5 Things (#9)

I've been exploring what kind of blogger I am.
I'm not quite a lifestyle blogger and not quite literary.
Not totally philosophical either.
May I be a blend of the three?

Lifestyle bloggers are among my favorite but, they dictate a way to live as if they know it is what is best. I know nothing. I don't event know what is best for me. That's where the philosophical/ literary side comes in. My readers are coming along this journey with me as I figure out what how to live my best lifestyle and chronicle that experience through blogging. A common post on any lifestyle blog is a prompt called "5 Things." Pretty straight up. It's usually products, but I'll do my best to avoid any consumeristic values with my very own "5 Things: Deep Thoughts Edition."

Here's what I've been diggin' on these days:

1. Lion's Roar Magazine. 
I've been reading this monthly magazine since I first started formally studying Buddhism. Written for Buddhist practitioners, by Buddhist practitioners ranging from beginner basics and deep philosophical practices. It is "Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time". A lot of the literature that I am assigned to study at the Gonpa is incredibly venerable and monastic. Which I love, but you've got to contrast that stuff with modern, fresh literature. Also, this magazine isn't based on ONE tradition of Buddhism, but all sects. Articles span on teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh to Sharon Salzberg and Pema Chodron to Jack Kornfield. I have only been able to find it at Barnes & Noble, it costs about $8 and well, it's a big treat when I'm in the area and feel called to pick one up.

Because when I do, I eat up every page, reading some articles over and over again. Each magazine I have bought is now well used, tattered, underlined and completely bent out of shape. There's something about a print magazine that I will just love and cherish forever (obviously, I work for a print magazine and hold onto hope for my career that others love this medium as much as I do). They do have a great website full of articles and glimpses into the magazine but READING ONLINE IS SIMPLY NOT THE SAME. That feeling of reading every page of a glossy magazine is so satisfying – not a feeling you get from clicking and scrolling on a screen. A team of editors and journalists carefully curate each issue to make one great work of literary art. And I am a huge admirer. 

2. Going to Coffee Shops to Actually Sit Down and Drink a Cup of Coffee With Someone.
This has been one of my favorite things in life these days. Because life gets intense. The past few weeks especially have been a reminder that everything is impermanent. Everything can change in one moment. My number one priority should be spending time with people I love. I should ALWAYS make time for a friend. When spending time with a loved one,  I've been trying to be more mindful of that time that we spend together. Of course I get the most practice out of this when I'm spending time with my girlfriend. This mindfulness has been looking like a lot of coffee dates. Instead of just picking some up to-go from wherever, we've been thoughtfully choosing where to go. We order an actual mug of coffee to-stay and take a seat to simply sip caffeine and just be. It doesn't matter if we talk or not. It's about being with each other and being in the community and unplugging from that go-go-go lifestyle. Our home-base coffee shop is The People's Coffee! All of our friends are there and they really do have the best coffee and baristas and open mic night...
Sometimes we want to go where it's quiet and we know nobody. Among my other favorite shops are Cafe Solstice (in Dancing Cranes), Cafe Nostalgia (order their vegan mac) and of course, Sugarhouse Coffee. Feeling like you haven't connected with a friend lately? Invite them to meet you for a cup of coffee. It's not really about the coffee. It's about the mindful connection with another person.

3. Sourdough Bread from the Harmon's Bakery.
So if you know me, you know that sourdough bread has been a staple of my diet for over a good year now. I hated it growing up. I thought it was weird tasting. I avoided really ever trying it. Then I found Abigail's Sourdough loaves at the Farmer's Market. I tasted a sample and never turned back. I was hooked. I've written plenty about her locally-baked bread since! But a new baker has my heart – the bakers at Harmon's. Their sourdough loaf is PERFECTION. The crust is so thick and sharp in contrast to Abigail's soft-baked bread. I die over it. I get it sliced to size 21 and eat it every day with a nice thick layer of Kerrygold Irish butter. That's all it needs. There's plenty of other ways to enjoy sourdough bread but that's the best way. Next step will be: Jane makes her own sourdough bread.

4. Cadbury Eggs.
Because April is on it's way! Birthday month! I was born very close to Easter and have always been HOOKED on Cadbury Eggs. I try to just buy one small bag each year but I always end up with more. I'm definitely concerned about the chemicals and sugar complexes that are in them because they are more addicting than anything else I've ever had in my life! (Goes to say I haven't been all that bold in my experimenting). I've even witnessed a few people fess up recently to some serious Cadbury egg intoxication. They are just the PERFECT MILKY-CHOCOLATE EGG-SHAPED CANDY-COATED EASTER TREATS EVER.

5. Creative Expression as Meditation.
Probably something I will write more on later. What I've learned is that when you are in a creative state, your fight/flight senses are off. You are not thinking about the past or the future. You are completely immersed in the state of creation. One of the greatest states of being that a human can enter into. If you are a painter, if you knit or sew, if you play and instrument or write poetry, those are all extremely meditative acts. You've felt that flow. When you are so immersed in what you are doing that you don't even feel time passing. You may not think you are meditating, but these kinds of acts quiet your brain and give you one-pointed focus.  Something like playing guitar for an hour can be just as effective (if not more) on the mind than sitting in quiet meditation for an hour. At the end of a long day sometimes my mind is too crazy and sitting down to meditate is not exactly what will serve me best. So instead, I will just immerse myself in my music until I'm exhausted. I'll dive into writing poetry until my mind goes completely blank. Ever had that experience? Yep. You're meditating.

Thank you  for reading my blog. It has been such a joy to watch my readership grow and get so many responses from all of you. I hope to produce more meaningful content to share more often so as to keep on lifting up others and spreading positive thought.

With love, 
Jane.