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An Apple a Day...

7/30/2018

Imagine the difference it would make if we took care of our mental health in the same way as we take care of our physical health. We know that brushing our teeth is important to keep them healthy and avoid fillings. We know that eating our 5 a day is going to encourage better health. We know that taking exercise will contribute to our overall health and fitness levels.
Can we apply this same thinking to our mental health? Can we apply the 'An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away' principle, to our heads?

Make a commitment this week to do one thing every day to encourage your mental health, (see the list of suggestions below)
Find a slot in your day where you will have the time to do your chosen practice, and write it in your diary, or set a reminder in your phone.
Do it!

Here are a couple of suggestions for practices that are easily integrated into a day, and have a huge impact on your mental health. Choose one, or perhaps you have your own favorite practice?
Do a gratitude practice.
Do some relaxing breathing.
Exercise in the morning.
Watch your thoughts pass by.
Ground using your body.

"Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." - Simone de Beauvoir

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Intentional Change

7/23/2018

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Instructions for "Intentional Change":

Think of a change you have been considering, or trying to make recently. It could be to take more exercise, eat healthier, get more sleep, have more fun, expand your social circle, etc..
When you get into bed tonight, take a minute to picture yourself doing that thing. For example, if your change is to eat healthier, picture yourself eating a lush green salad, if it's get more exercise, picture yourself taking an energetic walk. Really get into it, and imagine that you are actually doing your chosen thing now.
Now write that change on a piece of paper or card 10 times, making sure to phrase it in a positive manner, in the present tense. So, again, if it's eating healthily, you would write: "I enjoy eating nutritious and nourishing foods." Bring your full awareness to this.
Leave the card by the bed, perhaps by the alarm clock, so it'll be in your line of sight when you wake in the morning.
Repeat the phrase to yourself 10 times, with full attention.
Repeat every night and morning this week (or for longer if you like)

If you want to sustain a change in your life, or form a new habit, you have to bring it into your awareness every day. This serves not only to remind you of the direction you want to take on a conscious level, it also works subconsciously to whisper in your ear each time a choice point arises over the course of the day that will move you closer, or further away from your desired outcome. These little choices, over and over again, are all steps in the right direction.
Think of it like a ship crossing the ocean, if you adjust the course of that ship by just a degree, it might end up in another continent!

"Intention is the core of all conscious life. Conscious intention colors and moves everything." - Hsing Yun

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The Sanctuary Within

7/17/2018

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Instructions for "The Sanctuary Within"

Stop what you are doing and sit in a relaxed but alert posture.
Tell yourself that for the next minute (or more if you have it) there is nothing else you need to do.
Bring your awareness to your feet on the floor. Feel the weight of the feet on the floor, and the support of the floor for your feet.
Now bring your awareness to your bum on the chair. Feel the weight of your body on the seat, and the support of the seat.
Now become aware of your back resting on the chair, and the support of your own spine within.
Tune in to the flow of your breath as it comes in and out of the body.
Notice the stillness that is always in you.
Try to carry this stillness with you as you move forward with your day.

You have just practiced being in the present moment in a very simple but effective way. Your body is always with you, it's your home. The practice of being present in this home will ground you when you need it, and provide a peaceful refuge when the going gets tough. This is living mindfully in the world.

"If we practice mindfulness, we always have a place to be when we are afraid."
- Thich Nhat Hanh

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Tuning in to Sounds

7/9/2018

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Instructions for Tuning in to Sounds

Stop what you're doing and take a grounding belly breath.
Bring your attention to the sounds around you.
Try to just hear the sounds without attaching a story or interpretation to them.
When you find yourself drifting into stories about the sounds, bring your focus back to the sounds themselves.
After one minute, return to your day.

What you've just practiced is the art of letting things be as they are.
We can exhaust ourselves being annoyed by little things that are often beyond our control — The person in the office who talks too loudly; the rattle on the dashboard that you never seem to have time to fix; the wheel on the shopping trolley that wants you to go left.
Whatever it is, if you can learn to let it be, you will be saving your energy for the things that really matter to you.

"Mindfulness is the practice of returning your attention again and again to what is going on, even if you don't like it, rather than spending time and energy on a struggle with reality." - Padraig O'Morain

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Attitude of Generosity

7/3/2018

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Ever heard the saying “Your can’t pour from an empty cup”?
We all have people in our lives that we love and care for, but life challenges can sometimes deplete our energy, making it harder to be there for our loved ones. Practising mindfulness fills your cup, so you can in turn, fill others.
Also, studies have shown that moods are contagious. In 1993, an experiment in Washington showed that crime rates dropped by 23.3% due to a group practising focused meditation. http://www.worldpeacegroup.org/washington_crime_study.html
So, when you practice mindfulness, you are giving to those around you, as well as yourself.

Here’s a simple way to practice generosity to yourself, and others:

For the next minute (or longer if you have it), simply focus on your breath.
Follow the breath as it flows in and out of the body.
When your attention drifts, gently return to the breath.
Know that this simple act of mindfulness is for you, and for those around you.

"Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present." - Albert Camus

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An Apple a Day...

Intentional Change

The Sanctuary Within

Tuning in to Sounds

Attitude of Generosity

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