Mindfulness

When I use the word "mindful," I get strange looks. Then the questions start. What do you mean by mindful? Like using your mind: plain old thinking? Or is it simply referring to the act of paying attention? Well, sort of.

Here is the definition offered by the Greater Good Science Center: "Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment."

Why is this awareness important? It is truly the foundation of yoga: Patanjali's Yoga sutra 1.2, yogas citta vrtti nirodhah.  This can be translated as "cessation of the fluctuations of the mind."

So are your thoughts normally bouncing all over inside your mind like a sugar-crazed toddler? Yeah, mine too. If you can imagine calming that toddler down with a hug or their favorite blanket, finding some peace and quiet, that's where mindfulness begins.

Check out this site for an article and a short video with Jon Kabat-Zinn, author and designer of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, giving a quick version of what we mean by living mindfully.

Ten more reasons to practice mindfulness, as if you needed more!

Is mindfulness real science or psycho-babble? You be the judge: research.



1. Be sure you read through "prepare for each session" instructions before you begin. Today's practice should take only about 8 minutes. Also if you are reading this via email, click through to the blog website to access the audio.

2. Get comfy in your chair, legs uncrossed, hands resting in lap, take a deep breath as you soften your eyes, meaning: take in your peripheral vision vs. a hard stare, eyelids relaxed.

3. As you inhale lift arms over head, reaching for ceiling, palms may touch, return hands to center of chest (heart center) with palms pressed together. Repeat 3 times

4. With palms still touching, inhale, then with an exhale gently push hands more firmly together, releasing the pressure on an inhale. Repeat 3 times

5. Interlace your fingers so palms face down, elbows pointing away from your body. Gently move elbows away, creating resistance in interlaced fingers. Take a breath and release slowly.

6. Keeping fingers interlaced, straighten arms sending knuckles away from body. Arms should be at shoulder height, parallel to the floor. Breathe and notice the muscles in the your arms and shoulders. If you have flexibility in your wrists, you may want to try turning your palms out, interlaced knuckles facing your body, arms stretching long. Continue to take slow breaths.

7. Release your fingers and bring both hands to your right thigh, fingers pointing to the right, inhale as you sit up tall, shoulders back and spine long. As you exhale, begin to turn your head to look over your right shoulder, continuing the twist through your torso, seat staying planted to chair. Inhale again, using the exhale to twist just a bit deeper. One more breath as you twist, then return to center. Repeat twist to left then return to center once again, hands resting on lap.

8. Push your chair back from the desk about 2 feet. Use an inhale to reach your hands over head once again, exhaling as you slowly lower hands onto knees, hinging at the hips leading with chest toward your knees for a forward fold. Inhale as you slowly lift torso back to sitting upright. Repeat 2 more times.

9. Slide your fingers of both hands under your right thigh, lifting it a few inches from seat. Keeping knee bent and spine straight, use the hands to move the thigh in circles to open the hip joint. Switch direction after 4 or 5 rotations. Rest the right thigh and move hands under left leg, repeating same movement on this side, 4-5 rotations in both directions.

10. Let hands rest in your lap, relaxing your eyes once again, focusing on slow deep breathing, silently repeating: "in" with each inhale, and  "out" with each extended exhale, for at least 10 complete breath cycles. Enjoy your day!