Unplugging

I confess. I am a techno-junkie. I have all kinds of electronic toys: iPod, PS2, 50" TV, computer, etc. etc. etc. My iPhone is my lifeline. It keeps me in touch, it keeps me in the know, it keeps me from getting bored. Without my iPhone I feel naked, even if I don’t use it for hours. It makes me feel more whole knowing that it is in my pocket, ready to be my news source, my lifeline, my companion. 

Lately, though, I’ve noticed something. When I am playing with my iPhone (a game, reading the AP wire, checking my Facebook account), I have unplugged from life. I lose track of everything that is going on around me. Life happens while I am lost in electronica. 

My iPhone has become a habit. A bad bad bad habit. I am trying to kick it. Really, I am. Now when I pull out the phone, my little guidance voice says, "Put it away, look at what is around you."

So now while I do reach for it while I am bored, I stop myself and put it away. Then I take a good look at all that is around me. The people, the plants, the sky, the buildings. Everything. I try to look at it from the perspective that I have never seen it before so see what kinds of new insights I can glean, how I can feed my soul from it. 

Since starting my spiritual journey, I find that I watch television a lot less. I surf the internet a lot less, too. These things can’t capture my attention for very long. I don’t miss it, either. 

Now Facebook is another story. Talk about addiction. I have friends that I haven’t seen in years and we are able to keep in touch. It is also a means of entertainment as I have very funny friends. i also use it as a means for my spiritual journey as there are a lot of pages dedicated to building communities of spirit seekers. 

But even with all the fun I’m having on Facebook I can tell when I have had too much and need to back off. 

And that’s when I start plugging back into life. 

I was told a while ago that my inner child needed nurturing. She was afraid and needed to feel secure. Since that day I have made a point of doing things that will make her feel safe and loved. And it just so happens that when I do those things, it requires me to be completely plugged into life. Here are a few things that I do:

• Ecstatic dance. Two years ago I met a woman who runs ecstatic dance classes here in Hawaii. I flat out told her that there was no way I would ever have enough courage to take her class. Two months ago I had the opportunity to take her class and I jumped at it. Yes, I have had many quantum leaps in two years, huh? Anyway, I did it and not only did I survive it, I LOVED it. I had a blast and I finished the two hours feeling energized, happy, and flying high. Now I can’t wait for Sundays and Wednesdays so I can release through ecstatic dance. 
   
• Lying in the grass. While I live in a condominium I am fortunate to have large grassy areas in the complex. About once a week I lay in the grass and stare up at the clouds. Like I did as a child, I look for shapes and familiar outlines in the clouds. Often I find myself making up stories about what I see in the clouds. 
   
• Walking in the rain. I love to walk in the rain. Not the light drizzle, but the hard, driving rain. I am fortunate that in Hawaii, the rain is warm and cleansing. The wetter I get the happier I am. I jump in puddles, I catch raindrops on my tongue, and I turn my face to the sky to allow the rain to cleanse me from head to toe. 
   
• Singing. Music is part of my life and I sing whenever I get the chance. Whether I’m in the car, the shower, or the mall is irrelevant. If there is a song that I like, I will sing. Since I started nurturing my inner child, my singing in public has gotten louder and bolder. I get compliments now about my singing abilities. I always knew I had a good voice, now the rest of the world is getting to share in my joy. 
   
• Going to the beach. Once a week I pack up my office (I work out of my home) and head to the beach. Usually a certain beach will call to me and I end up there. I sit in the sand or at a picnic table, usually in full sun and in full view of the ocean. I like to take a picture of my "office of the day" and post it on my Facebook page. This time of year my photos make my friends in Iowa, New York, North Dakota and Nebraska drool with envy!
   
• Skipping. I watched a couple of three year olds who didn’t know they were being watched. The sheer joy they had in skipping, jumping, and clapping was contagious. I stole their moves and now I skip, run, and jump just for fun. I skip to my car. I see other adults watching me and I always grin. If they only knew how liberating it felt to cut loose like that!

My goal is to be able to leave my security blanket (iPhone) behind whenever I leave the house. I’ll get there. Until then, I’ll unplug whenever and however I can…and I’ll love every minute of it.