Mindful Moments with Thai Mama

Try the classic body scan, a practice that involves mindfully scanning your body for sensations of tension, tightness, or... temperature. Developing greater awareness of bodily sensations is one way to become more aware of how your body is connected to, and reflects, your state of mind.

I love using the snow globe as a metaphor for your swirling thoughts, In this meditation, you’ll use your breath an an anchor to settle those swirling flakes (thoughts) in the snow globe (your mind).

So often meditations focus on either relaxation OR gratitude. Why not combine both? In this guided meditation, we prime our bodies with the classic “soft belly” meditation before sending thanks to the simple things. “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is “thank you”, it will be enough.” - Meister Eckhart

Paying attention to the breath is a common way to anchor our attention to the present moment. But did you know another handy tool to mindfulness is... your body? Use this simple, five step exercise to focus on the 5 senses to unhook from anxiety that invariably results from the worries about our past and future, to anchor attention in the present moment.

Election anxiety is palpable. All eyes are on Philadelphia (where this podcast is recorded) as the vote count continues. Why don’t we take a few minutes for some mindful breathing to anchor ourselves into the present moment and activate our parasympathetic nervous system (aka our relaxation response)?

Nine months into a global pandemic, mentally buffeted by bad news, infection spikes and an acrimonious national election, it’s easy to feel like our emotions are jerking us around. In this classic visualization meditation, you’re invited to emulate a mountain to become more grounded. Through your mountain-esque strength, you’re better able to weather the daily storm what life in 2020 has to offer.

There is a subtle yet powerful difference between “noticing” your thoughts and feelings, and being distracted by them. This meditation helps with the practice of noticing them. The more you notice a thought or a feeling, the less likely you are to be “owned” by it.

When stressed, that voice in your head, that inner narrator can say some pretty negative things. Try Kristin Neff’s “Affectionate Breathing” meditation to remind that voice to be kind, be gentle.

Spend some time simply noticing your breath, and how each inhale and exhale moves through you. And those pesky thoughts that tend to distract you? Remember that they are like your breath, coming and going. NOTE: My introduction indicates this will be a 5-minute meditation- turns out I was so relaxed, it turned into 11 minutes! Please allow for, and enjoy those extra minutes of mindfulness.

If you find yourself ruminating with your anxious thoughts, imagine your thoughts are clouds in the sky of your mind. This is my go-to meditation when I need to take a step back from my “top 10 most played” list of worries.