WAIT – Regulate through the breath and neutral body sensations
*WHAT AM I THINKING – SMILE at Awareness
(Sustained, Meta-awareness, Intentional, Labeling, Evoked Cues)
*WHAT AM I TOUCHING – Embodied Engagement
*WHY AM I THINKING THIS – DISCERNMENT leading to NON-ATTACHMENT with self
*WHAT AM I TRYING TO DO – AIM for Skillful action
(Altruistic, Intentionality, Moral)
by Dr. Phil Blustein
Do you know what your next thought will be? If you were in control would your mind criticize and judge you mercilessly like it does? Our minds are meaning making machines. It compares all experience against our unique belief system about who we believe we are. Does it agree or not? It judges everything and then comes up with a new story of self for the moment. This happens autonomously, automatically and subconsciously. We become aware of what our minds have made up and believe we were the ones who consciously thought it. In fact, we are just knowing what our minds have already created and take ownership of it. Our minds have a mind of their own. Free will? I am not so sure!
by Dr. Phil Blustein
There are only two ways to be free of pain and suffering. Death and coma. And that is not what mindfulness is about. Mindfulness is not about a silent and peaceful mind. Loss of a loved one, your job, a relationship or your health is difficult. There will be sadness, grief, anger and pain. Mindfulness will not change that. But what it can do is to allow you to hold your pain without fighting and resistance. One holds the suffering with wisdom and compassion.
Dr. Philip Blustein
Learning how to breathe properly is one of the most effective tools you have for stress relief. How do you do it?
AWARENESS!
Our breath is under automatic and conscious control. Bring your awareness to your breath.
BREATHE CALMLY
Breathe in a conscious slow, deep and smooth manner through your nose.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
Belly rather than chest breathing with the inhalation and exhalation supports relaxation.
EXHALATION
Exhalation is the parasympathetic or relaxation response while inhalation is the sympathetic or fight or flight response. Breathe out by at least 1 second longer than what you breathe in. Ultimately aim for slow breathing with an in-breath for a count of 4 and an out-breath for a count of 6. Put them all together and you have the capacity to put out the fire of acute stress or lower the simmer of chronic anxiety.
Dr. Philip Blustein
I lose my keys.
There is the pain of having to get someone to come and pick me up and go and get another key made. However, I don’t stop there. I add to this pain with my mind saying: “I am so stupid and careless! How could I have lost my keys? This is terrible!”
The Buddha said: “PAIN IS EXPECTED SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL.” There is the initial event that causes us pain. However, we then like to amplify what has happened. We make up stories about our experiences and our self-worth. Value is not inherent to what we experience, but from what we interpret it to be.
Suffering does not come from the event but what we superimpose on it.