Life Lessons | Mike Strawbridge

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My new Favorite Meditation

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

My new Favorite Meditation

I recently decided to return to my study of Taoism. Taoism has always appealed to me because of their scientific approach to philosophy. Lao Tsu and the other writers took a lot of time to study plant and animal life to see what works and what does not. They developed very workable practices that really help maintain a strong and healthy mind and body.

I recently read an interesting article by Michael Winn where he talks about smiling to your internal organs. He explains the Taoist philosophy of acceptance very succinctly with the concept of smiling. By smiling he means that we simply acknowledge that a certain condition exists and we smile with no judgment. A thing or event is neither good nor bad, it just is. I find I can save a lot of mental and spiritual energy when I stop judging things as good or bad and just accept them.

So the meditation I have begun to use based on Winn’s ideas and my previous Taoist studies is to simply talk to my body. I like to carry on a conversation with all my body parts.

Since I have had some pain and discomfort in my right foot lately I usually begin there. The conversation goes something like this:

Hey foot. How are you doing down there? I notice that you are sending a lot of interesting signals lately. I really appreciate how you carry me around and support me. I really appreciate all the little tiny bones that have to intersect just right to do all the amazing task that you accomplish all day long. I am really thankful that I have you to carry me around like you do.

My foot rarely talks back, but I can tell it responds well to being appreciated. The pain usually goes away quickly as I stop thinking about it and think about the entire task my foot performs for me.

One of the concepts that I really like in Winn’s article was not condemning body parts that don’t work up to our expectations. He even speaks of welcoming and loving malfunctioning parts like tumors and infections. These are part of our bodies and are there for a reason. If we act with malice towards these parts, they respond in kind. However if we act in love toward these parts, they adapt and rejoin the working collective of our body.

I recently had a sinus headache. Normally all I want to do it get rid of the swelling. I have tried all sorts of herbal remedies and then usually resort to pseudoephedrine. But this time I had a loving conversation with my sinuses. It went something like this:

Ok Sinuses, I know you are irritated. I have been irritated at a lot of things lately but I am working to just let them go. I really appreciate the way you try to protect me by filling with fluid. I know the sensation of swelling that I feel is your way of letting me know what is going on. I really appreciate all you do with the filtering of each and every breath. I know that you do a lot of other tasks that I don’t even understand. And I just want you to know that I appreciate all you do. If you feel the need to swell up to protect me, then have at it. If however the threat is over, let’s just relax and let our guards down. I am going to just lie down for a while and let you do what ever you think is best.

In far less time than it would have taken for the sinus medicine to digest, my headache was gone. I never got any real answers form my sinuses, but the pain went away and I felt like my sinuses worked better and felt appreciated.

I am finding a lot of clarity in taking time to sit and talk with my body and its organs. I really like the concept of not condemning body parts but loving all of them no matter what their shape or form. I am working on loving the excess fat around my belly. I am telling it that I really appreciate the protection is giving me. If it feels the need to stick around, that is fine. However if its job is done, then the fat can be redistributed to other places in my body or used up as fuel. But I am leaving the detail up to the belly fat cells to decide. I am appreciating their presence and respecting their right to be there. I am no longer fighting to get them to leave. I simply love them for who they are.

I feel much more at peace with my self and with my body. I don’t feel like I need to struggle anymore.

I think this meditation and coming to peace within my body is going to help me be more at peace with my external world as well. It will be an interesting trial at least.

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Posted in Health, Life Lessons, Metaphysics, Process Improvement | No Comments »

Welding Safety – Fire from the gas tank

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Welding Safety – Fire from the gas tank

My dad told me about a time when he was repairing a shock mount on his Chrysler. He used the company boom truck to lift the rear of the car to a comfortable working height.

After the completed the welding job he flipped the stinger back and accidentally contacted the gas tank on the car. He was quickly surrounded by flames dripping from the tank. The little hole in the tank continued to fuel the fire.

He simply reached his gloved hand up and stopped the flow of fuel with his finger. The flame went out but he was then stuck like the proverbial little Dutch boy with his finger blocking the flow.

Soon my Grandfather walked by and asked “What are you gong to do now boy?” Dad suggested that he would continue to hold his finger in place while someone got him a roofing screw with a rubber washer.

My grandfather soon returned with a screw, washer and a wrench. Dad plugged the hole with a screw and the rubber washer made a liquid tight seal. He says that plug was still in place when he sold the cars years later.

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Posted in Car repair, family, Life Lessons, Safety | 1 Comment »

Cairo, Il Flood and the Birds Point Levee blast

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Cairo, Il Flood and the Birds Point Levee blast

One my way to and from Missouri this winter I passed through Cairo, IL. I found it an interesting little town. Actually, it seemed more of a ghost town.

There are huge ornate buildings that look as if the city was once prosperous and thriving. The fact that is sits at the intersection of two major US rivers, the Ohio and the Mississippi.

I did a bit of research and found that the town was expected to surpass Chicago in size and importance. It once had as many as 30,000 citizens and now has less than 2,000.

Normally on my route to Missouri, I only pass near Cairo and not through it. However on my most recent trip the bridge across the Mississippi River was closed. I found it interesting that there were no early warning signs, Just barricades at the entrance to the bridge. The UPS truck in front of me was caught off guard as well. We both used the abandoned state park to turn around and search our maps for alternate routes.

The flood wall in Cairo has a huge gate over highway 3. I found it a bit creepy to drive through with the kudzu vines hanging down over the road and the huge gate looming overhead.

I had not thought much about Cairo until I saw on the news that thousands of acres of Missouri farmland were to be flooded to save Cairo. At first, I was like many who wondered if Cairo was worth saving. However there are some very interesting looking historic buildings there. But as I thought more and looked at the map, the levee at Cairo not only protects the little ghost town but many small towns and communities in the area.

Also, I learned that the Birds Point Levee was designed as a fuse in the flood protections system. There is a second levee one mile behind it that protects the actually populated area. The area between the levees is the New Madrid flood way. It is designed to carry excess water during times of epic floods like his one. The Birds Point levee was built with holes in it so that it could be easily blown up to open the flood gate.

The fact that farmers have been allowed to use the area during times of no flood has made it seem inconvenient to blow the levee. However, that was the design all along. The farmers knew the risk and most have put only portable and easily movable supplies there. However since it has been a very long time since the floodway was used, some have become complacent.

The Corps of Engineers has decided that blowing the Birds Point Levee was the best way to protect not just Cairo, but the entire levee flood control system. Nature is a powerful force when it goes to reclaim its own from our developments. I think we tend to forget that between the so called natural disasters.

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Posted in Environment, Life Lessons, Safety, Travel | No Comments »

Tornado Safety

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Finding the safest place during a Tornado

As the storm moved into our area of Cleveland Tn and Bradley county, there was a lot of talk about tornado safety and the safest places to hide during a tornado. The weather men warned to stay away from windows and exterior walls. They warned to stay out of cars and to seek shelter in underground areas and interior rooms like the bath room.

As I drove through the devastated areas to reach the house where I was helping clean up, I was amazed at the destructive power of the tornado. I have come to the conclusion that short of an underground storm shelter, there is no safe place to be when a tornado strikes.

I have often disagreed with the advice of not sheltering in a car. After all, cars are designed for high speed impacts. However, after seeing Bill Maxwell’s Lincoln, I have changed my mind. He told me that just a few minutes before the storm hit he had been sitting in his car listening to the weather reports. He lost reception so he had just made it to his bedroom when the tornado stuck his house.

His Lincoln Town Car, is now a ball of metal sitting in his pasture about a quarter of a mile from his house. The roof is crushed down to the level of the seat. I don’t think even a belted in occupant would have survived the tumbling and crushing of the car.

I still think my race car with a full cage might have fared better, but a normal car is definitely not a safe place. The repeated pounding of the tumbling action completely crushed the passenger compartment of the car.

Another part of a house that seems safe is the fireplace. After all the brick structure is often seen standing long after the rest of a house has rotted away. However, at Bill’s house, the fireplace was cleaned to the concrete base by the winds and parts of the brick chimney were strewn all through the pasture.

Yet another place that people often find shelter in a storm in inside a bathtub. While there have been numerous reports of people riding out the storm in their bathtubs, Bill’s bath tub was found a couple of hundred yards away from his house. I don’t think that would have been a safe ride either.

Bill was in his bedroom when the storm ripped his house apart around him. The four walls of the bedroom were the only thing left standing at his house. He told me he climbed out form where the exterior wall had separated form the foundation. He was greeted there by his dog.

He said he did not know where the dog was during the storm, but he had somehow found a safe place. Based on what I saw while cleaning up the damage at Bill’s house, the only safe place to be is where you are. Apparently if you are protected from damage, you will be safe where ever you are. I think it was Bill’s attitude that protected him more than any of the building parts.

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Posted in family, Life Lessons, Metaphysics, Safety | No Comments »

Tornadoes in Cleveland, Tn

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Young Road

Last night possibly as many as five tornadoes passed through my home of Cleveland Tn in Bradley county. The power went out before eight pm but came back on some time in the night. I live in the southeast corner of the county. It appears the worst of the storms went north and west of me.

My parents who live north of me were without power until later this morning. Cell phones worked some but not reliably. My Verizon Mifi was always able to get a connection however.

Neither of our homes received any damage. However, just a few miles up Spring Place road, there was a lot of damage. An abandoned restaurant and a hair salon were destroyed. One end of the strip mall across the street was hit as well.

I have been listening to the emergency services radio part of the day and it sounds like there is damage all around the county. So far nine have been confirmed dead including one body found hanging form a power line.

I am thankful that a bubble of protection was placed around me, my family and friends. My dog did a good job of guarding the under side of the futon in the back room last night as well.

I am looking forward to seeing our community work together to recover quickly from the damage.

For lessens I learned helping with the clean up see the next post: Tornado Safety