Last night while traveling home on a chilly New York City night, soaked feet from a damp freezing rain and too many puddles traversed in my gym sneakers, I entered the subway. I dreamt of a warm crazy apartment with heat expelling from the steam pipes, a warm bath and some type of wonderful dish from the ancestral food palate. I was 18-20 minutes from rest, salvation and peace……the challenge of the city had worked me hard and I could taste the sweet breath of relaxation. I entered the subway towards the Q train…..rushing to my destination of solitude like a hound to the fox hole, but something caught my attention. And as of late….with my deluge into mediation and personal growth…when the universe speaks, I really make an effort to listen and be open to her voice. See what i did there?
One of the many wonders of new York City is the talent, beauty and characters you can find in the subway…..and today was such a day. I came by a young man sitting at a collapsable desk, complete with an old fashioned type writer and a sign that said:
” Pick a Subject and A price- Get a Poem.”
Even though the wild river of life was pulling me home, I had a strong urge to stop and smell the roses. How could I not? The artist known as Lynn Gentry simply stated upon my interest, “Whats your topic?” I said,” digestion.”. He then proceeded to ask me a series of questions about my life, my food choices, my beliefs around food and health. I was excited about my choice to stop and see what magic would jump off the page. What would be the dance of words typed out on such a classy machine. He would type, drift into thought and then poke and prod a little deeper into my psyche…..it was a dance. My face was plastered with the biggest smile of gratitude….present and focused on the cool of the moment. Keep in mind, this is happening at the southeast entrance to the subway in union square right below whole foods. People are racing past, soaked from the ice storm outside and pushing to escape manhattan. The energy of NYC is swirling bye but there is something really special happening there amidst the noise. Here is what Lynn crafted…
So many corners stores
Illuminated with lights
They are of no use to me
The delis with fake processed meats
Of animals
No longer of species
That would enter the mouth
Only to sit
Inside a body
Overworking to digest it
I need not this
To make frustration
I eat that which is what is
Fish that has swam within the sea
Which were caught and died
To make my dish
Eaten in thankful praise in this form
To have another day
I think this is the coolest thing that has ever happened to me in the subway. I was open to the beauty of life and it presented itself. To quote ferris Bueiler,” Life moves pretty fast. It you don’t stop and look around once in awhile you could miss it.” So what is my holistic health takeaway? What is the actionable? How can you apply the rubber to the road?
1.) If you are not meditating…..start. It will change your life in too many ways to list. It has changed my health, my energy, my awareness and my life will forever (a new hardware upgraded if you will). “Meditation creates awareness, awareness creates choice.”Because I was aware=I was able and open to experiencing something new. If you’re looking for a way in and a path to start…. check out this pervious blog. The Happy Mind
2.) Gratitude journal: for even one minute a day. I keep a notebook next to my bed for when I wake (every day for over 90 days )I write down what I am thankful for in my life or the previous days. I will never stop this and it rocks! This little action will snowball the joy you are capable of expressing and taking in (x) 10 fold. It’s a small investment with a huge return.
3.) Breath. Seriously…..breath. Breath deep. Shallow breathing which 90% of the clients I work with do…..will make you anxious, unfocused and keep you low in valuable O2. Here is an amazing talk on the the right way to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRSl4CbNSmo
4.) freddie-set-Go! Check out the cool cat who is living the dream of a modern day working poet, artist and musician. Contact him for some art! I promise this will be a better gift than some bullshit from target. www.lynngentry.com…This dude is the real deal with a killer resume to boot! A great example of someone making the way in the world on their own terms.
