Journaling Archives - Page 3 of 10 - Madhu Bazaz Wangu
3
archive,paged,category,category-journaling,category-3,paged-3,category-paged-3,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,select-theme-ver-2.1,vertical_menu_enabled, vertical_menu_width_290,side_menu_slide_from_right,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.9.0,vc_responsive
 

Journaling

Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Posted on August 4, 2025
in Journaling, Nonverbal Activities, Oral Stories, Reading, Travel
4 Comments

For Month 8 “Mindfulness and Travel, I’ll share the story of how the country to which I arrived as an immigrant in 1974 became my home. A trip with my husband tracing the last leg of Lewis and Clark’s Expedition from the east to the west coast was an adventure of a lifetime for both of us, especially for me.  After reading two hefty volumes, Undaunted Courage and Journals of Lewis and Clark I was “called” to go on the same journey. My husband and I took a flight from Pittsburgh, PA to Portland, Oregon. From there we embarked on a boat that carried us upon the waters of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The third American President, Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had envisioned an expedition that would boldly navigate the heart and the west of the country,...

Read More

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Posted on July 14, 2025
in Journaling, Nonverbal Activities, Travel, Walking
4 Comments

My husband and I started traveling in our early sixties. We planned to travel twice in a year: within the country (preferably a National Park) and to a foreign country. We also decided against “seeing everything” at any place because that amounts to experiencing nothing. However, walking in any new destination always added to the adventure. As our feet moved with slow pace; our senses got engaged. Pacing reminds me of the mosaic sidewalks in Lisbon, Portugal, streamside sauntering in Kyoto, Japan, and making space through the throngs of people on the sidewalks of New Delhi, India.  Moonlit Night, Oil on Canvas, Madhu Wangu Entering little mom-and-pop shops, eating at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, or talking to street vendors gave us an opportunity to communicate with local people and get a flavor of how they...

Read More

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Posted on June 16, 2025
in Journaling, Sharper Brain after Retirement
6 Comments

I hope the Inspirations so far have motivated you to read more poems. Here is a link to mindful poetry for you to explore: https://cih.ucsd.edu/mindfulness/mindful-poetry In my previous email I mentioned the practice of following disciplines to a sharper and smarter brain: meditation & journaling, sleep, nutritious meals, walking, reading, socializing, any creative project and something that you feel passionate about, something that gives purpose to your life. Based on these eight, do you have a weekly routine? Body without brain is just flesh. Our 3.3-pound brain monitors our body and heart. Amazingly fragile, it has incredible ability to perform sophisticated tasks such as language learning, performing complex skills, trying new creative hobbies, living amicably in social groups and so on. All these activities help increase attention, reasoning and memory.  The brain grows,...

Read More

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Posted on April 17, 2025
in Imagination, Journaling, Travel
6 Comments

When you read, words turn into images in your mind and thought process begins that awakens senses and feelings. Two-dimensional pages conjure three-dimensional realities. You become absorbed in the sensory experience of an unfamiliar world. Mentally out of your body you temporarily live subliminally the protagonist’s life. Events seem real as you shed tears, smile, laugh, or feel heartache. Hours fly by as you experience pleasure or suffering from an artistic distance.  At times it so happens that a sudden call, a noise, a smell catapults you out of your imaginary orbit and back to your armchair. How you wish that had not happened! Reading can be that fantastic. And so much more. “Much more” for me is when intense reading persuades me to actualize what I have read, coaxing me...

Read More

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Posted on April 2, 2025
in Journaling
2 Comments

Below is a slightly revised version of the Inspiration (Day 91) from the book, Unblock Your Creative Flow. After reading the nightmarish poem, “A Dream” by Hermann Hesse in his book, The Glass Bead Game, I shuddered. A feeling of restlessness creeped in. The only way I could eliminate that feeling was to journal about it. I wrote what ended up being a short story.  Here is a summary:I walk to the monastery on the hill and enter the building. Its walls are lined with books from ceiling to floor. The spines of the gilded lettered books glitter in the morning light. I pull out the one closest to me. The spine reads, Meaning of My Life. The leather cover tooled in gold promises a story still untold. What wisdom will the book...

Read More

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Posted on March 31, 2025
in Journaling, Meditation, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds, Nonverbal Activities, Spirituality
4 Comments

Some of you might be struggling with silent meditation practice. Here are a few suggestions for you to use. Hope this helps!  Establish a formal meditation time when and where you have minimal of distraction. It is crucial to sit regularly. Mornings are great, evenings are good too. Sit in the same place each time. You will associate that space with tranquility and therefore look forward to sitting.  The very act of sitting still in silence and solitude will settle your mental clutter and recharge your battery. Let the practice grow gradually and gently. Even ten minutes of silent meditation daily is very beneficial.  The purpose of Mindfulness Meditation is to transform your living experience. You now know  the difference between sensation, conscious thought, and emotion. You are learning how to meditate in the...

Read More

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Posted on March 24, 2025
in Journaling, Meditation, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds
4 Comments

A half-century of neuroscientific research has concluded that meditation is as important to your mental well-being as exercise is to the physical health. If you exercise regularly, you build stronger muscles, denser bones, and increased stamina. If you meditate daily, your attention span, memory, and patience increase. You learn to manage negative emotions and situations more efficiently and strengthen sense of calm, resilience, and interconnects with others.  The moment we were born, the breath was with us and the moment it leaves, we die. Wherever we go, our breath goes with us. It is our anchor. It is perfect the way it is. We need not speed it up, force it, grasp it, push it away or control it. Simply pay attention to its natural rhythm, letting it continue its work without...

Read More

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Posted on March 10, 2025
in Journaling, Meditation, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds
6 Comments

In the first month of this year we focused on “Mindfulness and Journaling.” You’re learning to converse with your Authentic Self. This Self knows you better than you know yourself. It never fails to lend its ear and points you toward the right direction. You may connect with it at any place, any time. It is your personal therapist, wise and kind.  The second month our focus was on, “Mindfulness, Attention and Awareness.” You are learning to differentiate between conceptual thought and deep awareness. We discussed how attention can be cultivated and how awareness rises when you stay embodied and live in the present. Attention on breath and being alive to the present moment is the beginning of the practice of mindfulness.  This month we are learning about, “Mindfulness and Meditation.” You are...

Read More

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Posted on March 5, 2025
in Journaling, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds
4 Comments

Misconceptions and Myths about Meditation Mindfulness is relaxation. Relaxation may be one of the outcomes of our practice but it seeks  attention andawareness. The goal of the mindfulness meditation (Vipassana) is insight in our true nature. We practice and transform our everyday life into an extraordinary life. Meditation puts you in a trance. No, it is not hypnosis. When we meditate we are very much under our own control. The attention and awareness are simply stepping-stones on the route to heightened awareness which cultivates mindfulness. Meditation is Mysterious. Meditation deals with levels of consciousness that are deeper than conceptual thought. Such things can be understood without words or logic such as walking, swimming and biking. We learn them by practicing. Similarly we experience meditation by practicing. Meditation is an adventure every time we practice because we can never predict exactly what will come up during any particular session. Each moment...

Read More

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Posted on February 25, 2025
in Journaling, Meditation, Meditation & Journaling at Ashby Ponds, Spirituality
6 Comments

Just as plants have the capacity to bring scented flowers to life, as black rock can crystalize into a glittering diamond, and as an egg can grow to become a captivating dancing peacock, you too can transcend into an Authentic Self. When you are fully present in the now, when you are embodied, whole and grounded, you are at your truest self. Let the intelligence of your body,  your mind and the emotions of your heart inform you, awaken you, and guide you days. How can you do this? How can we become true to yourself? How can you get linked to your Authentic Self?  By practicing journaling, breathing exercises and meditation. These practices will remove the masks you tend to put on to be someone you are not. Be present as you are....

Read More