Day 3 deals with Recognizing and Healing Time Dysfunction. In this meditation Deepak explains the definition of “time sickness”. In essence it is our continuing view of time as something always unattainable. There’s always too much to do, things or people who aren’t receiving our attention, the beating ourselves up over not getting this or that done or calling back so and so. He said it, dysfunction.
Something that resonated in Deepak’s narrative was his explaining that even though we can urge someone to slow down it cannot be received and put into effect until that person alters their perception of time and the way they utilize and/or view it. Yesterday I spoke about the challenges I have with remaining present in each moment and today’s message continues to drive that home. What is the purpose of our engagement in anything we do? It could be obligation, a sense of responsibility, a genuine desire to participate – no matter the reason, how we define those moments is what shapes our view on the time we spend doing it. Deepak reiterates that if we’re doing something we’re passionate about, time seems to fly by. While we’re doing something that doesn’t captivate us we often feel bored. There are also those activities that we don’t or can’t fully grasp and thus we feel as though our time has been wasted. All that said, we can choose to make the most of whatever it is we are doing, commit to being fully present and shift our perception of time and its seemingly restrictive nature. These restrictions aren’t as a result of time itself, but rather our view of time and how we utilize it. Deepak says that we don’t need a better time management plan, we need a shift in our perception of what time is and how we harness it. If you feel your time is well spent and purposeful, it will be. Alternatively, if you feel your time is wasted or mismanaged it also will be.
We move constantly from here to there and so on that when we have the opportunity to stand still and just be, we don’t know how. Likewise when we are asked to practice quieting our brains and find internal stillness our thoughts race and are just as loud as if we were reciting them verbally. These, are symptoms of time sickness and we all experience them.
Here are my thoughts from today’s experience and how time sickness impacts me: Time sickness results in me having anxiety and episodes of panic and worry. These occurrences manifest with very real and very uncomfortable physical symptoms. I can feel my heart rate increase, my body can start to have a slight tremor and adrenaline starts to race creating tightness and discomfort everywhere. I can start to feel scattered and disoriented at times despite by best efforts to focus. Here are the top three things that stress me out on a regular basis:
- Financial security
- Overall physical and mental wellness
- Work responsibilities
One way in which I have resolved to addressing each of these items is to move my body more! I’ve come to understand that when my mind reverts to this state of sickness physical movement or exertion helps to burn off some of the anxious energy and forces my body and brain to focus on something else. Inevitably my thoughts start to quiet themselves and I’m able to sit more fully in a state of feeling balanced, supported and well. If I’m capable of throwing myself out of whack, I can certainly use the tools I have to bring my energy back into a centered state in mind, body and spirit. In order for me to fully enjoy each moment in the now I need to rely on what I know works, and practice it regularly so I’m not reaching that critical point at which I’ve teetered over into an uncomfortable state. I am resolving to be proactive vs. reactive!
What resonated with you from Day 3? Do you have some feedback on the idea of time sickness? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
This is the last meditation experience of 2017 hosted by Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey via the Chopra Center Meditation organization. It just started on October 30th and we’re really excited with the theme: Making Every Moment Matter.
