Last night I didn’t sleep well. The monkey mind was very active, talking s*** in my head.

This morning I listened to the same 5 minute guided meditation three or four times because I couldn’t hear it because of the monkey mind talking in my head. Distracting

Sometimes I can control it, other times it seems I can’t. Is there any benefits of the monkey mind? Do you even know what it is? Is this voice, MY voice, chattering in my head. “You’re going to run out of gas” ” Nobody likes you.” “Don’t forget to pick up the gallon of milk on the way home” “you’re going to be fired today.”

it seems like the mind just wants to generate thoughts. That’s all it does, generate thoughts. It doesn’t care if it generates helpful thoughts or harmful thoughts, it just wants to generate thoughts. Endlessly. My job is to be aware that my thoughts are not me, and gradually learn to control my thoughts instead of letting my thoughts control me. That way we contain the monkey mind.

Photos from this mornings walk.

From work yesterday, in the office and out.

Have a great day!

It was a good vacation. It seems like I haven’t been to work in a long time.

It’s Memorial Day in the USA, first day of summer. School’s out.

Below are some more pics from my trip. It’s a nice park called The Arboretum, in Lindsey Park. There was a meditation garden with the largest wind chimes I’ve ever seen.

Yesterday I did some yard work, pruning trees. Does anyone want some free coconuts? Opportunities like this don’t come every day! Come pick them up!

Enjoy your day off, if you have one! I’ll be playing catch up at work!

Have a great day!

I didn’t climb, but I was impressed. (The top two pics are the same, but one’s a zoom-in, the bottom shows the scale)

My hostess takes her son and his friends to a climbing gym weekly. The kids are supervised by a coach who teaches them and makes sure they have a good time. There was a group of about 6 boys and girls climbing, doing jumping jacks and it looked like timed hanging by your hands on a horizontal bar They were all blatantly having fun and getting along well.

Then I went for an infrared sauna and another float in the float tank. The float tank was quite a lot more….. interesting(?) this time around.. It supposedly takes two or three times in to get used to it. I could have stayed in longer. The infrared sauna was like laying on the beach. Very nice.

Below is the sauna room and Travlin’ Tim in the pod room.

Tomorrow I head home. I’ll be at the airport at OH Dark Thirty, so I’m not sure I’ll be posting tomorrow. I’ll be focused on survival, like getting coffee.

Glad I’ll have the weekend before I have to go back to work.

Yesterday I got to check out a “Float Tank”. 1500 pounds of salt dissolved in about 850 gallons of 98⁰ water. There’s controls inside for light and sound,.or, with it all off it’s no stimulation for any of the five senses.

Its at Sonder Mind & Body, a business owned by almost-my-daughter.

it was quite an interesting experience, which I’m trying out again today. Like take-your uncle-to work-day…

Long story.

Have a great day!

I’m at Jessika and Brads house in Greensboro NC USA. Got here yesterday afternoon and had dinner at Bobbie ans Richard’s

Below are pics from yesterday and this morning. The top two are from Elijah’s Gem Mine and the others are from The Horse Shoe Farm, where the yoga retreat I went to was held. See Travlin’ Tim?

Today I will check out.a sensory deprivation tank.

Have a great day !

Last evening I participated in a Native American sweat lodge ceremony. It was quite intense.

When we got there, there was a strong fire going and a dome shaped tent. We had a briefing and got in the tent.

The tent was to represent the Earth’s womb, the opening of the tent represents the birth canal. Inside the tent is a pit it represents the Earth’s belly button. Of ceremony is about being born again and connecting with your ancestry.

We all got into tent, and then they started bringing red hot stones from the fire. They were growing red hot. The stones were put in the center of the tent in the pit. We started with 15 stones, all bigger than a grapefruit.

The doors were closed on the tent and in the total darkness, water was poured on the stones using a water dipper made from a gourd.

There were three rounds, first with 15 stones, then two rounds with 10 stones each. If you wanted to get out you had to say”In Memory Of My Ancestors”. Several people got out after the first round but none after the second. It was extremely hot and very steamy. The steam burned the nose. The breath coming out of the nose was cooler in the air being inhaled. It was a very meditative experience.

I would do it again.

Today is the last day of the retreat. This afternoon I’m off to visit some friends.

have a happy monday!

Im in Charlotte North Carolina, USA. Headed to Asheville early this afternoon. Met some old.friemds.for the first time yesterday.

Getting ready to go buy some warmer clothes! It was cold last night, it will be colder in the mountains!

Im headed to North Carolina in a faraway country called The United States for a weekend yoga/meditation retreat followed by some visiting of friends.

Here’s some pictures I just took within the last 5 minutes. My vehicle and me and Goldie.

I can’t tell the difference between nervous and excited.

See you tomorrow!

Yesterday it rained at my house finally. I usually make it to the post office on Tuesdays, and when I got there, I encountered a bunch of chickens who apparently didn’t want to get their feet wet. They were all sitting on a bench.. I thought it was worthy of a couple photos.

has the sun comes up earlier, it gets lighter and lighter as I walk the dog. Below are some pre sunrise pictures from this morning.

Today is my last working day for a while, as I’m taking some vacation time. I have a new tenant moving into the apartment, and I have someone staying over to take care of the plants and animals. I have too much to do today!