Crossword Puzzles - Mini-vacations on a Page

I've been working crossword puzzles off and on since I attended high school, but had avoided them after I became a consultant and writer. I had the impression that I didn't need anything else to tax my brain--certainly not puzzles with more words. My day job was intense enough.

A few months ago, during a sleepless night, I rediscovered a couple of puzzle books I had set aside years ago. After 30 minutes, my monkey mind calmed, and I went back to sleep. Since then, I've gained a new appreciation for crossword puzzles and their value for entertaining even an overworked brain like mine.

The mental work in consulting and writing is creative. Words and concepts and ideas have to be conjured up out of brain ether essentially from nothing. But crossword puzzles start by giving you clues and this big ol' block of empty squares waiting to be filled, daring you to fill them, because no matter how empty the block first seems, there IS a solution. You know there is. (It will be in the back of the book if you get stuck. Ha!)

So now I'm hooked. Again.

In crosswords, the clues fire up associations as I sift through all the language memories stored in the dusty shelves of my brain. I don't have to create any new connections; I just need to tug on the threads of connections I've already built. I haven't looked into what side of the brain is engaged in this; for me, it's all sides.

In one puzzle, a clue about the old TV series "Dallas" led to the solution word "Ewing". My mind went on an instant journey. To the original show, not the recent reboot. (Yes, yes, ancient history, I know.) The opening scene of the ranch, the theme song, the flash of actor photos in character. The question the whole country (world?) asked that one summer ("Who shot JR?") and the rampant speculation that kept us entertained for weeks. How I felt about the show. The pleasure it brought.

Sr. Jose Hobday

Then the inside picture/sensory/emotion/memory show wound down, and I went on to the next clue. Feeling better. Feeling refreshed. With a grin.

I experienced what one of my spiritual guides, Sister Jose Hobday calls a "mini-vacation". Sr. Hobday recommends 20 of these little brain or body breaks each day to stay focused and relieve stress. To learn more about this teacher of Simple Living, Click Here.

I'm not likely to become a master puzzler. The Monday and Tuesday New York Times puzzles are about as high a level of solving as I need. But now I keep two crossword puzzle books at the ready, one easy and one medium level. After I've finished a writing session, I get up to move for a body break, then reach for a crossword puzzle for the brain break. I go back to writing energized and relaxed.

Love those mini-vacations!

Coming up next time on "Writing in the Spirit":  Crosswords, Wordsearch and Romance! Oh My!