[Barleywine]

One I use a lot is maintaining a "quiet mind." It's especially valuable when I wake up after midnight and can't get back to sleep. I revolve a "peace mantra" in my mind and am back to sleep in less than a minute. Magical!

[Dogs&Coffee]

Originally Posted by BodhiSeed

Eye rolling?

Lol it sounds silly, but it helps me release negative vibes. Something is bothersome, I roll my eyes, and bam, back on track. It's better than keeping it bottled up.

Also I thought it was funny.

Side note, I'll have a more serious reply when I'm not typing on a phone.

[BodhiSeed]

Originally Posted by Dogs&Coffee

Lol it sounds silly, but it helps me release negative vibes. Something is bothersome, I roll my eyes, and bam, back on track. It's better than keeping it bottled up.

Also I thought it was funny.

Side note, I'll have a more serious reply when I'm not typing on a phone.

Now that makes sense; anything to steer the mind in a new, less treacherous direction is a great tool!

[BodhiSeed]

Originally Posted by Barleywine

One I use a lot is maintaining a "quiet mind." It's especially valuable when I wake up after midnight and can't get back to sleep. I revolve a "peace mantra" in my mind and am back to sleep in less than a minute. Magical!

That sounds like a great way to deal with insomnia rather than 'battling' it. I use breathing techniques to help me, but adding a mantra might help even more.

[Barleywine]

Originally Posted by BodhiSeed

That sounds like a great way to deal with insomnia rather than 'battling' it. I use breathing techniques to help me, but adding a mantra might help even more.

Actually, now that you mention it, I use a combination of controlled breathing (very deep breath followed by gradual release to full exhaustion) and the "Om Shanti." I'm not sure which one does the trick, but as you say, it can't hurt to do both.

[Morwenna]

I deal with insomnia by turning on the light and picking up a puzzle book. If I end up short of sleep, oh well.

Something I've been doing for years: I have a little book by Z Budapest called "The Goddess in the Office." One of the things she mentions is wearing something of the color of the day according to the attributes of the (Mediterranean) gods the days were named for, or the planets: blue for Monday, red for Tuesday (Mars), etc. And that's what I do. In fact it isn't only at work I do that; I have today off and I'm wearing a blue shirt right now. (The only days I don't do that are Saturday because I don't care for brown and I have very little of it, and Sunday when I'd rather go with the whim of the moment.) I don't know if it helps anything, but it does make me feel more in tune.

[katyanne]

Originally Posted by euripides

Hi Kayanne, though I've read the Bible, I don't know much about Christian practice. If you are comfortable with doing so, would you like to talk a little more about what these things mean to you? When do you pray a rosary, are they always the same prayers? (what is 'etc'? Do you say grace at meals?)

I love talking about these things! It's rote prayers when I pray the rosary, not necessarily the same ones every time but I choose from prayers that are available. Communion is the biggest thing for me, as I believe it to be the body and blood of Jesus as in literally and I feel that it gives me energy to live out my life when I partake of it weekly at church. I actually don't say grace at meals I'm not sure why except that it seems cheesy and like something the fundamentalists do. I was raised fundamentalist and reject it now. Tarot is also a part of my spiritual toolbox even though most Christians shun it.

[Morwenna]

Originally Posted by katyanne

I love talking about these things! It's rote prayers when I pray the rosary, not necessarily the same ones every time but I choose from prayers that are available. Communion is the biggest thing for me, as I believe it to be the body and blood of Jesus as in literally and I feel that it gives me energy to live out my life when I partake of it weekly at church. I actually don't say grace at meals I'm not sure why except that it seems cheesy and like something the fundamentalists do. I was raised fundamentalist and reject it now. Tarot is also a part of my spiritual toolbox even though most Christians shun it.

Rote prayers can act as a mantra, and I understand that. I know that such rote-ness was frowned on when I was a kid, like we were supposed to think about every word as we said it. But our parents did the same thing, after all. Rosaries, litanies, they got our elders through a lot of tough times. Look up the Litany of Our Lady of Victory if you want to see a good long prayer for times of trouble. It was one of my mother's staples.

Oh, and a lot of old-time Catholics, particularly non-Anglo ones, used divination regularly despite what the priests said; my French-Canadian grandmother was a playing-card reader.

[SilentBreeze]

Meditation is always my go to. I also read books about tarot before bed -- the deeper ones that discuss the symbolism as it relates to life. I jokingly call it my bible. I do a lot of journaling too -- well I used to. Gratitude is another big one.

[BodhiSeed]

Originally Posted by Morwenna

Rote prayers can act as a mantra, and I understand that. I know that such rote-ness was frowned on when I was a kid, like we were supposed to think about every word as we said it.

Interesting... this made me think of some mantra meditations as well as Eknath Easwaren's sacred passage meditation that suggest 'listening' to the sounds and syllables of the words rather than the meaning behind them. It was also recommended to choose a mantra in a language one didn't think in to help with doing this. I think the purpose was to rein in the thoughts a bit; when using familiar words, our minds can often go off on tangents.