…So I am back from my coaching workshop and have way too much information to even know what to do with! I mean I could post on so many topics right now it is out of control. But I want to take some time to let it all sink in, get to my to-do list, and continue to learn before I process some of this. And how timely because I just received this wonderful article from a doctor friend of mine, that I prefer to post on this right now:
…What I suggest to you is read the article. Then you will come up with your own thoughts and reactions. But I wanted to share mine!…
…This article is amazing. I find that it is relevant to many of my previous posts on staying centered, living in the present moment, and being mindfully aware of the now. It states that “Last year, a Harvard study confirmed that there’s a clear connection between mind wandering and unhappiness. Not only did the study find that if you’re awake, your mind is wandering almost half the time, it also found that this wandering is linked to a less happy state.” I agree with this whole heartedly. Because I have lived it and because I observe it. I can think of many instances where I am observing family members, friends, and co-workers in my office and their wandering minds. All the mind does is jump from one topic of worry to the next on the to-do list to the next unpleasant thought to the next “why did I say that” to the next “how come he did that to me…” You get the idea. The mind wandering is never (or hardly ever) like this; “oh wow look at that pretty sunset…. that bird flying overhead sure does chirp beautifully… and hmmm what was that pleasant smell of baking… and I am so happy I was proud of myself today…” The mind wanders in the state of negativity and worry…
…I have practiced (or try to as I too get busy and fall out of routine) meditation now for over a year. I really have found inner peace, calm, and happiness with the practice. I find it brings me back to a state of the present moment. When I begin to feel overwhelmed, start to worry, or get anxious about all the pressing tasks on my list I take a deep breath and think about what I am doing in the here and now and what is going on that I can concentrate on focus on in the present moment…
… It doesn’t happen overnight. To just give you an idea of my timeline; I started out with Jon Kabat-Zin’s book Full Catastrophe Living in July of last year. Since that time I have practiced breath work. I then moved on to his CDs and tapes for meditation. Last December I found a weekly meditation group in my town through the Kadampa Meditation Center and started going to those classes. I then found the Healing Pathways class and started that in March in which I practiced various forms of meditation, guided imagery, and self-relaxation through Reiki. I now have continued on with my own practice. I have added some other mediation CDs along the way. I have added mantras and affirmations as I learn them through my chakra system readings I have been doing. It is an ever-evolving process. And it can be your own. But I urge you to find whatever works for you and get started. This article is proof enough that meditation, being in the present, and focusing on the now is the healthy way of happy living. Covering things up with alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, even food just leads to perpetuating unhappiness and cycles of downward spiral…
What are your thoughts on this article? Have you ever tried meditation? Please feel free to contact me at livingsublimewellness@gmail.com with questions, comments, or if you want to learn more about getting started.
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