mindfulness

Your mind has a mind of its own

Mindful Musing ,
Your mind has a mind of its own

If you have ever tried to meditate, you will notice how crazy your mind is; How many thoughts and distractions you have.

Following the S’s of meditation may help your AIM TO SUSTAIN focus.

  • SET the intention. It may be: “May I have sustained awareness of the breath.
  • SHUT your eyes. This helps to shut out external distractions.
  • SPINE for position. Have an upright spine, feet flat on the floor, hands on your lap and your buttocks higher than your knees.
  • SCAN the body. Ground yourself in the present moment by bringing attention to the sensations of your body.
  • SPOT to focus your awareness of the breath. The tip of the nostrils is a very sensitive spot for attention.
  • SENSATIONS – Be aware of the physical sensations of the breath at the tip of the nostrils.
  • SPONTANEOUS breathing. Allow the breath to move spontaneously.
  • SEGMENTS of the breath. Follow segments of the breath individually. Inhalation, Pause, Exhalation and Pause
  • SWITCHING of attention. Attention works by being FOCUSED on the breath, MONITORING when you have drifted and RECENTERING the attention back to the breath.
  • SECONDS – Count your breaths to help your focus.

Dr. Phil Blustein

Breathe In & Open

Mindful Musing , ,

Try this now: Breathe in and open. As you reach the top of the in-breath, feel into your natural friendliness. As you breathe out, let go of any tension or stress. Feel the moment of peace. Mindfulness meditation leads to a peace and ease that is you can’t disturb, no matter what life brings. DR. LESLIE ELLESTAD

WON’T MEDITATION MAKE ME LESS PRODUCTIVE?

Mindful Musing , ,
WON’T MEDITATION MAKE ME LESS PRODUCTIVE?

Meditation will not turn you into a zombie. You will not become dull with no ambition or drive. If anything meditation makes you more focused. We are constantly doing things automatically tremendously influenced by our conditioning from our parents and society. We do things and are not aware that we are doing them. We are captivated by multiple experiences and have no focus. How many times have you driven from point A to B and when you arrived at your destination you said: “Who was driving?” You ate a meal and wondered what it tasted like. Meditation in creating awareness of the present moment with acceptance actually makes you more focused, less reactive and more productive! It is being used by schools, pro sports teams and military units to enhance performance.

WHY IS THE BREATH SUCH A GOOD OBJECT TO USE AS AN ANCHOR FOR MEDITATION?

Mindful Musing , , 0 Comment

The breath is a great object to start to practice meditation. It is an external object that we don’t intentionally create when we are open to its natural movement. It is always present and available. No one breath is the same as another breath. Every inhalation and exhalation comes to an end. We don’t tend to personalize a breath and call it our own. In examining the breath we are able to see the true nature of reality. It is always changing and impermanent. Can we also develop the same self-less awareness of the breath for every other object that comes in to our awareness?

– Phil Blustein