WEEK 2 – Notice your discomfort

Discomfort is your doorway into present moment awareness

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  1. Read all the steps below first then set your timer to 3 minutes and be ready to press start (choose a gentle alarm!)
  2. Get ready on the count of 3 to completely relax and remaining absolutely still, noticing your normal breathing
  3. don’t be concerned if yout mind is racing – let it, just choose to focus on your steady breath for now
  4. When you are ready, press start. Regardless of what your mind has told you about the cause of your discomfort or is telling you now, dedicate the next three minutes to allowing yourself to experience any sensations of discomfort as they arise; allow your focus to zoom in on the most predominant sensation and just rest on it. Refocus as many times as necessary.
  5. Do this every day this week
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MINDFUL MOMENTS

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.