Nearly Mindful

 #MindfulMonday 

When we are sick or in pain our focus is often on wanting it to just go away isn’t it? According to Jon Kabat Zinn, the creator of MBSR, awareness of the pain, our feelings and emotions about the pain can be healing, rather than thinking and stewing about the pain, which can make it worse. 

 #MindfulMonday 

Managing our emotions is not enough, we need to be able to accept the emotions we are feeling, rather than trying to "fix it". Acceptance of what is takes practice, but with time we can find ourselves with the space to be able to let reality to be what it is. 

 #MindfulMonday 

Practicing kindness makes us feel good emotionally and physically. As we move through the world offering tiny moments of kindness, the ripple effect spreads it to the world.  Doesn’t that sound like what we need right now? 

 #MindfulMonday 

Bringing a mindful approach to diversity and inclusion can break down some of the barriers by reminding us that we are all human, we all want to be happy and healthy. You are just like me in so many ways. 

 #MindfulMonday 

A mindful approach to how we listen to others at work, at home, when we are out and about, can really make a huge difference in how we communicate and how others think of us. 

 #MindfulMonday 

 Today's lesson is about unpacking and perhaps ridding ourselves of some of our limiting beliefs.

 #MindfulMonday 

Speaking mindfully takes some consideration. Are we in the right place conversation? If we waited, could we have a better conversation? Is it true? Is it kind? Is it in the best interests of all concerned?

 #MindfulMonday 

For many of us though, our intentions get lost in the day to day. We set an intention to eat more healthfully but forget to pack a lunch and end up eating out of the office vending machine.  

We intend to respond kindly to our friends, and then find ourselves in a shouting match over something inconsequential. So let’s give that a little more thought today. 

 #MindfulMonday 

About this meditation thing. We get so obsessed about whether we are doing meditation right, it’s almost impossible for us to just allow ourselves to BE. And that’s a lot of what meditation is about, just being. So what to do??? 

 #MindfulMonday 

Understanding that the alarm bells that go off in our heads all day are there to protect us is helpful. When we can bring awareness to how we respond to these threats we can begin to gain control over it.  When our mind begins to feel threatened we can take a breath and see the threat more clearly, leaving us less freaked out and able to deal with it through our rational mind.