Mindfulness Mondays: Beginning with the End in Mind

Lake Tenkiller Sunset 2015

One of the highlights of "lake life" is sitting quietly on the deck watching the sunset. It cues me to reflect on the day's blessings.  At dusk I pause to quiet my mind- still my body.

This week begin with stillness.  Set your positive intention for a day filled with blessings.

Consider how grateful you would like to feel at sunset.

This week I will begin with the end in mind.

Mindfulness Monday: Silence

Zion National Park 2015
Columbines growing from rock face
h/t Lindsay Marotta

Silence is hard to come by in our culture. On a recent hike I was impressed by silence- only occasionally interrupted by birdsong or wind rustling leaves.  Fellow hikers also respected the silence by speaking rarely and quietly along the path. I chose to rest my mind.  The result was refreshing. Remarkable.

Have a remarkable week with a silent retreat.   Create time within each day to tune in to hushed quiet. Rest your mind with silence.

This week I will rest my mind with silence.

Mindfulness Monday: Beneath One's Feet

Zion National Park
h/t Lindsay Marotta 2015

"A journey of one thousand miles begins beneath one's feet."
                                                                       Lao-tzu

This quote is often translated "A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step" but "beneath one's feet" gets to the core of mindfulness: stillness.

Hiking is one of my passions.  I have learned that nature has a rejuvenating effect on my soul and quiets my tendency to overthink things. You have to pack light if you are going for a long hike.

The universe slows down to one moment at a time- which brings us back to mindfulness.

In stillness we begin the trail, an intentional journey.



I will begin my journey this week with stillness.





  

Monday Mindfulness: Where are you right now?

Suki in Springtime 2015

Where are you right now?  Is your mind wandering to the weekend, or next week, or next month?  May brings Mother's Day, gardening, graduations, vacation, . . .
Planning is certainly important and we need to set aside time for it-

But what about this moment- right now?

Observe your body: Notice your posture- make adjustments as needed.

Observe your breath: Breath in. Pause.  Breath out.

Observe your mind: Listen to your thoughts, feel your feelings.  Clear the clutter.


This week I will take time to observe my body, breath, and mind so I am fully present to the moment. 

Mindfulness Mondays: Moment to Moment

Lake Tenkiller shoreline 2015

In Oklahoma we are experiencing a "false Spring."Warmer weather sneaks into parts of our week and then abruptly returns to seasonal temps. 

Enjoy the best of both seasons by practicing moment to moment mindfulness.

When the sun is shining step outside and feel it on your face. Welcome a warm breeze when you walk out to the mailbox.

On chilly days, embrace a wooly blanket. Heat up some cocoa and be grateful for indoor time.

The present moment is all that we have. Don't lose this moment to worrying about how long it will last or wishing it were different.

This week I will honor moment to moment mindfulness.

Mindfulness: Internal Weather Report

Suki sitting still like a frog
 in her Halloween Costume

There is a saying in Oklahoma: "If you don't like the weather- wait five minutes." Today there is a crisp cold in the air, earlier this week we were all in short sleeves.

Moods are a bit like the Oklahoma weather, changing and temporary.  Children who learn to identify and accept their moods have good resilience.  They understand that a bad day doesn't mean a bad life . . . mindfulness has many implications for all ages.

Thank you for spending October with me exploring Mindfulness. In my research I came across a wonderful book on mindfulness with children: Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel.

Eline Snel  developed some easy (and fun!) exercises to introduce mindfulness concepts.  One of my favorites to use with children is Your Personal Weather Report.  A child draws their "internal weather" early in the day and then checks back later to see if the weather is the same or different. The author also tackles life skills such as practiced attention, understanding limits, letting go of thoughts and worries, and kindness.  The activities are appropriate for the smallest to the tallest in your family- that means you too!

Mindfulness: A Radical Act

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a powerful blend of Eastern philosophy and Western science and is part of a growing movement toward healthier healing called Integrative Medicine.


Guess what- It works!



MBSR has proven effectiveness in the treatment of a range of psychological and medical conditions:

• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• PTSD
• Depression
• Grief
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Chronic illness
• Fibromyalga
• GI distress
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Skin disorders
• Sleep problems
• Pain

Current research is being conducted on the effectiveness of MBSR in smoking cessation and weight loss programs.

And have I mentioned that it feels good? 

Sit back and take a quiet moment to listen to Jon Kabat-Zinn describing Mindfulness.

Mindfulness: Awareness of Breath

h/t Kids Outdoor Games

Are you as mindful as a first grader?
In my office young children are eager to learn how to calm down by focusing on breathing We have applied this basic technique to manage test anxiety, fear of public speaking, and emotional dysregulation (aka moodiness). Since children are accustomed to being in the role of learner they are typically open minded and excited to learn about meditation and mindfulness.

The adults are a bit more skeptical- "What difference can breathing make?"

Ask any asthmatic or panic attack sufferer and they will tell you that breathing makes a BIG difference.  Breathing is so basic to our living we lose awareness of its significance.

From the moment of our birth to the time of our death our breathing is working for us without conscious thought.  It is a natural recycling system that takes in oxygen from outside of us and circulates it throughout our bodies and brains.  Our breath then reflexively carries carbon dioxide waste from inside of us and releases it into the air.  Breathe in fresh- breathe out stale.  Is it so surprising that this system is integral to emotional and physical healing?


Try this at home:

Sit in a comfortable, relatively quiet, place with your spine straight

Set an alarm for three minutes

Close your eyes

Direct your attention to your breathing

When a thought comes to you redirect your attention to your breathing

Notice the natural rhythm of your breath

Do not try to change the rhythm in any way

Notice how it feels flowing from your nose

Notice how it feels in your chest

Notice how it feels in your belly

Mindfulness is synonymous with awareness.  I hope this exercise increased your awareness today. Imagine the possibilities if you were to intentionally set aside time each day to focus on your breath.

Mindfulness: The Full Catastrophe

When the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction wrote his first book, his editor hated the title.  

Jon Kabat-Zinn had spent years studying science at MIT and meditation with Buddhist monks. He was ready to introduce the blending of eastern and western healing methods. His research was showing great promise in stress reduction.  

Kabat-Zinn held firm in calling his manuscript Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness.  The book continues to be in print (after 25 years) and has recently been updated to incorporate recent research evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness.  The title turned out to be okay after all.

“Full catastrophe living” resonates. I am loving this term because it is truthful.  What happens to us in the process of our growing up, finding companions, seeking meaningful work, parenting, caring for aging parents, and aging ourselves- is HARD.  The way in which we approach these challenges is where mindfulness comes in.  It is not the crisis that defines our internal response it is our choice of openness or rigidity in thinking about the crisis.

Mindfulness Meditation is the daily practice of focusing our attention.  It is not a numbing, but a sharpening of our senses and acceptance that right at this moment is “as good as it gets.” We take time in stillness to gather our attention and listen to our thoughts without judgment. 

For example, As I sit in silence I welcome thoughts of missing my father and the sadness about his death to surface. I stay present to the experience of my loss as I think and feel about it today, two years later. I am giving this emotion air time without a negative commentary of "death is tragic" or "cancer sucks" and resisting adding a positive spin like “I am lucky to have had him for so long" or "he is at peace now.” Mindfulness allows me the freedom to acknowledge the full catastrophe.

“Full Catastrophe” is right up there with “Daring Greatly,” it is liberating.  Awareness and acceptance through mindfulness builds resilience and reduces stress because we effectively face our challenges with complete engagement.  You are invited to join the journey of discovery this month as we dig deeper into the concepts of mindfulness- I hope you will come with an open mind.

"The original purpose is to touch our capacity to embrace the actuality of things, often in when it seems utterly impossible, in ways that are healing and transforming." Jon Kabat-Zinn