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I post on the Twitter Hashtag #BeautifulWords
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BE SMART. BE MINDFUL. BE WELL.
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BE MINDFUL, BE WELL - PROMOTING a MINDFUL SELF CARE AND MINDFULNESS
A series of self-care guides to help you achieve better health and wellness and overcome mental health challenges. Mindful self care and compassion is achieved through mindfulness meditation and it can help you take control of your thoughts so you can take control of your life. Caring for yourself - putting a priority on yourself - is the most important thing you can do.
These books belong together but can read as standalone guides as well. Read book one for self care and book two for mindfulness meditation. Read book 3 for some mindful poetry.
GET YOUR FEET WET WITH AN INTRODUCTION
The Story of Mindfulness
Introduction to Mindfulness (Sample Chapter)
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
BOOK 1: Practicing Mindful Self Care
BOOK 2: Mindfulness for the Soul
BOOK 3: Be Mindful, Be Well Poetry Collection
Associated Glossaries
Companion Book
A series of self-care guides to help you achieve better health and wellness and overcome mental health challenges. Mindful self care and compassion is achieved through mindfulness meditation and it can help you take control of your thoughts so you can take control of your life. Caring for yourself - putting a priority on yourself - is the most important thing you can do.
These books belong together but can read as standalone guides as well. Read book one for self care and book two for mindfulness meditation. Read book 3 for some mindful poetry.
GET YOUR FEET WET WITH AN INTRODUCTION
The Story of Mindfulness
Introduction to Mindfulness (Sample Chapter)
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
BOOK 1: Practicing Mindful Self Care
BOOK 2: Mindfulness for the Soul
BOOK 3: Be Mindful, Be Well Poetry Collection
Associated Glossaries
- Mind Your Mindfulness - Mindfulness
- Striking a Pose - Yoga
- Spirit Within You - Spirituality
- It’s the Thought that Counts - Thoughts
Companion Book
MINDFULNESS INTRODUCTION
See Also: The Story of Mindfulness
- Let go of the burdens of your past choices, your mistakes, and the baggage you’ve been hauling everyday.
- Let go of the people in your past and the hurt they caused you
- Let go off the trauma and pain you’ve been carrying in your heart, your mind and your soul
- Let go of the fear, anxiety and depression of coming tomorrow.
Read on for an introduction to mindfulness. If you would like to be a beta reader email me at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter @KairosofLife
MINDFULNESS is a practice where you train your attention and awareness on the present, the right now, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. In this state you can practice mindful awareness, acceptance, understanding, and forgiveness for your thoughts and redirect them for change. You can let go of the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future. Scholars have found meditation difficult to define, as practices vary both between traditions and within them. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity in numerous religious traditions, often as part of the path towards enlightenment and self-realization.
MINDFUL AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE & COMPASSION
Mindfulness is the moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment, characterized by "acceptance" (attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong). It is a present-centered awareness of each thought, feeling, or sensation as they happen and as they are. You acknowledge, accept and let go of intrusive thoughts without judgement and with forgiveness. Compassion for yourself is vital. Forgive yourself. Let go of the pain and regrets and the guilt. You need to re-center and focus on the present moment and on your breath. Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on its normal rumination on the regrets of the past or the anxiety of the future. Senses are important so breathe the air and focus on the scents. Listen to everything surrounding you.
Open your eyes and see all that is before you. Reach out and touch the area you in are in and feel the different textures and sensations of the objects. If you have a drink nearby, take a mouthful and focus on the flavors from the liquid on your tongue. Feel the liquid slide down your throat and imagine it nourishing your body. Use all your senses to get in touch with the present moment all around you. Feel it, absorb it and try to understand the importance of being aligned with your self right now, in your sphere of control. Feel it empower you and make you stronger. This is your moment and you are in control.
With mindfulness you develop insight into the nature of things and learn to deal with your suffering and feelings calmly and peacefully. You become aware of things that bind you, restrain you or disturb you and through this keen sensory awareness you will begin to develop understanding, wisdom, detachment and inner stability. People with trauma may sometimes feel as though they can’t get away from the unpleasant thoughts and memories. You may feel preoccupied and distracted by these negative or unpleasant thoughts. You may be triggered by stimulating sights, sounds, smells or touches. Because of these factors many people with PTSD find that they have a hard time focusing their attention on what matters the most in life, like relationships with family and friends, their professions and hobbies or the activities that they used to enjoy.
Mindfulness meditation helps you get back in touch with the present moment and by harnessing control your will start to reduce the influence and control by unpleasant, scary or intrusive thoughts and memories. You can start to build a boundary to restrict these thoughts from entering your safe space. The stronger your boundary gets the stronger you will get at enforcing it. By taking control away from these dark thoughts you are minimizing their impact. Over time you can train your mind to enforce the boundaries without so much effort. And slowly, the boundaries will push those thoughts further away from your safety zone. Visualize the boundary as fencing that you can push away from yourself. Then using your meditative power, keep pushing that fencing further away. It may take time but you can push that fence far enough away that it will not trigger so much and you won’t always see it. Maybe it will just fade and you can forget it’s there. Just trust that boundary, that fence, to be indestructible. The only breach can come from you and by growing in strength you will minimize your actions to allow a breach. Remember you are in control.
MINDFUL AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE & COMPASSION
Mindfulness is the moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment, characterized by "acceptance" (attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong). It is a present-centered awareness of each thought, feeling, or sensation as they happen and as they are. You acknowledge, accept and let go of intrusive thoughts without judgement and with forgiveness. Compassion for yourself is vital. Forgive yourself. Let go of the pain and regrets and the guilt. You need to re-center and focus on the present moment and on your breath. Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on its normal rumination on the regrets of the past or the anxiety of the future. Senses are important so breathe the air and focus on the scents. Listen to everything surrounding you.
Open your eyes and see all that is before you. Reach out and touch the area you in are in and feel the different textures and sensations of the objects. If you have a drink nearby, take a mouthful and focus on the flavors from the liquid on your tongue. Feel the liquid slide down your throat and imagine it nourishing your body. Use all your senses to get in touch with the present moment all around you. Feel it, absorb it and try to understand the importance of being aligned with your self right now, in your sphere of control. Feel it empower you and make you stronger. This is your moment and you are in control.
With mindfulness you develop insight into the nature of things and learn to deal with your suffering and feelings calmly and peacefully. You become aware of things that bind you, restrain you or disturb you and through this keen sensory awareness you will begin to develop understanding, wisdom, detachment and inner stability. People with trauma may sometimes feel as though they can’t get away from the unpleasant thoughts and memories. You may feel preoccupied and distracted by these negative or unpleasant thoughts. You may be triggered by stimulating sights, sounds, smells or touches. Because of these factors many people with PTSD find that they have a hard time focusing their attention on what matters the most in life, like relationships with family and friends, their professions and hobbies or the activities that they used to enjoy.
Mindfulness meditation helps you get back in touch with the present moment and by harnessing control your will start to reduce the influence and control by unpleasant, scary or intrusive thoughts and memories. You can start to build a boundary to restrict these thoughts from entering your safe space. The stronger your boundary gets the stronger you will get at enforcing it. By taking control away from these dark thoughts you are minimizing their impact. Over time you can train your mind to enforce the boundaries without so much effort. And slowly, the boundaries will push those thoughts further away from your safety zone. Visualize the boundary as fencing that you can push away from yourself. Then using your meditative power, keep pushing that fencing further away. It may take time but you can push that fence far enough away that it will not trigger so much and you won’t always see it. Maybe it will just fade and you can forget it’s there. Just trust that boundary, that fence, to be indestructible. The only breach can come from you and by growing in strength you will minimize your actions to allow a breach. Remember you are in control.
- Recent research suggests that mindfulness may help to mitigate the relationship between maladaptive thinking and post-traumatic distress.
- Current research also suggests that mindfulness plays a role in the physical restructuring or rewiring of the brain.
MINDFULNESS FACT SHEET
Can you sit quiet and still for 30 minutes a day? With privacy? Then you can do it. Mindfulness is the psychological process of centering focus and attention to experiences occurring in the present moment.
Feelings can be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
Sensory consciousness includes being aware of what you can currently see, hear, smell and touch.
You will notice your breath as you inhale and exhale and become in touch with how your body feels.
Practicing mindfulness can bring improvements in both physical and psychological symptoms as well as positive changes in health, attitudes, and behaviors. Mindfulness is taking time to listen to the birds and see the changing colors of the seasons. It means inhaling the scents of home-cooked food, really listening to the music that surrounds you, feeling and noticing the touch of a breeze on your skin.
Mindfulness is not just about rooting your mind in the present moment; it is about approaching the present with childlike curiosity and exploring what it can bring you.
Can you sit quiet and still for 30 minutes a day? With privacy? Then you can do it. Mindfulness is the psychological process of centering focus and attention to experiences occurring in the present moment.
- It is the practice of sustaining attention on body, breath or sensations, or whatever arises in each moment.
- It is a present-centered awareness of each thought, feeling, or sensation AS they happen and as they are ACKNOWLEDGED and ACCEPTED without judgement.
Feelings can be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
Sensory consciousness includes being aware of what you can currently see, hear, smell and touch.
You will notice your breath as you inhale and exhale and become in touch with how your body feels.
Practicing mindfulness can bring improvements in both physical and psychological symptoms as well as positive changes in health, attitudes, and behaviors. Mindfulness is taking time to listen to the birds and see the changing colors of the seasons. It means inhaling the scents of home-cooked food, really listening to the music that surrounds you, feeling and noticing the touch of a breeze on your skin.
Mindfulness is not just about rooting your mind in the present moment; it is about approaching the present with childlike curiosity and exploring what it can bring you.
- Sometimes it’s physical, but other times it may be a thought or feeling that arises in reaction to what is happening around you.
- It is important to be open to whatever is happening in your moment, accepting it and listening to what it has to say.
- In each moment are hundreds of lessons waiting to be learned and mindfulness brings us closer to unearthing them.
MINDFULNESS HELPS YOU:
- Become fully engaged in activities
- Create a greater capacity to deal with adverse events
- Reduce worries about the future or regrets over the past
- Eliminate concerns about what other people think of you, your success, your money, or your looks.
- Improve your physical health by helping to relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.
- Improve your mental health by helping with depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, conflicts, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
You don’t need to change. Solutions that ask us to change who we are or become something we’re not have failed us over and over again. Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates the best of who we are as human beings.
It’s a way of living. Mindfulness is more than just a practice. It brings awareness and caring into everything we do—and it cuts down needless stress. Even a little makes our lives better.
It’s evidence-based. We don’t have to take mindfulness on faith. Both science and experience demonstrate its positive benefits for our health, happiness, work, and relationships.
It begins and ends in the body. It involves taking the time to pay attention to where we are and what’s going on, and that starts with being aware of our body
There’s no way to quiet your mind. That’s not the goal here. There’s no bliss state or otherworldly communion. All you’re trying to do is pay attention to the present moment, without judgment.
BASIC PREMISE
- Sitting quietly and focusing on your natural breathing or on a word or “mantra” that you repeat silently.
- Allowing thoughts to come and go without judgment
- When thoughts interfere returning your focus on your breath or mantra.
GO WITH THE FLOW
Once you establish concentration, you observe the flow of thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judging them as good or bad and accepting them for what they are.
BE AWARE
You notice external sensations such as sounds, sights, and touch more clearly.
- The challenge is not to latch onto a particular idea, emotion, or sensation or not get caught in thinking about the past or the future.
- Watch what comes and goes in your mind and discover which mental habits produce a feeling of well-being or one of suffering.
ACCEPTANCE
Practicing means accepting whatever arises in your awareness at each moment. Acceptance of your thoughts, feelings, sensations is vital. It involves being kind and forgiving of yourself.
JUDGEMENT
Your judgy brain will try to take over. We’re all guilty of listening to the critic in our heads a little more than we should.
- When we practice investigating our judgments and diffusing them, we can learn to choose how we look at things and react to them.
- When you practice mindfulness, try not to judge yourself for whatever thoughts pop up. Notice them, make a mental note of them, and let them pass.
LETTING GO
It’s all about returning your attention again and again to the present moment. It seems like our minds are wired to get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the breath. We use the sensation of breath as an anchor to the present moment. And every time we return to the breath, we reinforce our ability to do it again.
WHAT TO NOTICE
Each part of your body in succession from head to toe.
- Subtle body sensations, such as an itch or your skin tingling, without judgment.
LET THEM GO. - Sensory inputs like sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Name them “sight,” “sound,” “smell,” “taste,” or “touch” without judgment. LET THEM GO.
- Feel your emotions without judgment. Identify and name them them, “joy,” “anger,” “frustration.” Don't justify them, excuse them or pretend they aren't Accept the presence of the emotions without judgment. LET THEM GO.
BENEFITS
Mindfulness practice has been employed to reduce symptoms of depression, stress, worry, and anxiety.
- There have been studies shown that mindfulness helps heal the brain from trauma resulting from PTSD.
- Research studies have consistently shown a positive relationship between mindfulness and ensuring good psychological health. Anxiety can be reduced and the pain from depression can ease in time.
- The practice of mindfulness may be a preventive strategy to halt the development of mental-health problems
Read Be Mindful, Be Well