The days have been a bit long for me recently. Now I find myself winding down just in time to go to bed. And I just barely manage to find my own pace and it is Sunday evening again. It is a bit frustrating how words start slipping away and how the focus on tiny things melts away and gives way to some sense of direction towards the next goal, the next end of the next project. I try to refocus from time to time, try to dig for the peace of mind somewhere inside, waiting. I remember listening to my heartbeat as a child, an exercise barely possible with windows directed towards Broadway.
I sometimes fold my hands as if for prayer. This closes an energy circle around me and allows to quiet down a bit. (This is the reason why so many religious traditions involve folded hands.) Once the energy can not flow away from me freely, I try to consciously “listen” to the fingertips. It is a very simple exercise and can be practiced anywhere at any time. Try putting the tips of both index fingers together, (if you do not have index fingers, other body parts will do), the touch should be just strong enough so you become aware of it. There should be this simple thought in your mind, something like the awareness that your fingers are touching. What you are feeling now is a sum of experiences. Try isolating the experiences. Try focusing on one of the feelings all by itself. Focus on the left finger and what it feels. Then try to put your entire attention towards the other fingertip. Can you feel a difference? Is it more difficult to feel one fingertip or the other? How easy is it to refocus the attention from one side of the body towards the other? Are you distracted by noise from other parts of your body asking for attention?
With enough practice, this exercise can be performed entirely without any physical contact. With even more practice it is even possible to feel the touch of another person from their perspective.
My eyes are screaming for attention right now. They want to be closed and want to rest for at least few hours.