day 1 of zen retreat - discussion

I noticed a bunch of stuff as I was in the moment ...
-details: the difference between sharp focus and soft focus (also mental clarity)
-energy: more intense (more excitement, more calm, sometimes both, at the same time!)
-resources: additional ways of getting things done came to the fore, better states, ...
-smoothness/flow: less effort to accomplish a given task, effortless flow
-power: ability to move things that were previously unmovable, unstoppable mental attitude
-perceptions: noticing beauty that always existed, but I had been ignoring
-cravings: less junk food, by noticing that the craving exists, but satisfying it with healthy snacks

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Thinking about the day so far, and here are a jumble of observations on being aware and in the moment:

- Rode the motorcycle to work today, trying to stay in the moment. The sunrise seemed more vibrant than usual, the crescent moon caught my attention, traffic seemed to FLOW and I could see patterns develop which made the ride much easier, no need to force things.

- While my schedule is still hectic and deadlines loom, I didn't feel as much like a bull in a china shop just thrashing away. Today it felt a bit more like a butterfly, fluttering from flower to flower whilst dodging predators (and people with nets), just going about my duties of pollination and feeding.

- I was listening to Pink Floyd's "echos", and noticed stuff I hadn't been aware of previously. It just finished and now I'm listening to the opening of the Eagles' "Hotel California" off of Hell Freezes Over (the Spanish Guitar intro) and it sounds so lush - is this a case of "look for Blue" and noticing lots of blue? Focus on "be attentive" and notice lots of things that have always been there but not noticed?

- At work, my pattern is heavy on Concentration, as there are a myriad of details & I need to stay Focused to make progress. I have been having some success being "in the moment" even here, as 2.5 hours simply vanished and a good size chunk of work was completed. I have also been working on switching to being Aware when I step away from my desk.

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