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What Are you Thinking?

10/22/2018

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Instructions for "What Are you Thinking?":

Set a reminder on your phone or watch to go off at least 3 times during the day.
When the reminder goes, check in with your thoughts. - Are you telling a story to yourself about yourself? Are you putting yourself down? Are you ruminating on the past? Are you worrying about the future?
Don't judge what you find, just bring awareness to it.
End your check in with a kind word to yourself, such as "I love you", or "May I be at peace."

We talk to ourselves all day long. It's good to know what we are saying... :)

"There's nothing of so infinite vexation,
As a man's own thoughts."
- John Webster

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Breaking Old Patterns

10/8/2018

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Instructions for "Breaking Old Patterns":

Sit up straight in your chair and place your feet flat on the floor if you can. Close your eyes, or lower your gaze.
Tune in to your breath as it flows in and out of your body, follow each inhale and exhale as fully as you can. There's no need to change your breath.
When your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to the breath — don't give yourself a hard time, instead, congratulate yourself for noticing your mind had wandered.
When emotions arise, just notice them without getting involved in them, and return to the breath.
After a minute, open your eyes and come back to the room.

For the past minute, you have practiced being in control of your 'monkey mind'. You have promoted relaxation, and improved your focus.
Aim to do this several times a day for the next week. (It may help to set a reminder on your phone.) Each time you practice, know that you are doing a little more to break the habits of your automatic thinking, and take control of your life.

If you have any questions about Breaking Old Patterns, email me!

Neuroscience research shows that "neurons that fire together, wire together" (Hebb, 2009). Like a path worn in grass, neuronal pathways strengthen with repetitive use. Mindfulness practice is your opportunity to establish healthy pathways in your brain, so it no longer chooses default responses such as anger, anxiety, stress, or fear.
Strengthen your mindfulness muscle - because prevention is better than cure...

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What Would a Wise Man Do?

10/1/2018

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Instructions for "What Would a Wise Man Do?":
Next time you find yourself challenged by something, be it a moral dilemma, a decision, another person, a work or home situation, a personal problem–and you are trying to figure out what to do about it, give the following a go:

Take a couple of deep belly breaths.
When you feel a little calm in body and mind, ask yourself, "What would a wise man do in this situation?"
Then listen for the answer.
If the answer doesn't come right away, be patient, repeat the practice a couple of times, and it will come.

We are all wiser than we think. A lot of what I do in session with clients is keep an ear open for their strengths, their wisdom, their courage, their goodness, and reflect back what I see when they are unable to see it for themselves.
When someone is depressed or anxious, patterns of thought can convince them that they are not good enough, that they can't do anything right, that they are useless, unable to cope, hopeless. Even without depression or anxiety, life's fast pace can leave us frazzled and reactive, jumping from one decision to the next.
Taking some time to call on our inner wisdom helps us respond to life in a way that is more in tune with who we are, and doing the practice often strengthens our ability to connect with that wisdom when we need it, and helps us develop the self-trust we need to navigate life well.

"I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness." - Walt Whitman

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What Are you Thinking?

Breaking Old Patterns

What Would a Wise Man Do?

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