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Scent of Light Episode

by Ken Norton

Gratitude, Complaint, Breath

Broadcast September 23, 2018 , repeat broadcast on 9/27/2020.

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The audio file above is the spoken word recording without background music provided to Radio KOWS 92.5 FM broadcast of the Scent of Light episode for insert into the Radio Spotlight Magazine with host Andre' Marc.

Transcript

In this episode on the scent of light I will explore gratitude, complaint and the breath.
Welcome, my name is Ken Norton. I was thinking about how I enter into a state such as that of what Einstein called Holy Curiousity, and remembered how gratitude has been an effective means for me to bring a state of complaint into one of entertaining solutions. Complaint is vital to draw attention to a situation or mood that is uncomfortable or defective and not fitting to one’s purpose at the time. Yet it is important to not be too attached to that state of finding things wrong and attaching blame, for then the complaint’s higher function of bringing me to a more comfortable and fitting state is delayed. I know there is a problem, now what?

Sometimes it takes a reminder like "Wow, are you in a grumpy mood!", or "Complaining again!", from a trusted friend or spouse. Eventually with practice we become better at noticing the state of complaint we are in and the possibilities of changing it, before getting too frustrated or despairing. But once it is noticed, either with the help of another or an inner prompt, I start to think of just one thing to be grateful for. Sometimes it begins with remembering a past state that is opposite of that I am complaining about, but it doesn’t have to. Just remembering one moment In my Life for which I am grateful leads to other moments that are similar and tied to that first moment, and that leads to moments that are related to elements of my complaint. Eventually gratefulness is leading me to entertaining solutions.

Gratitude is an important key to changing a state of feeling. There is a relaxation response that accompanies grateful remembering. This affects our breathing. I notice that I am breathing again or slower when I am in gratitude. Breathing is one of the first bodily functions we have to be thankful for. The breath of life was especially our first inhalation and exhalation, so it is indeed precious in our memory. Deep and slow conscious breathing has been shown to be the most effective way to effect and to change emotional states. Gratitude sets in motion the deeper and slower breaths of relaxation. It also attracts the feeling of joy, and joy is a very conducive to thinking solutions. I have heard myself say, "I will be happy when that is done," when really to be done the best I should be saying, "I am happy in creating this," as happiness is one of the creative elements that boosts the process of achieving the goal.

One thing I am grateful for is that I practice meditation everyday. One of the best techniques I discovered to enter into the Stillness was that formulated by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, which he calls the Breath of Mindfulness. In creating this simple technique he fulfilled a need for the staff and young orphans of the orphanage that he had founded to have their wits about them as bombs would fall and explode around them from either the either side of the war raging at the time in Vietnam in the Sixties. The breath of mindfulness is self instructive. Each inhalation and exhalation is accompanied with a phrase or word. One of the words is Smile, and on saying that one actually smiles ear to ear, which helps stimulate that happy molecules of endorphins. If I am on a high racing horse fueled with emotion, and often it is a story of complaint, and I notice it or I am made aware of the state through another, I will begin the Breath of Mindfulness. It works pretty quickly, within a couple of cycles of repetition, and that once so important dramatic story is relaxed and dissipates, and I can get into solution mode.

Here is the Breath of Mindfulness:

Breathe In, Breathe Out
Deep, Slow
Calm, Ease
Smile , Release
Present Moment, Precious Moment

This is Ken Norton on the Scent of Light. You can contact me through my website www.kennethenorton.com. Thanks for listening.

About the Author and Producer

Ken Norton earned his master's degree in Materials Science from Stanford University as the Vietnam War was ending. During that time Ken served as the personal assistant to a poet/sociologist Dr. William Hermanns as he prepared his writings for publication, exposing Ken to not only the sciences but also the humanities and comparative religion for making conscious and conscionable choices.

Ken is a regular contributor to Radio Spotlight Magazine with his episodes on the Scent of Light. Ken lives in Santa Rosa with his life partner Elaine and their little dog Rosey.