'The state we want to reach is where we’re active and engaged a lot of the time, but we have proper breaks away from it all. Rest without guilt, rest without stress.'
This involves coming back to the intention again and again to make time for rest, and also perhaps some reframing of what different forms rest can take. Where are the spaces in the day for rest? There may be more than you think (see article). Also responding skilfully to any thoughts and emotions that are here... Noticing guilt is here, allowing it to be here with a smile, with friendliness, making a wise choice to rest anyway. Whatever rest means for you. We need to learn to rest. https://www.theguardian.com/…/self-and-wellbeing-how-to-res…
0 Comments
A reminder today - for myself as much as anyone - to take time to let the nourishment in. In these darker, colder days of January we don't (perhaps feel that we can't?) slow down as we really need to. And so often we find ourselves operating on automatic pilot, not fully present, including for the good stuff.
So, whatever nourishes you, let it in... Moments of appreciation with loved ones, friends, a kind act or exchange that made you smile, something lovely in nature, a hug, a favourite treat. Take them in, open fully to these moments, rest in them, revisit them. Eat what your body most needs, sleep, stretch, give yourself permission to be non-productive for a while... take in whatever helps keep you well and nourishes you. You can't pour from an empty vessel. There is time enough for everything. Take time to let the nourishment in. This is an interesting read on the brain's negativity bias (which is wired into us through evolution) and the implications of this.
When teaching we often use the analogy of our minds being like sticky velcro for the negative and slippery teflon for the positive. While understandable from an evolutionary point of view, this isn't always very helpful to us, but through mindfulness practice we can: Grow awareness of this negativity bias (and the thoughts patterns and emotions that come along with it), and respond more skilfully. Grow appreciation by turning towards the good stuff. Huzzah!!! https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_overcome_your_brains_fixation_on_bad_things?fbclid=IwAR2hZuS8TNos6JAej4XbJWLOnfhs2liYrIrrVY5w_WH5MwuEFzaGPgAidiY Joseph Goldstein says that defining 'mindfulness' is like trying to define love or art... But we've got to give it a go in our introductory sessions so here are some of the quotes that we use...
Anyone else feeling like this???
Due to last minute cancellations we have a couple of spaces on our free Introduction to Mindfulness session in Wallingford on 9th January (see link in comments). Come and join us! We had a wonderful session in Henley yesterday evening finding out why we spend so much time 'living in our heads' and what we can do about it... Image credit: Michael Leunig 'Don’t meditate to fix yourself, to improve yourself, to redeem yourself; rather, do it as an act of love, of deep warm friendship to yourself. In this way there is no longer any need for the subtle aggression of self-improvement, for the endless guilt of not doing enough. It offers the possibility of an end to the ceaseless round of trying so hard that wraps so many people’s lives in a knot. Instead there is now meditation as an act of love. How endlessly delightful and encouraging.'
~ Bob Sharples, Meditation: Calming the mind Come and start on the path of mindfulness meditation with us - our next course begins on 30th January in Wallingford |
AuthorI'm Claire - and I (re)learn something every day from practising and teaching mindfulness... Archives
March 2022
Categories |