Tag Archives | Beginner’s Mind

Vipassana, More Than Meditation

By Therese Sheedy on June 27, 2017 in Mindfulness

This is my vipassana story, or as I remember it, boot camp for the mind, body and soul.

For many years I considered the idea of attending a vipassana retreat. For those of you who don’t know – a vipassana is a silent retreat. It can be different lengths, I chose a 10 day, rather than 30days! Many people repeat this experience and they are held all around the world.

You sit in meditation for most of the day, 11 hours in fact! Focus is on the breath for the initial 3 days, then on the sensations in the body for the rest of the ten days.

Before I left on this adventure, many people commented on how difficult they thought it would be to be silent for a whole 10 days. I thought that would be a challenge, but one I was up for.

Along with my regular meditation practice, I often have periods of silence in my life. I drive without the radio on; I work around the house without television, radio or music, or chatting to anyone. I actually enjoy those periods, so coping with silence wasn’t a concern I had, even though leaving all technology and reading materials behind did raise some interest in me.

Little did I know, that vipassana is code for boot camp for the mind, body and soul. Silence is the easy part.

Silence is a major part of the process. The teaching says it’s about not getting distracted by conversations. You know how you might go over and over in your mind what was said, while you are supposed to be focused on your meditation.

We know that conversations often get repeated in our minds – “why did I say that?” “What did they mean when they said ……..?” “I think they are ………..” “I wish I had said …………” because that is what minds do.

However the silence in vipassana has a bigger impact. Silence means that without external input, your mind is left to ‘chat’ with itself, and chat it does! Mind wandering into forgotten memories or preparing for the challenges of the unknown future.

In my daily meditation practice I have noticed my mind wandering is usually future-focused. Ideas of what I can do with teaching mindfulness in my classes pass in and out of my meditating mind quite often. This didn’t happen in vipassana. My mind somehow wanted to go back. Go back and resolve past issues, ones I thought I had long laid to rest, but quickly realised I probably hadn’t.

The teaching of the vipassana focuses on impermanence, everything changes. Nothing in our bodies are solid – breath, blood, muscles, organs, even bones are constantly changing, and so too are our thoughts. Focus on the body teaches the mind about impermanence – everything is changing.

Hanging on to a thought as if it is forever is quickly dismissed – impermanence – everything changes – and I have changed since that past incident. Time to move on and let it go.

The biggest challenge, at least for me, wasn’t coping with the silence, it was the pressure on the body. At the end of our 10 days noble silence others had said they found getting up at 4am ready to sit at 4.30am each day a huge challenge. So much so they even had a nap during the lunchtime rest break. I managed the early rises easily, for me it was the body.

Due to a recent foot injury, I had been unable to maintain my yoga practice and so my body was stiffer than usual. I think though, not as stiff and inflexible as many of my contemporaries. However sitting in meditation for about 11 hours a day for 10 days is excruciatingly painful, and yet pain in the knees, back, buttocks, and in my case, foot, would come and go – impermanence!

I would sit and pain would arise. I would notice it, want to move to relieve it , as we all do, but stick to the process of vipassana, and at the end of the sitting the pain would have dissolved somewhere along the way – impermanence!

This is a curiosity. The power of honing attention, of noticing without getting hooked into having to change anything, to sit with self-compassion and strong determination, enabled me to somehow cope with both body pain and emotional pain – impermanence.

In the end, my practice is undoubtedly stronger and my mind more flexible, generous and compassionate.

As a psychologist I did have trouble with parts of the teaching of the theory and philosophy of vipassana. I was challenged by some of the beliefs and talking with the assistant teacher unfortunately didn’t allay my professional concerns.

I would strongly advise anyone to consider why they are attracted to or going on their first vipassana. I would also urge anyone who has symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder to speak to a professional before starting your vipassana journey.

Given that the teaching is all done on pre-recorded CDs and DVDs, because the master Goenka passed away in 2013, for me it was impossible to really gain a good insight into the fundamental ethos or hope any feedback may change the language used or approach.

I know that attending the vipassana has positively changed the lives of many people. I know that my life has also been changed in positive ways through this experience as well. However I would be alarmed if someone who is quite psychologically fragile saw this retreat as a means of getting to the bottom of their difficulties, considering there was no professional help available.

For me, I will continue to learn more about Buddhist psychology and hopefully I can reconcile my concerns in time. For now I will continue my practice, maybe not the recommended 1hr morning and night, but nevertheless I will continue to develop my understanding of meditation, after all no matter how long you have been practicing, we are all beginners.

The concept of impermanence has always been central to my belief system and my psychological practice; I now have a more physical and emotional experience of it.

Here is a link from mindful.org on what you may need to consider before you attend any meditation retreat.

Namaste

Autumn Soundscape Meditation

By Therese Sheedy on March 7, 2016 in Mindfulness

As I wait for someone in a park in my beautiful city, I decide, as I often do in situations like this, to take the opportunity and sit in a soundscape meditation.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with meditation or soundscape meditations I will attempt to explain what I like to encourage when I teach it.

Generally in our day we divide sounds into those we like and those we don’t. The sounds we don’t like we usually describe as noise. This is particularly true when we are feeling the negative effects of stress. When our minds are in distress.

It seems the higher our stress the lower our threshold is to cope with the cacophony of everyday sounds.

By labelling these everyday sounds as ‘noise’ we limit ourselves. We limit our tolerance, because noise is something that annoys us, grates on our nerves, and interrupts our thinking or sense of calm.

We also limit ourselves to see, or should I say hear, the connections that make up our world. Connections made by others perhaps going about their day. We limit our awareness of noticing, which is why soundscape meditation is very much a mindfulness meditation.

So as I sit with my eyes closed on this warm day early in Melbourne’s autumn, I start to hear so many sounds. I always find it amazing how when we quieten the eyes our sense of hearing seems to awaken even more.

Construction sounds are probably the most dominant sounds in my present, and so the ears are naturally drawn to them. Construction sounds are sounds of people working. Sounds of possibilities for the future for others to work or live in the city. Sounds of amazing machinery designed by engineers and creative inventors to help make our lives safer and easier. Machinery that someone else has also made, providing a job for them as well.

As I listen more closely to my city I hear the sounds of traffic. People moving. Looking to connect with others perhaps, possibly looking to leave the city for the weekend. Moving to jobs, for jobs. Moving to families or friends. Who am I to decide that this is annoying or unnecessary?

The ding of a tram bell indicates movement stopping or starting. A caution to others to be careful as they go about their life. Not all cities have this unique form of transport. Trams are synonymous with Melbourne, they are our history.

Suddenly the sounds of sirens. An ambulance followed by a fire engine. We can be tempted to think they are spoiling our serenity with their loud raucous bells, or we can understand that someone is in need of support and these people are doing everything they can to get there as quickly as possible to offer that support. Their sounds no longer offensive, more an act of selflessness, courage and compassion.

The wind is rustling the trees providing a touch of nature in this city soundscape. Birds are tweeting to each other as they either fly overhead or sit perched in the trees that create a softening of the city.

People are walking by. I hear their footsteps. Some are gentle, some scurry. Some push the autumn leaves along the pathway. Kicking autumn leaves always transports me back to childhood. Fallen leaves, a sign of the change in seasons. The earth in its continuous cycle of change, a change we can often be oblivious to as we go about the busyness of our day.

A soundscape meditation is a wonderful way to instantly become present. While I have talked here about the sounds, labelling them for the purpose of this blog, a soundscape meditation is actually a time when you don’t have to think. You don’t need to label, judge or assess the sounds of your present as good or bad, they just are.

A soundscape meditation can immediately ground us in the beauty of the world, a world full of connections that we may otherwise miss.

Soundscape meditation is easy to do and very portable, you can do it anywhere.

Give it a go and watch your mind attempting to label and judge, resist these temptations, allowing the world to be and you to just be in it.

2016 – A New Year or just another new moment?

By Therese Sheedy on December 31, 2015 in Mindfulness

Time is an interesting concept. Apparently one of the most said phrases in the world is “what’s the time?”
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Science explains – why meditation is good for us!

By Therese Sheedy on July 11, 2015 in Mindfulness

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your brain during meditation?

Why would sitting still, with closed eyes be so calming?

Well actually for some of us, it isn’t so calming, it is a nightmare. Some people can’t stand the endless chatter that the mind does when they stop and sit. Some people say that trying to still the mind is just impossible and so meditation just isn’t possible for them. A lot of people agree with that, in my meditation practice and teaching course I hear that a lot. “You know this won’t work for me, I can’t stop thinking for a second let alone minutes! It’s a lost cause I’m afraid.”

Well, no it isn’t a “lost cause” but the striving to quieten the mind, or still your thoughts is fraught with problems. So in order to gain the benefits of meditation it is best to let those ideals go.

DON’T try to do anything to your mind and see what happens.

There are two things you need to know: Firstly, anyone can meditate and secondly, one of the reasons why we actually feel good when we do.

OK, firstly, anyone can meditate. If you stop trying to control everything you might notice that you immediately have a bit of freedom to actually notice what is happening during meditation.

Meditation is attention training. Training yourself to focus on one thing and noticing when your mind wants to get involved and ‘run the show’.

Our attention is rarely tuned to one thing. It flits all over the place. We think about the weather, what we need to be doing next, what happened yesterday and how we feel about it. We think about people, food, work tasks, chores, traffic, and problems to be solved. Thinking goes on and we let it, getting hooked on each thought that comes into our head as if it were SO important that it deserves all that attention.

In meditation we decide where our attention will be placed. Often this may be on the breath, sometimes it may be on sounds, or a mantra, or even a movement or eating. It is where we place our attention and how we continually notice when our attention is distracted from that focus and gently bring it back.

That simple, right? Hell no! This is hard work – at first – but like anything new, once we practice, it becomes easier and easier.

Now why does it feel good when we do focus in meditation?

One of the reasons is a small gland hidden in centre of the brain called the pineal gland. The pineal gland is responsible for the release of the hormone – melatonin, which is an important part of the body’s circadian timing system and can synchronise daily rhythms. The French philosopher Rene Descartes believed the pineal gland was the ‘seat of the soul’ considered to influence happiness.

Melatonin is responsible for our sleep/wake cycle and sexual development. It is stimulated by darkness. One of the reasons why meditation activates the pineal gland could be the darkness caused by closing the eyes.

Meditation activates the pineal gland to produce melatonin, creating a deep feeling of wellness and sleep (peacefulness) in the awake brain. During meditation we have a decrease in blood pressure, decreased heart rate and a slowing of the breath, all causing a sense of calm and relaxation.

All of this is due to the fact we can focus our attention by closing our eyes to external stimuli, stimulate the pineal gland to release melatonin and feel calmer and happier in the process.

So give it a go. Don’t get caught in the trap that your mind is too active to meditate. The best thinkers in the world know that to be focused produces results. Try being focused for 1 minute, then 3 minutes, 5 minutes, then 10 minutes a day and see what a difference it makes to not only your productivity but your overall sense of wellness and happiness.

With thanks – photos by Sebastien Wiertz

What is mothering?

By Therese Sheedy on May 9, 2015 in Mindfulness

With Mother’s Day here I am drawn to the concept of what is mothering?

My own mother passed away 13 years ago and she is still present in my life. While I miss her greatly, I savour and give thanks that she was my mother.

As I have grown I have a different relationship with my mother than I used to. When she was alive she was busy doing. Her family meant a lot to her – not everything – she had other parts of her life where she also shared her gifts of friendship, laughter, love and support. Mum dedicated herself to others – my father, our family, her local cricket club.

I often hear my mother’s voice in my head as I walk along our beach, where she would challenge me to consider what a wonderful gift nature was. How lucky we were to have such beauty around us, and how we needed to be gentle and kind to the universe. This part of mum I channel daily in my work, my gratitude and my awareness. This is in tune with my practice of mindful living.

However mindfulness has also taught me to be aware of my thinking and sometimes I find my mother’s judgments on the world seeping into my consciousness and becoming my judgments. It is in these times that I acknowledge my choice, to be just like my mother, in all ways, or to choose how I react to the world and more specifically to people and their actions in the world.

It is easy to be kind and generous of spirit to those we are ‘like’ or those we agree with. The challenge is to remain openhearted to everyone’s pain not just our own.

While my mother was a wonderful human being and a loving, caring mother, I know she wasn’t the perfect person. No one is. As a mother and now grandmother, I see the role of mothering to be broader than my immediate family and Mother Nature. I attempt to bring kindness and gentleness to my interactions with others whether I know them, like them or not.

I believe that the unconditional love of a mother is what the world needs more of. The world aches for guidance and wisdom of a mother who will teach values and keep you in line with understanding and strength.

I give thanks for my mother, not just on this special day, but everyday. I also give thanks for the opportunities to take a mothering kindness to my own family, my friends, my colleagues, my clients and my world.

I hope you can honour all the mothers in your life and the many ways you can mother in your part of the world.

Be kind to your body, stay present

By Therese Sheedy on March 25, 2015 in Mindfulness

It is difficult to understand, but the present moment is the only moment you actually have. This is difficult to understand because our minds rarely live in the present moment, and so they are unfamiliar with it and don’t readily trust it.

The past is gone, done, dusted. No amount of reliving it in your head will actually change those events, make someone or yourself nicer, or take away the pain those events brought. I think a lot of times we revisit the past to remind ourselves of the wrongs someone has done to us, as a means of comfort or justification, reminding ourselves we were wronged.

We think by going over and over, ruminating on past events, we will understand them more clearly and perhaps pick up some ideas or clues on how to prevent or avoid them happening to us again.

Unfortunately what happens is this.

When we experience pain, trauma, suffering, or experiences we don’t like or want, our body reacts. It usually goes into what is called the fight/flight response. Trying to shield itself from the trauma or danger that exists in front of us.

When this happens little parts of us shut down to protect our systems from harm. Other parts fire up to help us gain the strength to fight or tackle the trauma head on or, flee – escape the situation to keep us safe.

Each time our mind revisits a past danger or trauma, such as getting bad news, being attacked by someone (both physically or verbally), being in an accident, someone being injured or dying etc. our body also revisits the past. It re-experiences the fight/flight response we had back then, even though there is no threat in the present moment. This is how powerful the mind-body connection is.

The same is true if we continually think about what might happen in the future – “What if this doesn’t work? What if I can’t do it? What if they don’t do what they are supposed to? How will we cope?”

When we live in this future that we can’t control, again our bodies experience the trauma of the event we are imagining as if it were actually happening now. Again parts of our system close down to protect us, and other parts move into full swing – again the fight/flight response is in action even though you may be sitting at your desk at work, on the train, in the kitchen, or watching TV. There is no trauma our bodies are reacting to in the present, it is reacting to the possibility of trauma in the future, but it can’t tell the difference.

Our bodies need to respond naturally to events, rather than be pushed into a constant state of trauma and anger management. This is where mindfulness and living mindfully can help.

By focusing just here, just now, we give our internal systems some space and rest. We are able to experience calmness and regain a feeling of control in our lives. We are more able to respond to just this situation, and not have it blown out because we were stressed by events of the past or possible events in the future that we have been thinking about.

When our minds are out of the present they can often feel out of control. We feel out of control and every little experience such as a traffic jam, or rain on the washing, or dropping a cup, can feel like a major crisis and we in turn feel like we’re not coping.

So how do we live more mindfully?

We need to start bringing a little mindfulness into each day. Here are a couple of simple but not so easy to do exercises to practice – and keep practicing!

Each time you move through a doorway, consciously notice and remind yourself you are now in a new space. That may be a doorway between rooms, the door going outside, the car door, even the toilet door! Each doorway takes you into a new space, see if you can take your mind and focus into that space as well.

Three Breaths Stop: any time you stop, for whatever reason, focus on the next three breaths. When you stop to wait for your morning takeaway, stopped in traffic, stopped in the queue at the supermarket, stopped waiting for children to finish sport/music/school. Each time you stop notice three breaths. You don’t need to breathe deeply or in any particular way, just breathe and notice it. Breathing in and out will do, it does a good job for you the rest of the time when you’re not noticing!

Good reasons to become a morning person

By Therese Sheedy on January 4, 2015 in Mindfulness

There are many reasons to start the day early, but if you’re not a morning person then becoming an early riser will be one of the hardest, but most rewarding, routines you will put into place, and here are at least five good reasons why you should:

Early risers are more proactive and future-focused. According to Harvard biologist Christoph Randler people who rise early are more likely to set long-term goals and commit to those goals.
Early risers are more likely to have an exercise routine which boosts mood and energy for the rest of the day
Sleep experts agree that going to bed earlier, and rising earlier will tune your body to the earth’s circadian rhythms, meaning sleep will be more restorative
Early risers report lower depression and higher levels of overall happiness and wellbeing
Rising early means you will have time for breakfast. Eating breakfast has been linked to more stable weight control, lowered heart disease and lower risk of diabetes.

And if that’s not enough, here are 5 more things to consider:

The morning brings a beauty that is different from any other part of the day – there is a reason that birds sing in the morning
Rising early means you will be more tired earlier at night which will encourage you to go to bed instead of watching mind-deadening television programs just to ‘fill in time’ before you go to bed
Getting up early will give you space from other people in your world – you can decide how you spend this time just for you, without the demands of others
Taking this early time to sit in silent meditation gives your day a whole new perspective. Instead of getting out of bed anxious about the demands of the day ahead, you can start your day with a clearer, quieter perspective – something you can draw on throughout the rest of the day
If you get up just 1hr earlier every day you will gain 15days in a year! What could you do with 15 more days? – everything you love to do, that’s what!!!!!

Start small, set that alarm for 15mins earlier and then gradually build up to 1hr. When you hear that little voice say “I don’t want to get out of bed” know that that is just a habit. Ask yourself is it easy to do – put you feet on the floor? – yes it is. Is it easy not to do – pull up the covers and roll over? too right it is. But when you choose the ‘easy to do’ over the ‘easy not to do’ you win the debate and you can do it because it is easy. It will continue to become easier and easier, and you will have become a ‘winner’ in the battle of the mindsets. Once you win that battle, other battles throughout the day will be a piece of cake.

A “new” year or a new moment?

By Therese Sheedy on January 2, 2015 in Mindfulness

According to the calendar it is the beginning of a new year.

Goal setting is very much a part of our new year rituals, and it is a strong component of the teachings in positive psychology. Goal setting helps us achieve things, feel a sense of accomplishment, sometimes even a sense of purpose. But how can you really know what you might need or what things will be like in March, July or September when it is only the beginning of January?

This new year I am setting a goal, just one. A goal that will help me stay focused each day to achieve what I want to achieve and respond to situations that arise with clarity and choice.
However I need to be present in each moment of each day to fulfill this goal.

My goal has five elements, and I believe that if I live through these five elements daily, moment by moment, I will bring the best version of me to 2015.

This one goal is to live out the Five Ways to Wellbeing and this is how it looks in practice:

1) Take Notice – in 2015 I will bring my full attention to this very moment as much as I can. I will be conscious of when my mind is wandering and bring it back to the present, because the present is the only time my mind is useful, calm and wise. I will practice taking notice through mindfulness and meditation. Allowing silence to sit easily in my world. Mindfully completing daily chores like cleaning and washing. Mindfully participating in my daily routines of brushing my teeth, showering, dressing, and daily sitting meditation either at home, on the train, at the beach or in waiting rooms.

2) Be Active – in 2015 I will look for ways each day to move my body. I will walk places rather than drive. Catch public transport, walk up stairs, stand for meetings, play with children and dance whenever I can!

3) Connect – in 2015 I will ask others how they are and genuinely listen to their answer. I will chat with the person who works in my local cafe. I will smile more at people I meet or pass in the street. I will make eye contact so people will know they are welcome in my life.

4) Give – in 2015 I will look for ways to donate my time not just make a donation to charity. I will give way in traffic to let someone else get home to their loved ones as well. I will offer to help others by holding doors open or moving aside for others to sit.

5) Learn – in 2015 I will take opportunities to find out about people I know and those I don’t . I will continue to learn more recipes to cook, to travel new ways around my neighborhood. I will listen to new music. I will investigate my beautiful city and visit exhibitions that will teach me about others and our wonderful planet.

By Taking Notice, Being Active, Connecting, Giving and Learning, these five ways will enrich my daily life so that I don’t have to wait for the weekend to be happy or wait for another holiday time to feel rested.

Starting with Taking Notice will prevent the time-warp created by clocks, diaries and calendars. These are all measures of this thing we call ‘time’ and time is often our enemy.

Measuring time can make us think we don’t have enough of it to get things done, or get to somewhere ‘on time’. It makes us rush, stress and panic about what we didn’t do or what we ‘have’ to do. We start to feel that time is running our lives and often that our life is running out!

Taking notice slows life down, and brings you into this space, so that you can choose how to respond rather than being driven by the sense of urgency that time can bring.

I have chosen to let go of the urge to make resolutions for how life could look in three, six or nine months time, and have chosen to live the ‘five ways’ daily, so that no matter what life throws at me, I will be the best version of myself to respond. I know that living through the ‘five ways’ I will be healthier, feel more vibrant and connected. I will notice more and appreciate what I have more.

The psychological nature of a ‘new year’ does indeed have its advantages. We can say goodbye to the ‘bad’ things or events that we have connected to last year and imagine and hope that this new year will bring us new fortune, changed luck, good times. Can a mere date on the calendar actually do all that, or do we need to do things differently? After all, we do have more responsibility for our own happiness than we often realise.

Remember, every moment is a new moment, every day is a new day, and every moment offers a chance for new fortune, whether the date says it is January 1st or September 21st, whether it is 2014 or 2015, it is still a new moment. We just need to be present to notice it.

So this ‘new year’ turn to the only moment you have – this one!

Observe, Connect, Appreciate, Give Thanks

By Therese Sheedy on November 16, 2014 in Mindfulness

According to my character strengths survey (https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter) Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is my top character strength. I complete this survey about every 6-8 months and while other strengths may move around a little, my top strength is always beauty and excellence.
I really like this strength and I love knowing it about myself.

I am often reminded of this strength when I am brought close to tears when I witness simple everyday events such as an older couple holding hands, watching a dad having coffee with his teenage daughter in a cafe, or even turning a corner when I visit Sydney and spying the harbour bridge and being reminded by this symbol of the country I feel truly blessed to call my home.

Recently my appreciation of beauty was activated during a session with a client. We were sharing an eating meditation.
Yes it was a raisin, and yes it did take 10 minutes to eat one raisin. During this time I called attention to the little knob at the end of the raisin which we might refer to in ourselves as our belly button. The knob that connected this raisin to a larger, greater being that gave life to the raisin, and nourished and nurtured its early growth. I also drew attention to the journey of the raisin, growing in the soil, needing the elements of our wonderous planet to help it grow. The people who had contributed to helping us, here and now, connect with that one raisin. The vine grower, the fruit picker, the packer, the truck driver and on it goes, to bring that raisin to the store, where I was able to freely walk in and buy it. The countless people who we are connected to us every time we eat something. And as we considered these people and this incredible journey we also drew attention to honouring our ability to eat the plentiful food we have at our disposal. If we honour this, we don’t need to grab raisins (or chocolate) by the handful, but we can take our time to savour the whole, complete event of eating.

This is when I noticed my client truly connect with this moment, with her own struggle with food, with the beauty she had within herself, and a tear rolled down her face. She too had connected with the beauty of our living in this lucky country where a raisin is a snack not breakfast as it could be in a third world country.

Eating mindfully doesn’t mean you need to take 10 minutes to eat one raisin, but if you do that just once, you will become aware of all the processes your body and mind make so that you can eat. Mindful eating is more than just about the pace in which we eat, it is observing our food, the colour, the textures, the smell. It is bringing a new awareness to the fact that we are actually eating, instead of eating mindlessly in front of the television, in the car, or walking down the street. Mindful eating allows for space in this face-paced world. It gives us permission to pause, observe, connect, appreciate and give thanks that we are able to eat and the connection between ourselves, the food and the earth from which it came.

So when do you recognise beauty in your world?
How do you connect with the people who make your eating possible?
How much appreciation of your lifestyle do you show by moderating what you eat?

Experiences or information?

By Therese Sheedy on September 21, 2014 in Mindful Musings

Einstein once said “Whatever happens is experience, if it doesn’t actually happen then it is just information”.

Is your life filled with experiences or information? What do you pay the most attention to – what is happening in front of you or your thoughts trying to explain what just happened or what might happen in the future?

Are you busy looking for your part in what just happened? How are you to blame somehow, or perhaps why did that happen to you?

Mindfulness asks us to be more aware, present, here and now. Something that you can already do, but due to being absorbed in your thoughts you are probably out of touch with.

By paying attention to this moment we can notice when we are fragmenting the world into inner and outer, what we like or want and what we don’t. All of this prevents us from experiencing the clarity and unity of true awareness. The information gets in the way of the experience and so we may interpret the experience differently to what it actually is.

When we are going along on autopilot just living our lives we are at the mercy of others and events as they happen. When things are good, we often tell ourselves we are happy, we can cope, but when life takes a turn for the worse we tell ourselves we are unworthy, or we are to blame, or a story that there is no hope for us. Mindfulness says that is just thinking – or in Einstein’s language – it is just information.

Sure we can find a basis for it. Evidence is everywhere once we start to look, but is that really evidence or just more thinking? Plus who is doing all this thinking anyway? We become our own worst enemy.

Don’t allow Mindfulness to be one more strategy you need to implement when the going gets tough. Then it just becomes a slogan that will ‘fail’ you because you haven’t developed it as a way of life.

Mindfulness is about being wise to this thinking, about being self-compassionate and understanding of ours and others’ suffering.

To be present we need to be more active in our lives and not just let it happen to us.

Challenge yourself to do more: living; exploring; seeing; cherishing; being; experiencing; savouring; sharing; honouring; touching; feeling; hearing; tasting.

Look for the magical; the wonderful; the special; the different; the beauty.

Start at the beginning of each day – notice the sunrise. Instead of rushing into the busyness of the day, welcome the new day, the new beginnings with opportunities. Rise early enough to greet the sun as it creates a new day for you.

Instead of pushing yourself to fit more in or end your working day, notice the end of the day – the sunset. Notice the changes as the day becomes night. A time when you can let go and rest, not collapse into bed or in front of the television. Choose to experience restfulness fully present.

Allow yourself to experience more and think less and notice the freedom it brings.

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