Category: Well-being

PRESENT MOMENT REMINDERS

by Andy, posted in Article, Insights, Mindfulness, Technique, Techniques, Topics, Well-being

2017-06-04 09.49.18-1Do you feel frustrated by not being present much of the time? Do you wish you could be present between meditations! Here’s a practice that might help:
Before all routines, such as switching off your alarm, getting up, going through a doorway, walking along a hall-way to the bathroom, washing, cleaning teeth etc., respectfully allow the stream of thought forms to recede into the background whilst you notice the ‘is’ness’ of your experience. No need to stop anything and put your ‘meditation’ face on or force any state of mind – just notice your direct experience whilst doing these things. If in doubt, notice that you can notice, and continue noticing anyway!
What are the benefits, why should we bother?  You probably already know the benefits and the transformative power of now. You probably have much of the theory Behind ‘mindfulness’ and ‘awakening’.  However, what sometimes keeps us unconscious is not the lack of knowledge but too much knowledge – or relying on knowledge to think our way to awareness!

We analyse and conceptualise everything because we’re addicted to control.

When we are thinking about ‘our life’,  we are not consciously living it – but it gives us the illusion of being in control for a little while. Whether we see ourselves as winners or losers – it’s all the same delusion – there is no such thing as either, in reality.

The meek shall inherit the Earth, not ‘the winners’ (or ‘the losers’). All that effort to get stuff or power or even happines adds up to nothing more than a hill of beans in the final analysis. ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?’ Mark 8:36. If your mind kicks in with – does that mean I have to sell my new car’ – perhaps you are still craving control – it may or may not mean that!

Open your heart (notice you can notice – you are not just your thought forms). Open your ears. Open all of your senses. Notice you are a soul (alive, living, here, now). Perhaps you could pause being aware for a moment and think this:
S-stop, O-open, U-up to L-life (SOUL),
re-read the quote again from Mark above – then let your mind do what it usually does whilst you simply notice your experience.

Congratulations, you have inherited the Earth!

The great mystery of life is revealed when we connect consciously with our experience – or more accurately, life ceases to be a mystery as we touch the face of . . . whatever the source of the universe is for you. Namaste. 😀🙏🏼😀

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The Presence Process

by Andy, posted in Article, Spiritual, Well-being

I have just completed Michael Brown’s ‘The Presence Process – A Journey into Present Moment Awareness’ It wasn’t all plain-sailing – my resistance manifested in many ways; forgetfulness, not bothering, feeling uncomfortable and creating all manner of plausible excuses why I can’t face something that’s clearly a block for me! According to Brown, ‘it’s the mind struggling to give up it’s God-like control and grip on my experience of life’. I know the games I play are the same ones I played when I was a child; not wanting to do my home-work, avoiding being found-out, playing up to get attention. Nothing’s new, it’s all a repeating pattern, ‘driven by unintegrated emotional charge’. I now realise that decades have past, and opportunities have been squandered as I allowed myself to be distracted by the symphony of discomfort and pain. The time was right for me to get some clarity, focus my energy and accelerate the process of integrating my past and the ancient feelings from childhood into my adult experience of life. The proof is in the eating. Read, follow the simple instructions and the rest is down to you. Only you can feel your unintegrated charge. Only you can face your fear, anger and grief. No one else, not even Michael Brown can do it for you.

MINDFUL MOMENTS

by Andy, posted in Hummingbird, Meditation, Mindfulness, mindful_eating, Well-being

Remember, as well as mindfulness meditation, we can use routine activities as a mindful moments to switch out attention from thinking to feeling the actual sensation of now; like when we clean our teeth or take the first mouthful of breakfast or do any exercise. The more we practice, the less we are drowned out by constant thinking, enabling the mind to operate more effectively. As research has shown, the health benefits can be enormous.

MINDFUL MOMENTS
When you next stop at a traffic lights or take a break at work, pause for a moment and take three deep, slow breaths:

  • trafficIN: feel the air flow in through your nostrils
  • OUT: relax, let go of any thoughts (like letting go of helium balloons!)
  • IN: feel the lungs, diaphragm and belly fill with fresh air
  • OUT: Relax even more; let go of any deep tension in your body
  • IN: sense the entire body as field of living, vibrating energy
  • OUT: with a smile, fall into the arms of unconditional love and accept yourself exactly as you are!

 

If you have an iPhone, there’s a great app called Mindfulness Daily by Inward Inc. to help you pause during the day. There is also Insight Timer – this has a huge supportive social network community integrated into the app.

Negativity

by Andy, posted in Quotes, Well-being

Whenever there is negativity in you, if you can be aware at that moment that there is something in you that takes pleasure in it or believes it has a purpose, you are becoming aware of the ego directly. The moment this happens, your identity has shifted from ego to awareness. This means the ego is shrinking and awareness is growing.

ECKHART TOLLE

There is a saying – “if you can’t think of anything nice to say about someone, then don’t say anything at all”. I wonder if there is some truth in that. All negativity can be traced back to the ego but how do you protect yourself from being taken advantage of? When someone is ‘out to destroy you’, is that often a construct of your own mind, a delusion? What about when you are the victim of crime or torture or you are the target of injustice at work or by the state? How do you deal with that? It’s all about context. Am I just being right or am I being like Mandela, standing in truth AND reconciliation? Let’s be real my friends but starting from a place of peace and stillness of the heart – not from the righteous indignation of the ego – we will know the difference.
I value your comments . . .

Photo of Central Park framed by the arch of a viaduct
Central Park, Chelmsford Jan 2014