August 2023 Week 3

“The truth that lives within me is the only guide I need”

Fr Mike Schmitz said, “Focus can only occur when we say yes to one option and no to anything else, and Distraction is the thing that takes our attention away from where it should be.” Life is full of distractions, whether internally or externally generated, they all take us away from the truth inside of us. How present are you right now? How distracted are you? What are you doing to tap into and honor that truth inside of you? I will be honest, I am a few days delayed in writing this dharma as I was “distracted” from my routine…..After class on Thursday I usually write for the week, however I had guests arrive and they just left. During the 4 days I didn’t do yoga, meditate or read my morning prayer books. However, on this late Sunday morning after everyone has made their way to the airport and I am alone and reflecting I am filled with gratitude for these few days with people we love and the certainty that I was actually not distracted from my truth even though I was out of sync with my spiritual routine. All the effort I put in on a daily basis paid off, I had “spiritual focus in the bank” to draw on lol. For example, a top highlight of the weekend was one early morning on our top deck in the sun with a few of us and our coffee - that is my meditation space spent in a different type of spirituality - connection, laughter and love. We can be busy, yet still tuned in if we choose or we can be busy and running from ourselves and our lives - which one is it for you right now?

Fr Mike listed 4 steps or reminders to help us stay focused and limit our distractions. I love, love #1……
1.Decide - what or who gets your heart, what or who gets your focus.
2.Action - attend to task at hand, don’t “look around”, just be present with what is in front of you. Where ever you are, be there: with your kids, friends, at work. Whatever you are doing, do that.
3.Notice - distractions are going to come externally, but most of them will be internally and just notice them. Noticing what distracts you will reveal something to you. Ask yourself, what are they telling me? Remember, yoga is non judgmental awareness. What am I running from? What am I avoiding?
4.Listen - we all need times of silence. Create a space, time where there is just listening: this is where we can tune into and hear “the truth that lives within us is the only guide we need.”