Feeling Befuddled? Try a daily huddle!


befuddled: (adj) unable to think clearly, frustrated, mentally scattered

In the past week, many people have shared with me a sense of befuddlement. I think it's because the Spring is coming. The winter feels like its almost over here on the East Coast and as the ice thaws, it feels like our wintery lives are also defrosting and coming alive. This is a good thing. Projects take off, social engagements multiply, layers of heavy clothing get put back into closets, and so on. But the quickening of the Springtime often brings with it a sense of befuddlement. We have lots of things to manage and only so much time. We have more demands placed on our energy reserves and -lets face it- many of us are tired at the end of the winter.

If you're feeling befuddled, or want to avoid befuddlement- try taking a lesson from the world of sports. When sport teams are in the midst of a game, their coach will often call a time-out and bring the players into a huddle. The team members circle around- puts their heads in close to each other and clarify the play they are about to make. When they're clear, they break the huddle and head back into the fore of the game- ready to go, ready to play their best game.

This is what meditation is like for us. It's so crucial to call "time out" for yourself every day. In the sports arena, the team members use the huddle to bring the different members together and regroup. When you stop your game and close your eyes- you have the opportunity to re-connect with all of your streams of energy like so many members of a team.

Most of us spend our days in a very scattered state. You're only one person, but you may have a  dozens of different roles and projects running in countless directions to manage in your life. In your meditation huddle, you simply close your eyes and enjoy your breath for a little while. Like the players huddled on the playing field, you regroup the different streams of your mind and clarify the direction of your life's "flow".

"Where am I?"
"What am I doing?"
"Where am I going?"
"Why am I headed there?"
"How do I get there?"
"How do I want to feel when I arrive?"

These are the kinds of questions you can ask yourself during your huddle. It can be as short as 10 minutes and as long as 90 minutes. However much time you spend, you give yourself enough time to gather your energies and arrive in the present moment. You get clear about your plan- your stance in your life- your approach to the present moment.

Once you've cleared your head and have reentered the game with clarity- make sure to have fun playing!  

Good luck and happy March!

If you'd like to know more about meditation programs in New York City or learn how you can make the most of your daily huddle-time. Visit the Banyan Education website.

Banyan Reaches out to Young Vets

Hi folks,

Anyone tuned into the news stream these days is hearing lots about the fate of recent war vets. We have over 100,000 young people in the Iraq and Afghanistan. When these people come back, they are not the same. Even if their bodies are intact, many of their hearts and minds are deeply changed. PTSD is a catch-all term that labels this inner affect- but there is little mainstream agencies or professionals can do to treat PTSD.

At Banyan, we have put together a simple format to help vets with meditation sessions and facilitated group discussions. It will give vets a support system and also a simple method they can use on their own.

We are ready to roll this program out here in NYC and are looking for helpers in other cities. If you are interested, please message us here or leave a comment. We are especially reaching out to people who have access to vets- connections to the VA, military, veteran's groups, etc.

If you are a vet from Iraq or Afghanistan- definitely message us here.

More info available about meditation programs for vets and meditation classes in New York online at the Banyan Education website

STRETCH!!!!

The other day, I was speaking with my good friend and colleague Stefan Doering from Best Coaches and I realized something: Most of the great things I've done in my life have required me to stretch.

I thought about it and recognized that whenever I have been presented with a chance to
do the next big thing- I have not felt "ready". I wasn't ready to get married but enjoy an amazing relationship, I wasn't ready to start my own business, and Banyan is now one of the great precious things in my life. I wasn't  ready to buy my own home and here I am in my  home writing this entry. My theory is that when it comes to doing the next great thing- we really never are ready. The very nature of the "next great thing" is that it makes you stretch- it takes you beyond your "readiness point".  Any good teacher I have ever had has shown me this.

The next great thing is great because it causes you to be greater.  It makes you ready. It asks you to step up and rise to the occasion.

This felt like a big insight- so, today, I am offering you my contemplation- what is the next great thing in your life?

I am going to take inventory of my life- my business life, my marriage, my social life, my inner life- and look for the next great things. I will know I've hit  them when I doubt my readiness- when I get that slightly scary feeling -that feeling that makes me feel like backing out- like running away or shutting down.

I'm going to choose something each area- not too big but not to small - and just go for it. I'm going to stretch and see what happens. Luckily I have great support systems in my life like my meditation practice, my colleagues at Banyan Education, friends like Stefan (who is also my executive coach and a super-stretcher) and enough mileage behind me to know that I can do it and not die in the process.

If you want to take the "next great thing challenge" and need some support- let us know. Also, if you have any testimonials- let us know.

For support with stretches in your inner life or meditation practice, visit Banyan Education on-line.