weight and tried all kinds of tea. I learned later that it is not the losing of weight that was significant about drinking tea but the calmness it gives me.

But there is more to it. Yes I do find myself happy during solitary moments but it is always interestingly different when I am with other people. I always wanted to feature and emphasize relationships because I believe in appreciating it above the imperfections of the persons behind it.

Friendship. Well I found this interesting woman whom I did not expect to endure me at all (har har har). She is ten years younger than I am and we do enjoy doing things together. Watch serious and funny movies. There was one serious movie (Silk) wherein from start to finish, we just kept on laughing. It is because of the outrageous subtitles that really made us both crazy. We also love music. We both share some common interests but what is amazing is that we can both tolerate those that does not interest us at all. By the way, I borrowed "One Hundread Years of Solitude" from her. It may take me a hundread years too, to finish it. Great book! Well, I let her buy the books and I read it har har har. Seems like we have the same understanding on a couple of things too. Our brainwaves seems to talk with each other and that means I do not have to tell her what I meant and the same way with her. We talk and joke about sex. And laugh. And laugh more. Now I know what binds us together, it is our LAUGHTERS.

Just that one is enough for me. Laughters. Not even our secrets. Gaga (the one in red in the picture) is the friend I am talking about. Well, I think a dose of her gives me a lift also. Just like the chocolate, coffee and tea. One just have to identify the character of each beverage and with the right mix and stirring, one gets to taste the best of each cup.

Sometimes we just really have to be simple in identifying what binds us to a friend to keep the relationship. It is much complicated if one starts doing a list of what a bestfriend should be or not because it is frustrating in the end. Just like any relationships, friendship is a long process. It is also an exploration. A big challenge. But most of all, it needs nurturing.