Zen moments... bathroom style...
I must explain, for those of you who are so unfortunate to have never experienced one, what a "Zen moment" is. It is a frame of time not defined by length, but by the quality of conscious thought accompanied by complete focus, pseudo-silence, and a room temperature between 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The added smell of vanilla or apples and cinnamon from a nearby Glade air freshener may enhance such moments.
I do my best thinking in the Throne Room...a trait I've inherited from dear ol' dad. I realize now that my father had a great many Bathroom Zen Moments when my sister and I were kids... He learned to do shorthand writing in there, and came up with some of the best woodworking plans while paying homage to the Porcelain God... still does, in fact. I believe this is where he schemed most, if not all of, his best Christmas pranks on my mother. For me, however, the shower is my venue of choice. There's nothing like the meditation of washing one's hair in a warm environment to make the creative juices flow, not to mention I can't be distracted by Entertainment Weekly in there. Either that, or my Muse hides in there from the children...and I can't say I blame her.
Here, I am completely shut off from the stresses of children, pets, dirty dishes, laundry, etc., and can allow my brain to simply shut down ~temporarily. After all, One must empty their teacup before attempting to fill it with new knowledge (a great philosophy borrowed from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones .. another must-have for your bookshelf). I never know what idea will strike. Perhaps I'll come up with something awesomely delicious to have for dinner. I may organize plans on how to rearrange furniture, or design ideas for new pieces of jewelry. Better yet, I might even come up with a good writing project or two, or thoughts on how to better improve current works.
Be cautious, however. Zen Moments are extremely fragile. They have been known to disintegrate with the flushing of a toilet somewhere in the house, and to completely disappear at the onset of lower abdominal methane release. Beware the Sixyearoldboy and Tenyearoldbrother whose unannounced arrival into the realm of Tweenygirl sets off alarms and guard dogs. The worst culprit is the yet unrivaled Manthatatechiliforlunch, who insists on breaking the once secure barrier between Zenland and Reality. Here is where my Muse packs her bags and goes on an extended vacation.
So... where do you get your best Zen Moments?
Zen moments for me are few and far between, but when they come I'm sure to use them to the best of my ability. Well... Kinda.
I do my best thinking in the Throne Room...a trait I've inherited from dear ol' dad. I realize now that my father had a great many Bathroom Zen Moments when my sister and I were kids... He learned to do shorthand writing in there, and came up with some of the best woodworking plans while paying homage to the Porcelain God... still does, in fact. I believe this is where he schemed most, if not all of, his best Christmas pranks on my mother. For me, however, the shower is my venue of choice. There's nothing like the meditation of washing one's hair in a warm environment to make the creative juices flow, not to mention I can't be distracted by Entertainment Weekly in there. Either that, or my Muse hides in there from the children...and I can't say I blame her.
Here, I am completely shut off from the stresses of children, pets, dirty dishes, laundry, etc., and can allow my brain to simply shut down ~temporarily. After all, One must empty their teacup before attempting to fill it with new knowledge (a great philosophy borrowed from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones .. another must-have for your bookshelf). I never know what idea will strike. Perhaps I'll come up with something awesomely delicious to have for dinner. I may organize plans on how to rearrange furniture, or design ideas for new pieces of jewelry. Better yet, I might even come up with a good writing project or two, or thoughts on how to better improve current works.
Be cautious, however. Zen Moments are extremely fragile. They have been known to disintegrate with the flushing of a toilet somewhere in the house, and to completely disappear at the onset of lower abdominal methane release. Beware the Sixyearoldboy and Tenyearoldbrother whose unannounced arrival into the realm of Tweenygirl sets off alarms and guard dogs. The worst culprit is the yet unrivaled Manthatatechiliforlunch, who insists on breaking the once secure barrier between Zenland and Reality. Here is where my Muse packs her bags and goes on an extended vacation.
So... where do you get your best Zen Moments?
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