My efforts at being mindful have taken me on a profound journey… with more rewards than uncomfortable experiences… except at the beginning when I discovered how much my attitude (emotional reactions, beliefs and physiological responses) ruled me rather than vice versa. Luckily, I had a teacher who coached me through the process, emphasizing that “unbecoming
“Mindfulness of breathing is a wonderful beginning to cultivating awareness. It strengthens our ability to concentrate and steadies our tendency to get lost in reactive emotions and mental preoccupations.” – Gil Fronsdal, co-founder, Insight Meditation Center Mindfulness of Breathing is an awareness practice and not a practice in breathing. That is why, when the aim
“We found some dramatic differences between the group of experienced mind body practitioners and the inexperienced group. Specifically, 2,209 genes in the experienced practitioners were being expressed differently. The genes that acted differently have been associated with medical problems and premature aging.” – Herbert, Benson, M.D., Relaxation Revolution The aim of this exercise is to
I wrote a while back about seeing a widening crack in my basement wall that brought on stories my brain was telling of “doom and gloomâ€, with the dramatic ending of my becoming a bag lady. As I said, at the time it was helpful to remember that this was a “storyline†being told by
It was a normal dash down to my basement to retrieve something I had stored there. But my eye was caught by a crack in the foundation wall that had clearly widened since the last time I saw it. What happened next in my brain is comical – looking back on it. It went something
Our brain responds to three types of attentional cues in our life: It notices what we need for our survival. It notices what appeals to our interests… or grabs our attention. It notices what we choose to notice. Most of the time, we function in the second category. We automatically respond to “demands and appeals”
Hello, Old Friend. I know you. What are you trying to tell me? Thich Nhat Hanh: Living Buddha, Living Christ Compassion is our capacity to care and to show that we care. Many of us understand the former, but we aren’t always wise about the expression of that care… particularly when we (or others) don’t
This exercise was inspired by cardiologist, Herbert Benson’s recommendation for a Relaxation Response based on his classic 1975 book by the same title. We need to experience a certain state of safety and ease in order to attain and sustain a state of mindfulness. This activity helps us develop a peaceful “home base” to which we can return and
Carve out a certain about of time on your commute to work to do nothing but drive or be driven. Without listening to the radio, talking, taking an object off of a seat, etc. … tune in to the driving process. Guide your focus to the unfolding micro-moments of your HERE and NOW experience. Internal
The intention behind this exercise is the maintenance of full and complete awareness while we drink our favorite cup of coffee, tea, soda, juice, water, etc. We attend to the beginning, middle and end of the process of drinking a beverage. Before drinking beverage Allow yourself 3-5 minutes of alone time to fully engage the