August is brutal. It's such a relief to be able to get a good night's sleep again now that the weather is cooling down. I always have trouble sleeping in August and the heat was particularly bad in Philly this summer.
Meditation got me through it. There's no substitute for a good night's sleep, but I was surprised how helpful it's been, meditating whenever sleep was elusive. I've certainly been more alert this August than I've been in previous Augusts.
Since writing this post back in November, I've been spending twenty minutes every morning sitting still, slowing down, and doing nothing but listening (to traffic outside, wind blowing past the building, the refrigerator humming, etc.), which helps me to continue calmly focusing on one thing at a time throughout the day. I don't know why that works, but I'm glad it does.
Being present and listening jibes with another thing I've found helpful, this TED Talk, in which Celeste Headlee lists ten ways to have a better conversation. She also takes a couple of jabs at bloggers who post their opinions with no opportunity for response or argument or growth. It's true. I'll stop pontificating now and post more art.
