Provider’s Corner – A Message from Dr. Schrenker:
Does anybody iron anymore?
I can remember my mother ironing my dad’s shirts for what seemed like hours to an eight year old boy.  I would be on the floor with my Lego’s, Matchbox cars or army men creating some kind of havoc.  I later brought this up to Mom and she told me she loved to iron because it was a time she could pray, give thanks and just be thoughtful.  She had five kids and a husband that she cared for so in retrospect she could not just “take a break.”  This was her time.  Whereas that seems very oppressive in 2024, in 1975 that was the norm in middle Indiana.  She would later teach any of us kids who cared to learn, about meditation.  
What is meditation?  How do you meditate? Who has time for meditation? What do you do for meditation? 
We are all good at talking to God, we do it even when we don’t realize we are doing it.  Meditation is listening, being quiet, tuning in to the vibration of God, not just His sound.  What does it feel like to be with Creator, to be with your friend or family who has passed on?  Imagine being surrounded in unconditional love, no judgement, no guilt, shame, or anger.  That’s the fruit of a meditative practice; finding peace and an inner view of how the world is connected.
I suppose there are about 7 billion ways to meditate.  But the start is to sit or lay comfortably and begin by clearing your mind.  Taking several deep cleansing breaths, as an example: in through the nose for 7 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and out through the mouth for 7 seconds.  The time can vary from 4 seconds to 9 or more.  The goal is to breathe intentionally and focus on the air coming in and going out.  Breathing in and of itself switches you from sympathetic expression (using your fight or flight neurotransmitters) to parasympathetic expression (your peace and joy neurotransmitters).  That, literally, is the cure for panic and anxiety.
If you are like most people the next thing that happens is a million things that you need to do pop into your head.  Relax that happens to everyone, it is normal.  Just breathe some more and try again.  Some people use objects to focus on to keep their mind clear, others follow a guided meditation recording.  Eventually you will get to a point of stillness and quiet and that is your connection to the Universe, the same point every soul, dead or alive is connected to.  At this point, at this moment, all information is available to you, it is up to you to find out how to access it.  My suggestion is practice.  The real challenge is believing what you retain once your back amongst the regular folk.  Sometimes you come up with ideas or directions that seem contrary to what you have been doing.  Trust your gut.
You do not need hours to meditate.  Yes, very successful practitioners can spend hours at a time communing with God, but I doubt they have a day job.  Work with 5-10min increments, even that little of time can be life changing.  Two very easy places to start, the 5 minutes before you fall asleep and the 5 minutes before your feet hit the ground in the morning.  Expand from there and use it therapeutically.  When you are particularly stressed, before you grab a snack, light one up, or pour one.  I am telling you it will fundamentally change your life and put you back in control of it!
I love to ride my bike, that’s my version of ironing.  No cell phone, no questions, I am not a Dad, husband or Doctor, just Jim riding his bike and trying to listen to nature.  Observing my world, expressing thanks and gratitude, not solving anything.  You don’t have to sit quietly all the time, you can move, lift, ride, walk, run, just get out of your everyday thoughts and clear your mind, reset your thinking.  Every bit of information is out there just waiting for you to accept it.  The more you practice the more you will access that Truth and that will elevate the consciousness of our world.
You are loved,  
Dr. Schrenker
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