Its a nice, easy walk from my house to the dojo. A scant 10-15 minutes of peaceful exercise through the well landscaped UC Davis Med Center. This little exercise has been wonderful. The time allows me to release the day, warms the legs up for seiza, think over the week’s lesson and generally prepare for the class ahead. Mr. Oliver’s recent journal on the colors of awareness has made me walk this regular route a little differently.
A casual observer may have been deceived into thinking I walk in a yellow state. My feet keep a steady pace showing they know where to go, I look around frequently, and keep head/shoulders up displaying confidence. There are so many driveways from the medical center parking that it forces someone on foot, like me, to look both ways. Many of the bicyclists also use the sidewalk. So when checking left and right for cars, I’ve developed the habit of looking before and aft for cyclists. These driveways naturally cause a delightful state of yellow awareness. Its the white state in between drive ways I need to work on. You see, I like my headphones, my music, my rathernoblivious meandering. I let my mind focus not on the world around me but the world within. I was concentrated on the music in my ears or the thoughts in my head.
Yesterday I made a change. My music was still playing in my headphones. (Its a luxury I’m not quite willing to part with…) While it was never blaring to begin with, the volume on yesterday’s walk was turned down just a touch. This change allowed me to hear a cyclist approaching from behind. I would have sensed them when they were directly behind me. The yellow-er state of awareness cautioned me when they were several lengths away though. I stepped aside to give the cyclists room to pass and considered how nice the warning was. This cyclist didn’t startle me as sometimes happens on “white” days. It also gave the cyclist a smoother ride as they did not have to slow for an oblivious walker. By changing one simple aspect of my controllable environment, I now feel a little safer, a little more courteous.
Maybe there is something in your controllable environment you can change too? Maybe lower the volume on your car stereo or headphones? Maybe square your shoulders a little more and lift your chin? Maybe take a moment to settle the things in your purse so you are ready to quickly pull your keys out when you get to the car in the parking lot? These are the simple things I’ve done so far. Perhaps there is something just as simple that you can do.