There are so many ways to be distracted in this culture. Work, family and social responsibilities have grabbed people’s focus forever, but now we have cell phones, media players, video consoles and social networking applications. Wired can mean hyped up or tense with excitement, but it also means connected to the network. The connection can foster the tension.
Our electronic amusements and networks can capture our attention and modulate our consciousness. We resonate with the music we listen to or the computer games we play. Our body rhythms shift as we attune to the ever updating flow of texts, tweets and feeds.
It is important to make an effort to break out of the rapid, goal directed mind—to carve out some time to be in the moment, to be in our bodies, to shift into a state of mind that is less compulsive, and less driven.
If you don’t meditate or otherwise take time to tune out of the culturally induced flow, you might not know that there can be an island in the stream. The push of technology and cultural pressure can foster a tense emotional state that may seem normal, but it is not.
Be sure to set aside quiet time. You might need to turn off the devices that beep you every time someone’s fingers touch a keypad. Find a quiet place. Drop your gaze. Tune in to the rhythms of your body. Feel your breath as it flows in and flows out. Observe the vibrations of firing nerves in your face and especially around the eyes. Notice the way you hold your facial expression and let it relax. Scan your body for muscle tension and invite it to relax. Imagine your mind is turned to a lower power state. Your attention is present, but not actively seeking anything, planning anything or judging anything. Experience the luxury of silence. Gift yourself with time to be still.
When you have shifted out of the busy mind state, feel the difference. Remember the feeling of peace you can tune in if you just take a few minutes to tune out of the urge to do something.
© 2010 Tom Barrett