I hope your week is off to a great start. Mine is starting well. I'm meeting with a Scottsdale business owner who may be a source of some extra therapy work for me. We did have a pretty nice relaxing weekend, too. Life is good and today is going to be a great day.
I had an interesting experience recently. As I've written about, I have a regular meditation practice and I also teach/facilitate a weekly meditation group that I started at work. I got a FB message from a friend of mine in Southern Cal about a week ago, telling me how she just read an article in Time magazine about Mindfulness. She was nice enough to send it to me.
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| Let go of the stress....be mindful. |
The article talks about how in our society today, we're under constant attack from distractions. Most people are stressed, have a phone or pad on them all the time and many are answering calls and emails for work, just about 24 hours a day...even when they're on vacation. We attempt to multitask (really just having several projects going and getting a little of them done at a time)...TV, Radio, and and the list goes on. We live in a fast paced world with a lot coming at us all the time which keeps us from mindful serenity.
The article also discusses what mindfulness is and talks about some studies being done and some people that are teaching mindfulness at retreats, corporations, and even to the military. Studies have shown that being mindful can have an impact on a persons health -- helping them to stay healthy. No big surprise there, right?
So what is mindfulness or being mindful? First of all, it's being in the present moment - mentally. Not thinking about what's going on later or what happened 10 minutes ago or anytime in the past. It's being completely engaged in whatever you're doing, without judgement. Drinking in the experience of whatever you're doing without any TV or music - just being present and observing. For example, people in the article talked about commuting on the train and just observing the other passengers and surroundings fully. You could take a walk or do the dishes, and just completely be - quietly - while doing this activity. Of course you can meditate by relaxing and being mindful as well - just relaxing, observing, being present, and the part I like to add - doing this while having love and gratitude in my heart.
This may seem very basic or even goofy or hokey to some people. I get that. But, how many people out there can't relax for 10 or 15 minutes, without getting overrun in their mind by obsessive thoughts about some situation in their life, work to do, etc, etc etc...
So what can we do? Start practicing every day. Take time to put the phone down and turn everything off. Train the mind to just be present, quiet, and observe life without judgement. Quieting the mind like this is like working a muscle; the more you work it, the more positive results you'll see. Do this while relaxing with eyes closed and also try it (eyes open), while at work or walking or doing another activity. You can make just about anything a meditation. If you feel it would be helpful, take a meditation class or meet up with a meditation group like mine.
As I mentioned, there have been quite a few studies on this by universities and also some funded by the NIH. Results have shown that practicing mindfulness is a great aid in preventing and helping to release
. depression and anxiety. It reduces stress dramatically - and we all know stress can cause lots of harm to our bodies, minds, and health. Basically it can be a great way of keeping things in balance.
So here's my challenge to you. If you are like most people, and have some stress in your life, for the next 30 days, try to take a little time every day and practice mindfulness. Even if you can't find time to close your eyes and meditate, put this into practice at work or commuting; where ever you are. See if it doesn't help. If it doesn't help - you've really lost nothing. My guess is you may find yourself a little more up-beat, perhaps even having a little more energy or a little more relaxed. See for yourself.
I hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the challenge.
Peace,
Tom
I'm owner of Holistic Therapy Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona.
www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com
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