“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . a time to tear down and a time to build.”
-Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 3

In the early morning of March 6, 1966, an explosion rocked O’Connell Street, the main thoroughfare of Dublin. The target of the explosion—an act of destructive desecration or patriotic fervor, depending upon one’s point of view—was a 134-foot tall pillar, capped by a statue of Lord Horatio Nelson, vice admiral of the British navy. The pillar stood in the center of O’Connell Street for over a century and a half, erected when Ireland was an unwilling, subjugated member of the United Kingdom. Significantly, it was erected shortly after an unsuccessful 1798 uprising against British domination, no doubt to intimidate the Irish with the overwhelming power of the Crown.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of Irish history knows that for centuries Ireland was subjected to British rule; it was not until 1949 that it achieved independence and was able to take its place among the nations of the world. But in spite of that independence, the monument to Lord Nelson, a symbol of British oppression, continued to maintain its position of prominence in the center of the capital, a daily reminder of the subjugation the Irish had fought so hard to overcome.

Not everyone in Dublin wanted the statue removed. It was, after all, quite monumental, an impressive piece of architecture and a landmark in the city. For many of the residents, it was a symbol of a painful past, but for others it was more of a cultural and historical tribute to the long, entangled Anglo/Irish heritage of Dublin. There were many who were content to let it stay, suggesting that those offended should just get over it. As it happened, “those offended” took matters into their own hands and brought the statue down in the dark of night. There were no casualties; pains were taken to ensure that its destruction would take place when the streets were empty. No one was ever prosecuted for the crime.

I remember reading about the event in the local Dallas press a day or two after it occurred. I was a college freshman at the time, and a self-taught student of history (and a person of Irish ancestry), so I rounded up my buddies for a night of celebration. Truth be told, my buddies were game to celebrate anything so long as it involved beer, and although most had never heard of Nelson’s pillar nor cared about its history, they readily joined me in an evening of revelry.

Nelson’s pillar had to go. Its presence in the middle of O’Connell Street was an affront to every Irish man and woman who had yearned for political freedom and basic civil and religious rights throughout the many centuries of British domination. Likewise, in our own country, the statues of Confederate generals and other monuments of the Confederacy must go; they too stand as insulting, intimidating reminders of oppression—of hundreds of years of slavery, lynchings, and segregation. Can a people truly be free when the symbols of their oppression are staring down at them daily in the centers of their towns?

My adopted city of Dallas, which has its own share of Confederate statues and other reminders of its segregated past, is responding to the challenge with commendable maturity and thoroughness. Through the leadership of a progressive mayor and city council, the remnants of our Confederate ties are being removed, carefully and without incident. The city appears to have come together as one and proclaimed an end to the memorializing of oppression, recognizing, quoting Ecclesiastes, that there is both a time to build and a time to tear down.

Let’s talk about mindfulness meditation.

Wait! Don’t stop reading now! I promise this will be easy! Even light. Light and easy, that’s my mindfulness meditation mantra for the day.

So, when you hear the words ‘mindfulness meditation,’ which response comes immediately to mind?

[ ]  Mindfulness meditation? Never heard of it. Is that some woo-woo New Agey thing?
[ ]  Mindfulness meditation? Of course! I spend an hour every morning and another hour every evening sitting on my satin cushion, which I bought from a yogi in Sedona. In between, I do Tai Chi.
[ ]  Um . . . Well, ya’ know, it’s sorta like, well . . . OK, I’ll admit it. I keep promising myself to start doing it but haven’t gotten into the habit yet. Tomorrow.
[ ]  Look, I do what I can, OK?!? Gimme a break, already. You can take your mindfulness meditation and . . .

OK, let’s get serious. First, a definition from Jon Kabat-Zinn: “Mindfulness meditation means paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experiences moment by moment.” Three points: 1. Mindfulness meditation is good for you. We have the research to prove it. Check out, as just one example, the work of Daniel Siegel (drdansiegel.com), a pioneer in mind studies. 2. As the definition would suggest, it’s a bit intimidating and not the easiest thing to get into (although, like everything, it gets easier with practice). And, 3. There are a variety of ways to accomplish the peace of mind, the “working through,” the spiritual integration that comes through mindfulness meditation, alternative ways that work better for many of us (including me).

As noted, mindfulness meditation can be challenging. So, let’s look at a different approach, one that is not strictly mindfulness meditation but is likewise immensely healing. It is a practice that I often teach my counseling clients and attendees at my workshops and retreats, one that serves well—very well, actually, as I can personally attest—as a substitute for formal mindfulness meditation. It is inspired by something I read a dozen years ago in a book titled The Mindful Way through Depression. (Did I mention this is great for depression? I sneaked that in on you, didn’t I?) Trust me on this; it is healing. And it only takes a few minutes—but it can be extended for as long as you like.

Here are the steps:

1. Find a comfortable spot to sit, and allow your body to relax.
2. Turn your focus to your breathing. Notice the inhaling and the exhaling.
3. Gradually, slowly, extend your inhaling, five to seven seconds or so. Breathe deeply. Breathe slowly. Also, gradually and slowly increase the length of time and the forcefulness of your exhaling. The exhaling is the stress reduction part of the breathing cycle, so give more energy to that part, extending it a bit longer. (Did I mention this reduces stress? And anxiety?) Do this for as long as you wish.
4. Now, identify something going on in your life that is causing you some difficulty, pain, dis-ease. A problem you are struggling with. A situation that just won’t go away. A heaviness that resists all efforts to lighten. Just bring it to consciousness and speak it to yourself.
5. What you just identified is a thought. Now we want to identify a corresponding feeling, specifically a feeling word (one word is all we need here), a feeling that comes to you when you get in touch with what you identified above. Speak the feeling word to yourself. Identifying and naming your thoughts and feelings is therapeutic: “If you name it, you can tame it.”
6. Having identified a thought and a feeling and spoken them to yourself, now identify where in your body you are holding that feeling. All feelings are body sensations. Are you holding it in your chest? Your stomach? Behind your eyes? In your shoulders? This can be a challenge for many of us, but try to identify where in your body you are carrying that feeling.
7. Return to your focused breathing and inhale deeply, imagining the healing oxygen moving through your body to that particular spot that is holding the feeling. Breathe deeply and gently into that spot. After a while, if you like, extend that breathing throughout your body. Soothe your body with mindful, focused breathing for as long as you wish.
8. Finally, create a prayer or mantra to speak to yourself as you inhale and exhale. A favorite of mine is “I breathe in peace” on the inhale and “I let go of all tension” on the exhale. Or: “I breathe in God’s love” and “I let go of all anger.” Any prayer or mantra will do. What’s important is that it fits where you are in the moment.

That’s it. The whole process can be done in just a few minutes . . . or for an hour, if you have the time and inclination. It’s not strictly speaking mindfulness meditation (which, I confess, I haven’t had much success with; too much of a “monkey mind,” I’m afraid) but it is immensely therapeutic.

Breathe in peace!

[Mental Health—that which promotes the optimization of mind, body, soul, and interpersonal relationships]

So, what’s on your opsimathic bucket list?

I first learned the word opsimath about a month or so ago from an interview on a national news program. Then, only a few weeks later, I heard it again on Way with Words, the NPR-sponsored gift to word lovers, this time in reference to one’s bucket list. Interpreting the two incidences of a never-before-encountered word in a short space of time as synchronistic, I decided to take it seriously and asked myself, So, what’s on my opsimathic bucket list? What have I always wanted to learn but kept putting off until I had the time? What skill do I regret never having developed?

An opsimath is someone who learns something new late in life, or develops a new talent (or develops an old talent anew) after retirement, or is a committed lifelong learner. The Way with Words reference was in the form of a challenge to go back to school, learn that new language, join a seniors’ yoga class, or pick up that old guitar resting in the back of the closet, unstrummed for the past thirty-five years.

To encounter someone exercising his or her opsimathic opportunities is a delight. I think of George W. Bush picking up a paint brush and easel after leaving the Oval Office after his eight year tenure. Or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at 84 the oldest member of the Supreme Court, with no plans to retire. Or a woman I recently read about who just entered medical school at Ohio State in her sixties; “I always wanted to be a doctor,” she explained, as if her decision were no more unusual than that of trading in her Honda for a Mazda Miata. Or Bruce Morrow, aka “Cousin Brucie,” who spun the Golden Oldies for me when I was sixteen, my cell phone-size transistor radio serving as the medium for the greatest rock music of all time, and who’s still playing the oldies at the age of eighty-one—eighty-one!—to my continuing delight (he’s now on Sirius Satellite, channel 5, which, of course, didn’t exist in the ’60s, when I was tuned in to him on WABC AM in New York City).

Now that’s opsimathic living!

So, what’s on your opsimathic bucket list? Getting that master’s degree you always wanted? Learning the piano? Mastering Spanish? Becoming a National Parks volunteer guide? Joining an over-60s quidditch team? (OK, just having a little fun with that last one.)

Life is too short to squander old age. Get those opsimathic juices flowing. Just do it.

Mike Brock, PsyD, LPC, is a counselor and life coach in Dallas. In his spare time, he wonders what’s next on his opsimathic bucket list.