SHARING ANCIENT TIPS FOR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION 1.pptx

Mindfulness Habits useful

1. MIND FULNESS

2. Mindfulness is a modern concept that describes the adoption of a new mind set, which can measurably alter one’s outlook and mood, and is used as an empowering tool in the self-management of anxiety and stress. “ A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations – used as a therapeutic technique. MINDFULNESS WHAT IS Mindfulness is the practice of being aware in every possible moment, while keeping a non-judgemental outlook and, at the same time, observing your own bodily and emotional responses.

3. Mindfulness is about taking a holistic approach to the self, i.e. mind, body and spirit. So to practise Mindfulness fully, it is important to look at oneself as a spiritual being. Because of this new outlook, practices such as meditation, Yoga and Thai Chi can also be utilised to bring calm and peace to the mind and body, while employing a more detached and philosophical spiritual outlook.

4. The concept of Mindfulness originates from many sources; However, the practice of Buddhism focuses on a ‘Mindful’ approach and is where the concept of observing one’s thoughts and actions first originates. This doesn’t mean that to practise Mindfulness is to be a Buddhist: it is simply where the original practice comes from. BUDDHISM

5. Buddhism follows something called the ‘ Eightfold Path’. A brief summary of these guidelines is as follows: 8 FOLD PATH BUDDHAS

6. Right view The belief that nothing is permanent and that we are all in a constant state of change. Therefore, what we perceive as reality is simply a state that will pass. Right Intention RightSpeech Developing the intention to let go of the causes to suffering, such as attachment to outcomes, control or meaning harm to others. Resolving not to push suffering away or cling to it; so simply to notice or observe it, with the intention to let go once it is identified. Developing honest and kind speech patterns. Letting go of any controlling, abusive or malicious language that exists in our lives. Listening carefully to what others are saying. 8 FOLD PATH BUDDHAS

7. Right Action Right Effort Right Livelihood Refraining from any aggressive physical actions towards others or oneself. No harm to any living being. Refraining from any kind of dishonest or immoral forms of work, or anything that causes suffering to others or oneself. Cultivating an interest in all that is wholesome, on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. 8 FOLD PATH BUDDHAS

8. Right Remembering Right Belief Cultivating a clear-minded awareness and not clinging to one’s own emotions or material objects, while noticing how we experience emotions, thoughts and body sensations. Awareness of oneself and others. Living in the present moment. Bringing all of the above into your daily experience with a clear attention and intention to follow these wholesome beliefs. Keeping the mindset clear and constant 8 FOLD PATH BUDDHAS

9. RESEARCH FROM Research shows that Mindfulness training can bring: Greater insight: Mindfulness helps us get greater clarity on what is happening in our minds and in our lives. Improved problem-solving: By slowing down and investigating our thoughts, feelings and experiences more carefully, we create space and time to come up with wise responses to the difficulties in our lives.

10. Better attention: We can concentrate better on tasks, maintain our focus and reach goals. We are less distracted. Less selfishness: We are less wrapped up in our own thoughts and feelings, and so have greater ability to take others into account. Less neurosis: We experience the world in an open way that is not so weighed down by unhelpful psychological patterns and that cultivates gratitude RESEARCH

11. More acceptance: Through Mindfulness, we see that events, thoughts and feelings always change, and we can learn to bear experiences more lightly and to let them go. Less ‘beating ourselves up’ Mindfulness reduces our identification with negative thinking patterns – we stop thinking that we are our thoughts – and we can be kind to ourselves when we have negative thoughts about ourselves. Better mind-body integration: Mindfulness makes us more aware of what is happening, both in our bodies and in our minds, so that we can experience and take into account the full range of our thoughts, as well as our feelings. RESEARCH

12. EGO In the context of Mindfulness, the word ego represents the conscious, thinking mind and the sense of the self that constant thinking develops within us. Expanded sense of self, the importance of the self and the need to protect it can take us away from the understanding of what is truly important. Have you ever had a really bad argument with someone that was started by something really silly or small? This is an example of the ego , the projection of the mind and the need to be right causing us to lose sight of reality, wanting only to protect ourselves at that moment.

13. In reality, many of the changes that happen in life are uplifting and beneficial. But it is human nature to remember the difficulties brought by change and try to avoid change happening in the future. Mindfulness encourages us to remain in the present moment, so that we don’t reflect on our past struggles and then project the fear of them, or something like them, into our possible future. This is the definition of Mindlessness – wasting energy, thought and time on that which has not happened and may well not happen. FEAR OF CHANGE EGO &

14. HEAD TO HEART MOVING FROM An example of Mindfulness: heart-centredness for the self

15. You begin to think of all the times you’ve been alone... too many times. You start to think and don’t understand why you can’t seem to have the kind of friends in your life who want to spend time with you. You start to think more and more about this, remembering times when you’ve felt rejected and cut off by others. You start to cry; the feeling of sadness and aloneness deepens until you are sobbing. You spend the rest of the day remembering more and more, wondering if this is just how life is going to be from now on. Worrying if you will ever have the kind of relationships you really want. You keep crying on and off and end the day feeling sad, lonely and depressed. APPROACH EGO/MIND HEAD TO HEART MOVING FROM

16. Mindful approach You start to think of all the times you’ve been alone... too many times. Then you stop and observe your thoughts. You ‘catch yourself’ as you begin to attach past and possible future events to that feeling. You intentionally come back to just the feeling, by saying, ‘This is merely a feeling’ and ‘This feeling is loneliness’. You take your awareness from your mind (and thoughts), to your body only, recognising that ‘This is what loneliness feels like in my body’. You just ‘be’ with that feeling and start to permit compassion and love to arise within you, allowing yourself to go deeper into the feeling – literally experiencing the feeling fully with no stories attached to it. Gradually, you notice the feeling reducing and subsiding. Because you stepped into it and experienced it fully, instead of avoiding feeling it fully by using the mind to distract you... you have managed to move through it until it was no longer present. The feeling has gone and you start to feel calm and happy to go about the rest of your day. APPROACH MINDFUL/HEART HEAD TO HEART MOVING FROM

17. -MOVING FROM HEAD TO HEART EXERCISE Now that you have read the above example, please do the following exercise: 1. Reflect on an example of when you feel you reacted from ego in a situation. 2. Using that example, write a brief description of the situation. 3. Now write a few short paragraphs of how the situation would have been handled in a Mindful way.

18. FEAR EGO & There is a subconscious drive behind the ego and this drive is usually fear based. We have discussed fear of change. But there are many other beliefs and fears that underpin habitual overthinking and worrying. Some examples of these are: A Mindful practice can help us to change lifelong habits of overthinking and worrying. Fear of failure Fear of success Fear of not being good enough Fear of abandonment Fear of rejection Fear of humiliation Fear of being alone Fear of loss Fear of being disliked Fear of illness

19. KEY CONCEPTS 3 There are three main concepts to keep in mind when practising Mindfulness. 1)Awareness: nurturing an awareness or an objective noticing or observing in every given moment. 2)Non-judgement: adopting a non-judgemental mind set on any given situation. 3)Living in the present moment: keeping a sense of living in the moment, without habitually reflecting on the past or worrying about the future.

20. 1)AWARENESS The term awareness , in the context of a Mindful approach, simply means to observe in a detached, egoless manner , without adding any dramas or stories being attached to whatever is going on.This can be looked at on two levels: an internal level, i.e. what’s going on with our thoughts and behaviours generally; and an external level, i.e. any events happening to us or around us that can cause a reaction. KEY CONCEPTS

21. Internal awareness This is simply the idea of noticing what’s happening as thoughts and emotions arise on a daily basis. Sometimes things come up that haven’t been caused by anything external happening. Whether it’s a memory, something on the TV or nothing at all that triggers the feeling, we can suddenly find ourselves confronted with a challenging thought or emotion which seems to come out of nowhere. KEY CONCEPTS

22. Awareness of external factors This simply means the awareness of how external factors that are beyond your control affect you. This could be any of the following: A situation between other people in your life Something that is happening in your life When someone interacts directly with you KEY CONCEPTS

23. Here is the Mindful process to follow if this happens. Think of a situation from the past that upset you or made you feel sad. Spend some time thinking about that situation and noticing how it feels in your body. This process will help you to deal with the thoughts in a Mindful way Instead of doing what you would normally do, i.e. expanding those thoughts and feelings, stop – begin with the intention not to continue with the usual thought process. Bring your awareness from your head and emotions, to your body Start to observe how that thought or emotion feels in your body only KEY CONCEPTS

24. If you can name the feeling, do so. But if you can’t, just say, ‘This is how I’m feeling now’. Simply be or sit with this feeling, while always concentrating on not letting it translate into any analysing or thinking. Keep noticing and experiencing the feeling in your body only; after a while, the feeling should start to reduce or become more bearable. Bring your awareness away from the body and back into the moment. Now make short notes on how you felt in your body when you werethinking and expanding the negative thoughts, and then how you felt once you had moved to the body and sat with the feeling only. KEY CONCEPTS Here is the Mindful process to follow if this happens.(Continued)

25. 2 ) NON JUDGEMENT You may think that this is a difficult thing to do and, of course, it will take time to break the habit; but the intention not to be judgemental is the most powerful way to create a change in a mind set. A non-judgemental mind set is one of the main cornerstones of Mindfulness. Just as it is natural and human always to follow what our thoughts are telling us, it is also a natural component of human nature to judge. The need to judge usually stems from fear, perhaps a fear of being inadequate, perceiving oneself to be not as good as another person. Therefore, we can criticise and judge to help us to feel better about ourselves. Judgement is the opposite of love, so the less judgemental we are, the more open and loving we become. KEY CONCEPTS

26. Judging Ourselves One of the worst and most difficult habits to overcome is the habit most of us have of judging ourselves. We can be our own worst enemies, especially if we felt criticised by our parents. Many of us leave home and continue the criticism we may have felt at home, but internally. We become our own critical parent, judging and criticising our own perceived success or failure as we see it through our eyes. The Mindful approach encourages us to let go of that negative internal dialogue, each time we catch ourselves doing it, before coming back to the emotion only – ‘How am I feeling’? – without any judgemental thoughts attached to it. It may take time, but with a solid intention, we can change the habit of a lifetime whereby we judge ourselves and others. KEY CONCEPTS

27. 3 )LIVING IN THE PRESENT The Butterfly Mind Human mind is like a butterfly: flitting from one thought to another; visiting different flowers (thoughts); never staying too long on any one. It may choose to spend time in the past or future, but it is seldom fully present or still and in one place. This means that our thoughts are often quite scattered; and as thought itself is energy, this means that our energy is not focused because it isn’t fully present. This is why living in the moment is so powerful. Once you apply yourself only to what you are doing now... not the thoughts, only what you are doing, you become very focused and much less anxious or fearful. KEY CONCEPTS

28. When you live in the moment, anxious thoughts tend to disappear. This is because you are focused and in the moment – you don’t need to think. It becomes easier to focus only on the task in hand without the need to think. So the act of being present actually helps with awareness and non-judgement, as well as reducing the habit of overthinking. Another advantage of being in the present moment is that time seems to disappear and becomes unimportant. Think about the last time you were really engrossed in what you were doing; either at work, or maybe doing something that you really enjoyed and which took your attention. You probably also remember that the time seemed to fly and that time itself seemed to become irrelevant. KEY CONCEPTS The Butterfly Mind

29. How to catch the butterfly Taking the butterfly metaphor further, you could liken observing your thoughts and living in the present to netting a butterfly The next time you are aware that your thoughts are taking you away from the present moment, whether it is worry about the future or reflecting on the past, imagine yourself with a big net, catching that thought and bringing it back into the moment. Once you are back in the moment, allow the butterfly to fly away, i.e. let the thought go completely. If the thought is a planning or strategic one, then of course act on it or write it down before letting it go.

30. THE PAST REVISITING Before we practise being in the now by using an exercise, it is worth mentioning negative reinforcement – which is when someone constantly revisits past events in their thoughts. A Mindful way to deal with this would be to accept what is. It is important to try and understand and to revisit the event sometimes. But if we come to a point where there is no understanding. then it could be time to let go and accept things exactly as they are.

31. If we develop the habit of doing this, we gradually build a philosophical and accepting mind set, where we fully accept that we don’t always need to understand something before we are prepared to let go of it. Therefore, as well as being aware of our worried, anxious thoughts for the future, we should cultivate a present mindedness, where we do not habitually reflect on the past if there is no need to. THE PAST REVISITING

32. POWER OF NOW EXERCISE- Sit comfortably, close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply 3 or 4 times. Now intentionally bring your attention inwards, so that all of your awareness is within you. Make a mental note of the tension points in your body. We all have them; places where there is pain, discomfort or where the muscles are noticeably tense. Once you feel focused and centred, begin to focus only on this moment as you sit here. As thoughts of the past or future arise (as they will), intentionally let each one go. Keep doing this until they are very slow or not there at all.

33. Now open your eyes and, keeping this focus, do a simple five-minute task, like washing up, hoovering, taking a shower or going for a walk. As you do this simple thing, keep that focus only on what you are doing... nothing else. You will find that your mind wants to take you out of this time zone... don’t let it, just be in the moment; keep netting the butterfly and coming back to the task. POWER OF NOW EXERCISE-

34. Once you have finished the Mindfulness task, you will notice that it had a peaceful, timeless quality and that there is less tension in your body. You may also notice that the usual thought patterns you’ve had your whole lifetime are flooding back in. When this happens, notice how different you feel in your body. You may notice tension and stiffness coming back into the way you are feeling. The secret to Mindfulness is to keep coming back to the moment, so that after a while the old thought patterns and feelings in the body begin to disappear. Now make notes on what you noticed during the five-minute task and how it felt to be in the present and Mindful while you were doing it. Also, whether you noticed change in your perception of time and any other observations.

35. CONTROL US ALLOWING MIND TO Scattered thinking Not being present minded – thinking about the past or worrying about the future Being judgemental Being selfish or arrogant Trying to control events and people around you Noticing other people’s faults but not your own

36. MIND UNDERSTAND Here are some ways to know when the mind is seeking control and to help us identify when we need to move from the head (thoughts) to the heart (feelings): 1. When you ignore your natural instincts: Sometimes we get a gut feeling of the best actions or way forward, but we follow what the logical or analytical mind tells us to do and ignore our own feelings. We were given intuition as a tool to use.

37. 2. When you want to say ‘no’ but you end up saying ‘yes’: Many of us are people pleasers; we want to be liked and seek the approval of others. A people pleaser struggles to set boundaries and this in itself leads to anxiety and stress within us. 3. When you are constantly checking your phone and social media: These social media outlets can be shallow compared to actual interactions, face to face with friends and family. 4. When you are being judgemental or critical: Every time we judge or criticise, we are placing barriers between ourselves and others. A mind that judges is coming from the ego and the need to feel superior or right. MIND UNDERSTAND

38. 5. When you think repetitive, worrying thoughts: Acknowledge whatever the feeling is and how it feels in the body. Then let the thoughts go. 6. When you become aware that you are trying to control someone else: when you find yourself making a judgement about someone else and think you know better, this is a form of control. Ignore the urge to interfere or change another person’s point of view or actions. 7. When you become aware of negative thoughts about yourself: Awareness and the ability to observe our own thoughts will help us to stop the thoughts in their tracks and let them go.

39. When our Thoughts and Feelings Overwhelm Us Example of when our thoughts and the emotions that they generate completely overwhelm us is when we get angry and shout or even start pointing, staring or using other types of confrontational body language. ANGER If we are becoming really angry, it’s a sign that we are losing control of our emotions and becoming overwhelmed by them. The ego mind has really started to take control and wants to be right and win at all costs. It is harder to bring your awareness in at a moment like this, but because anger is so destructive to feel and receive, it is even more important to try and observe, then bring your attention back to how it feels, rather than what you are thinking.

40. The diagram refers to the emotion and gives guidance on how to deal with it. The precursor to this would be...identify the thought patterns that are attaching to the emotion. This is the tricky part. We have followed the same mindless thought patterns many thousands of times before. This means that they are embedded in our psyche and, therefore, are easy to overlook. SUFFERINGS MINDLESS

41. Once we have identified a thought pattern that is not within Mindful integrity, we simply name it (if possible, but isn’t necessary), accept that it is just an emotion and will pass, then most importantly feel it in the body only, with the intention to be non-judgemental towards ourselves or others. As we do this, the feeling in the body will begin to subside. If we do this consistently, we will notice that the thoughts and feelings stop arising. This means that the practice of being with the emotion, not the thoughts (which stop us from feeling it), has helped us to process and release it completely SUFFERINGS MINDLESS

42. GRIEF SUFFERING/ The element of needless suffering can begin when we keep revisiting the event and/or projecting fearful thoughts about the future that something similar could happen again. What we are doing is attaching negative thoughts (and fears) to the emotions of sadness and loss that are still there. What is suffering? The answer would be – to feel overwhelming negative emotions and this makes suffering a very real and difficult thing to experience. What increases suffering? The answer would definitely be – to attach negative thoughts or stories to the negative emotions.

43. Attachment – leads to suffering Through the human need to attach and try to find permanence, there is again an opportunity for suffering to arise. We have an inherent expectation that nothing should end. Generally, to be human is to fight change and loss. If a person is insecure, feels inadequate or cannot stand to be alone, the feelings of attachment and need to control increase and cause suffering. If we then attach thoughts to this pain, we further increase our own suffering. A person who is needy is one that has a fear of endings, loss or abandonment. If they accept that endings happen and that it’s natural for things to end sometimes, the need to attach will either reduce or disappear.

44. Acceptance – the existence of suffering A realistic and philosophical approach to life in general should be nurtured, i.e. that suffering exists and is a part of life through which we grow and learn. And, of course, that everything is in transit – a constant state of change; and that if suffering begins, it will definitely end.

45. TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT IMAGINATION Imagination can have a positive or negative impact on our psyche and general wellbeing.

46. Positive and Negative Imagining Positive Imagining ‘Your thoughts are tools that can support or wound you; use your thoughts, imaginings and words wisely’ AND NEGATIVE IMAGINING POSSITIVE

47. EXERCISE 1-Take a moment to reflect on the last time someone hurt your feelings with something they said. Thought is a precursor to speaking and still holds its own energy. 2-Now reflect on the last time you felt your negative thoughts about yourself and someone else pulling you down. Within seconds of the negative thoughts, you will have begun to feel affected by them. 3-Lastly, reflect on the last time you were worried about someone or something; how did it make you feel? Sad? Fearful? All of the above scenarios start with a simple thought that is expanded by fear. 4-Now, finally, move away from the negative thoughts you have deliberately brought into your mind and come back to the body, noticing the difference between how your body felt when you started the exercise. 5-Next, deliberately sit with these feelings of stress, sadness, etc. until you feel them releasing or reducing back to normal bodily feelings. 6-Write a few short paragraphs on how you felt in your body before and after you intentionally brought in negative memories.

48. Imagination, used in a productive way and as it was meant to be used, can help us to create positive energy around us. It helps us to project into the future in a positive way and thus open up the prospect of positive things happening in the future. If we never use this positive imagining, we are less likely to expect it to occur in the future.

49. Negative Imagining – Worry ‘Worry = negative imagining’. Projecting into the future with negative thoughts produces negative feelings. Many people believe that ‘they are their thoughts’. In other words, they are married to what they are thinking and their thoughts become their identity. To suggest changing their thought processes and habits to someone like this would seem impossible. This is because they have no separation from their thoughts. They just run in the background, like a runaway train, generating all kinds of difficult behaviours and emotions.

50. NOTICING & CHANGING NEGATIVE THINKING EXERCISE Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and wait until your notice your breathing slow down Think of a problem or worry that is currently troubling you – something that has been on your mind Now imagine what you fear could happen – a negative outcome for around one minute Stop thinking! ... and notice how you are now feeling in your body only Connect with an understanding of what that feeling is like in your body and make a mental note to remember it

51. Now make notes on how you felt after increasing your negative imaginings and then after your positive imaginings. Add anything you feel is relevant to you personally. NOTICING & CHANGING NEGATIVE THINKING EXERCISE Now think of the same problem – but this time imagine a positive outcome, i.e. what you would most like the outcome to be, for around one minute Stop! And notice how you feel now in your body What does it feel like? Now reinforce that feeling by imagining a dial going from 1-10 (currently at 1) and watch as it slowly goes up the dial to 10. Feel the positive feelings increase Open your eyes and note how you are feeling now

52. BOUNDARIES COMPASSION & We are all in such a hurry and lost in our own thoughts and problems, and a lot of us have developed the habit of not listening. Where there is overthinking, the anxious thoughts will generate fear. Fear is usually generated by the mind as it runs through all of the negative possibilities of what might happen. When we let those fearful thoughts go, we have found love and compassion.

53. When practising compassion, you would bring your awareness to the present moment in any given conversation or interaction with others. The other aspect of showing others compassion is to be non-judgementa l. So as well as listening, we can also bring in the intention not to judge what others are doing or saying. To practise compassion is to be fully connected and present in any given moment, while being non-judgemental and accepting . COMPASSION PRACTICING

54. FOR YOURSELF COMPASSION It can be harder to show ourselves compassion than others. As well as learning to judge others, we have learnt to judge ourselves and again, this can become a habit that our mind adopts. Thoughts such as ‘I’m so stupid’ or ‘I’m worthless’ can become default thoughts we don’t even notice we’re thinking! So to be truly and fully compassionate, we need to adopt a kind and compassionate disposition towards ourselves. The first step to doing this would be to bring awareness to our thought processes and notice when those default thoughts pop in. As soon as we notice, we stop indulging the thoughts and let them go. This way, eventually, other more positive thoughts start to replace the old, outdated, critical ones.

55. SPEECH MINDFUL To speak Mindfully is to speak with awareness of others’ space and their needs. Hence, to give others space would mean allowing them time to speak also – not talk at or bombard them but generally nurture an awareness of the fact that it is a two-way interaction. If we add to this an awareness of our words and try always to keep them as kind as possible, this will enhance your Mindful practice.

56. MINDFUL BOUNDARIES SETTING To set a boundary is to say ‘no ’ when it is appropriate or to speak up for yourself if you feel that someone isn’t respecting you in some way On the other side of this, if a person has very poorly defined boundaries , they will bend to the will and needs of others and find it difficult to speak up or get their point across. This is also a great source of unhappiness and stress. Feeling that you have been unfairly treated or like a victim can also lead to emotional distress.

57. YOUR BOUNDARIES REACCESS : is this person being unkind or crossing the line? Are they just giving their point of view? Is this personal? If it is personally towards or about you – and you can feel them pushing against your boundaries, try to think of a kind way to express how you’re feeling or let them know that it’s not ok. You may or may not get the response you had hoped for. If this happens, then Mindfully let go of the need to be heard or be right. As long as you have set a boundary, it is up to the other person whether or not they take that on board. In other words, if you are happy with the way you acted, you can let it go and know that you have done all you can; you can always come back to it later. PUSHING

58. SOMEONE ELSE BOUNDARIES STEPPING ON REACCESS : who is being unkind or unfair? Are you just giving your point of view? Are you pushing on their boundaries, being personal? If in the moment you assess that you may have crossed an invisible line... let it go. Step back and let go of the need to be right. Start to listen Mindfully to what they are saying. Adopt a Mindful, balanced view, now that you have let the ego go. If there is still a stalemate, let it go and come back to it later. So if our boundaries are poorly defined or over-defined, this can lead to a great deal of stress. We can all be people pleasers, because we all love to be liked; but we should not let our need to be liked get in the way of expressing our own needs and sense of self-respect.

59. GRATITUDE CULTIVATING Cultivating gratitude is not difficult when you are aware in the present moment. It is something that happens naturally. Gratitude should not and could not be forced. It should be something that occurs naturally; and when this starts to happen, it will generate even more positive thoughts. It can be helpful to keep a gratitude journal, where you simply record your thoughts and feelings of gratitude. Doing this is a way to keep your focus on the positivity you are feeling and to reflect on it at the end of the day.

60. Meditation is a technique that aims to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Meditation has been practised in cultures worldwide for thousands of years with many religions incorporating some form of it within their worship. However, although meditation is often used for religious purposes, many of us use it independent of any religious connotation. MEDITATION

61. MEDITATION MINDFULNESS Preparation Turn off all appliances, i.e. phones, TV, doorbell, anything that could interrupt your meditation. Decide how long you want to meditate for and, if possible, set a gentle- sounding alarm. Dress in comfortable, loose clothing. Find a comfortable place to sit where you can be upright. (It isn’t advisable to lie down when meditating and it is important for the upper part of your body to be upright). If it is difficult to sit cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, find a low chair (not an armchair). The idea is to keep an upright and aware position. If the room is very bright, dim the lights slightly, although you don’t need full darkness.

62. Now sit as comfortably as possible and spend some time settling into your pose. Close your eyes. Then take three deep breaths; imagine you are breathing out all the stress and anxiety that your body contains each time you exhale. Now go through a process of being aware of where you are holding tension in your body. Then as you become aware, actively release the tension and feel the muscles becoming heavier and relaxing. Pay particular attention to your jaw, shoulders, back and pelvis. Now that you have settled into your pose, take three more deep breaths in and out. Now focus only on your breathing and the rhythm of the rise and fall of your chest. Bring your attention only to your breathing for around five minutes.

63. Make a mental note of how you feel in your body now. Now begin to focus only on now; if you find your mind interrupts, come back to the focus on your breathing. Your mind will bring in thoughts that want to take you out of now – don’t judge this in any way; just notice the thought and then let it go. You are not trying to stop thinking – you are just not pursuing or indulging the thoughts. Gradually, you will notice spaces between the thoughts; this is ok, too. You are becoming more and more aware, in a non-judgemental way – just being in the moment, with no habitual thoughts or judgements.

64. Now you are meditating. You may stay in the peaceful state for as long as you wish to. The longer you stay in this state, the deeper you will go into an altered mind state, a state where you just be and accept all that is there within you. You may become uncomfortable if you sit for long. If this happens, simply adjust your pose slightly to release the discomfort. When you are ready, or your alarm sounds, slowly allow the thoughts to return to normal. You will notice them coming back, which will highlight how different the absence of thought feels. Before opening your eyes, focus again on your breathing and how different your body feels. Open your eyes. Make notes on how it felt before, during and immediately after opening your eyes at the end of the meditation.

65. MEDITATIONS OTHER Transcendental meditation TM is a form of meditation, where one attains an inner peace by transcending thought, to reach a different state of consciousness. So it is the art of not thinking. Once this subconscious state is reached, a feeling of peace and bliss ensues. When the mind is not thinking, the presence of being a soul within a body is there; once the meditation is over, stress and anxiety are reduced considerably.

66. This type of meditation is similar to praying, as the practitioner would reflect on the silence around them while seeking a closer connection to God or the Universe. Spiritual meditation during this type of meditation, the practitioner would concentrate on using any of the senses. This type of meditation is best suited for persons who need additional focus in their lives Focused meditation

67. This type of meditation may comprise taking a walk through the woods, gardening, qigong or other gentle forms of motion. In this type of meditation, the movement guides the practitioner. this type of meditation uses a repetitive noise or mantra to clear the mind. The noise can be a word, phrase or sound; the most popular one is ‘ommm’. The mantra can either be said aloud or quietly. Movement meditation Mantra meditation

68. Music Meditation Music has a healing and soothing quality of its own. Although we recommend MM or TM as the best way to follow a Mindful practice, if this doesn’t suit you, then music would be another simple way to access an altered mind state; this, in turn, would relax and de-stress your whole energy system. Binaural beats and Solfeggio frequencies can both be added to music; this mix makes for a deeply relaxing experience. So if you would rather not meditate, you always have these lovely sound tracks if you want to try something different.

69. Guided Meditation Usually come in the form of a calming voice, taking you through a process where you are visually taking a journey that is invoked by their voice. Hence, in your mind’s eye you are imagining you are in whatever they are describing. Again, as a tool to relax, de-stress and let go of mind chatter, this can be a valuable way of supporting your Mindful practice. However, MM and TM would be the most effective way to change the way that the mind processes can at times control us.

70. Meditation Classes: Group Meditation Some people find it difficult to set aside the time to meditate within their busy lifestyle. It can be hard to discipline yourself to meditate regularly. If this is the case, we suggest joining a group. Meditating in a group is a great experience and can help you to find the discipline needed to continue your practice at home. It is also worth talking about group meditation and taking meditation classes.

71. WAKING Meditation A waking meditation can be done at any time in your day. The term waking meditation is another metaphor for being in the present. To do a waking meditation, you simply bring your awareness completely into the present moment and let your thoughts and judgements go. An example of a waking meditation would be to wash up or do another simple task and focus only on what you are doing, with no thought processes other than viewing what you are doing. This takes practice, but once you become used to doing it, you can slip into waking meditation or being totally in the moment, any time you wish to.

72. THERAPY FOR WHOM MINDFULNESS

73. Panic attacks, like many other anxiety disorders, have become more common in our modern and more materially orientated world. As we strive to compete, achieve and generally have more of everything, the price we are paying can be high as far as stress and anxiety are concerned. General symptoms are as follows: Nausea Sweating Trembling Heart pain and/or palpitations Feeling faint ATTACKS PANIC

74. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER OCD An obsession is an unwanted, unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters a person's mind, causing them anxiety. A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that someone feels they need to carry out, in order to try to prevent an obsession coming true. OCD is driven by fear based thinking that seems to embed itself in the mind to the point that the sufferer buys into and believes their fearful worries (negative imaginings), so much so that they become a complete reality to them. This means that, in their minds, there is a real danger to them if they don’t carry out the obsessive behaviour or ritual.

75. Depression DEPRESSION Some interesting facts about depression: 1 in 5 people will experience depression or a mental health problem in any given year. 1 in 10 young people will experience depression or a mental health problem. There are many different types of depression and it can be caused by internal factors, such as a chemical imbalance in the brain, or external events and factors, such as loss, illness or lack of support.

76. ADDICTION ADDICTION Addiction is defined as where one becomes compelled to follow a behaviour that isn’t beneficial to them, but the instant rewards are pleasurable. Here are some habits that an addictive person can be compelled to follow for instant gratification: Drugs Alcohol Work Shopping Food Caffeine Internet Gaming Conflict Smoking

77. MBCT is a therapy that employs traditional cognitive therapy strategies and adds a Mindfulness approach, exercises and meditation. All of these Mindfulness tools have been extensively researched and statistically proven to be highly effective. This is why more and more organisations are beginning to bring Mindfulness into their current therapy strategies COGNITIVE THERAPY MINDFULNESS BASED

78. STRESS REDUCTION MINDFULNESS BASED MBSR is a practice founded by Jon Kabat Zinn. He is generally accepted as the person who coined the expression Mindfulness, because he was at least one of the first to outline a Mindful programme with a view to reducing stress and anxiety.

79. THERAPY GROUP Mindfulness is slowly being integrated into therapies that have already been established for years. Therapies such as counselling and CBT can be used as a group therapy and some are starting to integrate Mindfulness into the therapies they already provide Mindfulness has been proven in many research studies to reduce stress and anxiety considerably; so adding it to an already effective therapy can only enhance the results THERAPY ONE TO ONE

80. EXAMPLE THINKING VS FEELING You are chatting to two friends about a holiday you are going on together. You are all excited and happy to be going away together, but the conversation starts to get a bit heated, because your friends want to go on an expensive day trip that you can’t afford to go on

81. MINDLESS REACTION The ego mind starts to kick into the conversation and it begins to escalate. You don’t feel that they are listening. You’ve told them you can’t afford it. How can they not get that! You start to repeat yourself and can feel frustrated – emotion is rising within you. You ignore it and focus on your argument. You need them to understand your point of view. Voices are raised and a conflict ensues. You feel bullied and unheard. You end up leaving because, despite trying to push away the emotions, you begin to get upset; therefore, you leave because you don’t know what else to do. When you’re home you are very upset and wonder if the holiday will happen now.

82. MINDFUL REACTION Stop! Because you have been adopting a Mindful attitude, you notice the conflict and, in that moment, begin to observe what is actually happening. Both parties want to win and neither wants to back down. You recognise your part and silently acknowledge that you cannot change how your friends are reacting, but you can now manage your own reaction. First, you bring your intention from your thoughts to your emotion and how it feels in the body. You acknowledge that this is just an emotion and that it will pass. As you do this, the feeling starts to subside.

83. MINDFULL EXERCISES

84. YOGA Yoga is frequently used in India as a treatment for psychosis, neurosis and other mental health conditions, often producing positive results. Yoga practices generally can lead to increased self-awareness both physically and spiritually and have been seen to help ease BPD symptoms, leaving sufferers feeling much more grounded rather than in a disassociated state.

85. There are many forms of Yoga, with Kundalini Yoga helping mental health conditions the most. Below are examples of different types of yoga: Bikram : This style of yoga takes place in a hot room, which is said to help the body rid itself of toxins Hatha : Hatha focuses on creating balance by moving through different postures Iyengar : This involves using blocks and straps to complete yoga moves

86. TAI CHI Often called “meditation in motion,” tai chi promotes a focus on the present – a mental absorption in which everyday worries fall away. Tai chi also increases flexibility and boosts energy, which result in an improved sense of well-being. Continued…

87. QUIGONG “Its slow gentle movements and focus on moving in harmony with the breath are extremely relaxing to the nervous system,” Continued…

88. MINDFULL MOMENTS

89. As soon as you sit down with your food, intentionally bring in awareness of the present moment and take a deep breath before starting. Now with each mouthful, eat slowly and chew fully before swallowing. Focus only on how it tastes – don’t think or analyse how it tastes, just focus on the taste only and staying in the present. Now that you are doing this, you will notice how much you can taste and appreciate the food much more than usual. MINDFULL EATING Every time a thought comes in to distract you, bring your attention back to the food and taste. When you have finished your meal, allow your thoughts to come back in. It is a good idea to eat as you normally would next time you eat and then to compare the difference between the two experiences.

90. MINDFULL BREATHING If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, emotional or anxious, a quick way to bring in Mindful awareness is to come back to the body and the breath.You will immediately start to feel more focused and less anxious. When we have referred to focusing on the body, during this course, it is helpful to focus on the breath first; doing this will make it easier to then become aware of the body sensations generally. When doing this, there is no need to change the breathing in any way; just focus on the rhythm of your breathing and you will immediately start to feel more centred and relaxed.

91. MINDFULL SLEEPING Of course, it is not possible to be Mindful while asleep! But the act of falling asleep can be made easier with a meditative or Mindful approach. Next time you have trouble falling asleep, observe your thoughts. The fact that the brain hasn’t switched off yet is creating energy. This energy is keeping you awake. Therefore, the next time you are aware that this is happening, bring in a present moment awareness and focus only on your breathing and how your body is feeling. At first it could be difficult to do this, as the mind will keep bringing in thoughts. But if you intentionally let the thoughts go as soon as you notice them, you will feel the energy that thought creates dissipating and your body will then naturally start to relax, until you fall asleep.

92. Do one thing at a time Do it slowly and deliberately Do less Leave space Spend at least five minutes daily doing nothing Focus on the present When connecting with someone – be present Eat, walk and do everything slowly Cultivate compassion and gratitude Try not to judge Being Flexible FOR MINDFULNESS 10 TIPS