This morning I sat down to write my Meditation Monday and my mind went blank. I had no idea of what my intended topic was. It’s something that happens to all of us so I thought I should treat it as though it were a gift from God rather than a liability. Which made me realize that the best place to start my morning was by exercising the parts of my brain that were still functioning properly and do a little research on “blank mind syndrome.” I am sure most of you are not interested in the parts of the brain involved as they all have big names like hypocanthus and hypothalamus, but you might be interested in some of the causes and what we can do to overcome it.
The most common causes of blank mind are anxiety, lack of sleep, medication, change and feeling overwhelmed. This morning I knew my lack of sleep was the culprit. My dog decided to vomit in the middle of the night and then cough her way through until the morning. Of course Tom slept through the whole thing and but I kept worrying about whether or not she was sick enough to take to an emergency vet. She wasn’t, but by the time I realized that, the whole night had passed.
Occasional mind blankness like this is not something to be afraid or ashamed of. In fact, according to Janis Leslie Evans in What is Mind Blanking? Tips to Get Rid of that Foggy Feeling.it helps to share our problem with others, laugh at ourselves and reset our goals, which is exactly what I decided to do this morning. I’m relishing my blank mind because it has led me into a new area of research, and taught me some new fun facts. It really is a gift and not a liability.
Evidently revisiting a sample of what we wrote or created in the past to remind ourselves of how productive we have been and can be again is helpful. “You are the same person with the same skills” What a great idea I thought. How rarely we remind ourselves of what we have accomplished and applaud ourselves for our productivity. So I picked up The Gift of Wonder intending to read some of my favourite portions and exercises but I didn’t get past the first chapter. “What do I enjoy doing that makes me sense God’s pleasure?” I wrote and I realized that was God’s word for me again today. God takes delight in us and what we accomplish and I don’t know about you, but I rarely take time to acknowledge that. So I stacked up the books I have written and thanked God for them. I looked through some of my prayer cards, and admired my Digging Deeper garden which still sits on my desk. Finally I hurried out to the front porch where some of my warm weather seedlings are still waiting for warmer weather before they can go outside. My basil needed pinching out so that the plants will bush out and give us a generous crop of basil. I took great delight in completing that task and walked back to my desk with the wonderful aroma of basil clinging to my clothes.
When blank brain sets in do some deep breathing exercises, center your attention outside of yourself. Take notice of your environment with the help of your senses Evans suggests so now I sit breathing slowly in and out aware of the fragrance of God, all around me. It clings to us at all times yet we rarely pause to notice. Now as I breathe, that wonderful fragrance relaxes me, I collect my thoughts and allow my memory to do its job.
So when blank brain sets in, take some deep breaths and allow the spirit of God to guide you. Like me I am sure you will be able to say “Wow, I think this might be what God wanted me to write about after all.”
It’s here! Christine Sine’s new book is now ready for purchase! Journey along with Christine as she walks you through contemplative container gardening. Reviews are coming in:
“This book invites and inspires everyone, regardless of skill or experience, to create expressions of the sacred through the media of soil, stones, and plants.” – Forrest Inslee, host of Earthkeepers Podcast