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Friday, 18 February 2011

Telephone Meditation


I am awaiting The Call from the Consultant again... it is 1:57pm, the call was due at 1:30pm. Not that I expected it at the correct minute, but you know how you have to be ready anyway? Like an athlete at the starting point, knees bent, ears cocked, heart racing with unnatural levels of adrenaline.

1:58pm... breathing in, breathing out... am knitting two blue stripes into a hat for my nephew, also awaiting the get-set-ready signal to jump out of his heavily pregnant momma... my fingertips are frozen, and I am wearing fingerless gloves as I type...

3:14pm... am writing a potted history about my life, pets, hobbies and favourite telly shows for the radio chat room... (small whoop of joy)..
Venerable monk Thich Nhat Hanh teaches this mindfulness practise for the telephone...
When you hear the telephone ringing you can consider it to be the sound of the mindfulness bell. Every time you hear the telephone ringing you stay exactly where you are. You breathe in and breathe out and enjoy your breathing. Listen, listen - this wonderful sound brings you back to your true home. Then when you hear the second ring you stand up and you go to the telephone, with dignity! That means in the style of walking meditation. You know that you can afford to do that, because if the other person has something really important to tell you, she will not hang up before the third ring. That is what we call telephone meditation. We use the sound as the bell of mindfulness.

6:37pm... I waited three rings. And it was a good conversation. My consultant said she had spent several hours going over my old records, and realised herself just how beneficial this treatment would be for me. She even asked me to participate in reviewing a grant application she has been working on.
Success! High five!

7:30pm... I went to see 'Fiddler on the Roof' performed by the local youth centre drama group.
L'chaim!! To Life!

photo by Traczewska, from Trek Earth

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14 comments:

  1. Jeanne-ming Brantingham19 February 2011 at 02:47

    Darling girl, I expected this result. Congratulations and oh, I just wish I could hug you and tell you something corny, like...oh I donna, Good!
    and I love the words about telephone mindfulness.

    all my love dear one.

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  2. Aishah19 February 2011 at 04:47

    I'll remember what you said the next time I hear the phone rings.

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  3. Lisa19 February 2011 at 04:49

    Hi Shaista, that was me at my other blog.

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  4. Oya's Daughter19 February 2011 at 08:05

    Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! Fantastic news and here's to the future.

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  5. Sarah Laurence19 February 2011 at 13:35

    Fabulous news! In Hebrew, to life is "L'chaim!"

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  6. Shaista19 February 2011 at 15:04

    thanks everyone! you are all my internet sangha, my bells of mindfulness. and sarah, yes, l'chaim not le chaim,although both seem to be in use for some reason. i really want to read the original book that inspired the musical... have any of you read it?

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  7. mermaid gallery19 February 2011 at 17:15

    such great news! I am mindfully celebrating with you!

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  8. Sherry Blue Sky19 February 2011 at 19:27

    OH THANK GOD, GODDESS, AND EVERY OTHER DEITY. There IS some divine justice in the world after all, just when I was getting pissed off! hee hee. I am so happy for you, Shaista. So relieved, because I need you well and on this planet, shining your radiance on us all simply by being your beautiful Self. This is news for rejoicing indeed. So thankful she took the time to go through your files and reacquaint herself with your reality. Yay!

    In the radio show, do you get to talk about the situation where you have to fight for your "exceptionality" and right for treatment? That story getting out would help many others who do not have your gift with words. You can express gratitude for treatment, whiler still stating it is a hard situation to be in, when the answer might so easily have been no. Or write your story for those medical magazines.

    Anyway, this is lovely news on a gray winter morning. I am so pleased, and relieved. Yay!

    And isnt Fiddler on the Roof mnarvellous? I remember seeing it when I was young. I have the dvd and it is time to watch it once again.

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  9. Sherry Blue Sky19 February 2011 at 19:28

    p.s. and I love Thay's mindfulness meditations!

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  10. lupie20 February 2011 at 14:47

    Yay!!!!!
    We are all so happy!!!
    All the very best!! :)

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  11. Lydia22 February 2011 at 10:39

    This is the happiest news, made all the more special because you wrote about it in real-time while waiting for the call. I must thank you immensely for the telephone meditation. It will change the way I feel and react when the phone rings.

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  12. Yin23 February 2011 at 22:47

    Hurray, hurray, hurray!!! :D

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  13. rauf25 February 2011 at 14:25

    i have my water bottle on my bunker bed. that is what i need immediately when i wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning. Telephone is not in the list of priorities.
    i think this is an animal behaviour.
    i am fine with that Shaista.
    i know that anxiety is a killer.

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  14. SANT AJAIB SINGH JI23 October 2014 at 19:54

    Goodness!It is astonishing.The person who discovered instand method ought to be respected,It is similar to honing a joyful game,which enters to your mind and heart,without knowing or without any diligent work.What an excellent approach to present the new comers who need to practice mind improvement.Fine,no words to thank the individual who start the idea.I excessively will take after.

    ReplyDelete