Mindfulness

Mindfulness. What is it? How does it help? The concept of mindfulness or living consciously in the moment is that of awareness – being aware of what all parts of your body and your mind are doing in any given moment. It means being fully attentive to what you are doing and where you are. And then the body and mind are in sync. By directing your awareness to your body and what it is doing you reduce all the confusing mindtalk which is full of doubt and full of anxiety about the future. You focus on the present. This simplifies life and relaxes you. It allows you to give 100% to you as well as to what you are doing. You then live fully in the moment.

Anger

Anger. Do you let yourself feel it? What do you do with it? Put a lid on it and stuff it down? Let it pop out at ridiculous times? Let it explode? Scary! We don’t like anger. We don’t want to feel it, or show it, or be around it, or near anyone who is expressing it. We don’t understand it. It is so unpredictable. Other emotions are much easier to explain and understand. Most of us have plenty of anger in us. It is often stored in some deep place where we think we can control it. Then it seeps out as resentment, judgement, or critical comments. Or it suddenly explodes outwards at other people. Try being curious about anger and letting yourself feel it inside your body. Expressing it by words or explosion is not actually letting it go. It’s still there. However, if you take time for you, and let your body feel the anger inside, bringing your awareness to the pure feeling, it will empty out, and then the story about why you feel angry will disappear. Try it. It’s worth it.

Acceptance

If you had to totally accept the circumstances that you are in, what would you have to feel? If you could totally accept your health as it is, what fears would this bring up? If you couldn’t complain about your life, what would you have to feel? If you couldn’t complain what would you have to face or say or do? If you thought your financial situation would never improve what would you have to face? If you thought your relationship situation would never change what would you have to feel? If you had no hope of change what would you have to feel? Take some time for yourself and let yourself feel these feelings. It’s won’t be as drastic as you think. When the feelings have exhausted themselves, you will be surprised at the peace, clarity and strength that you experience. 

No way to get anything right!

If you were told that there was no way to get anything right, how would you feel?  Would you feel relieved? Or would you feel panic? How strongly do you like to be right? Do you correct other people’s words? Do you tell people how to get it right? Do you think it is right to be right? Do you become defensive when someone challenges you? Would you feel totally lost if you couldn’t be right at least some of the time? It’s all about controlling the world around you to make yourself feel safe. Being out of control can sometimes bring up scary emotions. And this is a gift, as you then have the opportunity to face the emotion and be free of it. Let yourself feel.

Judgement

How often do you judge yourself? How often do you criticize yourself? How often do you think “I should have done this or that”? If you inquire deeply, what do you think about this pattern of yours? Is there some notion that you ought to judge yourself, to justify not being good enough and needing to be better. If it were possible to set aside the judgements what would you have to feel? Maybe this is something you don’t want to face. However, maybe there would be benefit in facing the feelings such as worthlessness that could arise. By facing them, you can let them go and recognize the truth inside you – that you really are good enough, and you have the freedom to live fully.

Beliefs

What do you believe about yourself? Beliefs about ourselves govern what we do in our life. Do you believe that you are not confident? Then you will act as if you are not confident, and you won’t feel confident. Do you believe that you are old? Think what this word means to you. You will act like this, and your body and mind will become old. Do you believe that you aren’t good enough. Well, you will behave as if you aren’t good enough. Do you believe that others don’t listen to you? Believing this means that this is what will happen. Beliefs about ourselves are very powerful things that run our lives and limit our freedom. Often we don’t realize they are there because they are so deep.

Armor

How open are you? Do you let your real self out when having conversations? Or do you have a protective armor around you, stopping you from exposing too much of yourself in case you become vulnerable. How heavy is this armor? Is it so heavy that it takes an effort to have it in place? Is it weighing you down? What would you risk feeling if you let the armor down? Imagine the armor falling away and give yourself the gift of feeling what is really here and then letting it go. Sure, you might feel vulnerable. You will find truth, trust and joy with the vulnerability, as well as an inner strength. Be free of the heavy armor.