Posts Tagged ‘mindfulness exercise’
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Six
“Misunderstandings and neglect occasion more mischief in the world than even malice and wickedness.” – Goethe In last week’s post, “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week Five,” we learned about the meaning and benefits of embracing acceptance. We often fight back against aspects of reality that we decide are painful or unwanted in some way. When we…
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Mindfulness & Gratitude
“A noble person is mindful and thankful for the favors he receives from others.” – Buddha When you enter into a state of mindfulness, you make the choice to open your awareness to all aspects of your experience… positive, negative, and neutral. You look at yourself, others, and the world with an open-eyed sense of…
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Week One
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu Mindfulness allows us to be fully present, connected, and engaged with life in a meaningful way. When we are taken away from the present moment by ruminative thinking or maladaptive emotions, we typically feel disconnected and numb. It…
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Top 10 Instant Relaxation Techniques – Part One
“Light be the earth upon you, lightly rest.” – Euripides There are moments in life when it feels like everything is hitting you all at once. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed by worrisome thoughts, intense emotions, or general overstimulation from the world. In stressful moments, it is important to feel confident in the knowledge that…
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How to Practice “Everyday Mindfulness”
“Nothing is worth more than this day.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4). When we begin to make contact with the present moment using the tool of mindfulness, the world gradually begins to look and feel…
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“Leaves on a Stream” – Cognitive Defusion Exercise
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides us with the tools to practice cognitive defusion, which is the willingness to let go of the attachment and over-identification with thoughts that cause suffering. When fusion to thoughts becomes problematic, those thoughts become “true” and “real” in…
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Mindfulness Exercise: Relationship Expectations
“Relationship is a mirror in which you can see yourself.” – Krishnamurti Difficulties in relationships often arise as a result of mismatched or unrealistic expectations. When we expect someone to behave in a certain way, we become attached to that expectation and become easily disappointed or frustrated if they do not act as expected. Expectations are…
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12 Steps to Becoming Less Fearful of Emotions
“Feelings are much like waves, we can’t stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.” – Jonatan Mårtensson When emotions seem overwhelming or painful, it is a natural response to want to avoid these emotions as much as possible. After all, who would “want” to feel angry, sad, or anxious? The paradox…
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How to Develop Mindfulness
“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it.” – Buddha The choice to live a mindfulness-based life does not happen overnight, nor does it come “easily.” Like all skills, mindfulness requires practice. The rationale…
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Cultivate a State of “Flow”
“A good life consists of more than simply the totality of enjoyable experiences. It must also have a meaningful pattern, a trajectory of growth that results in the development of increasing emotional, cognitive, and social complexity.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Many people have experienced a state of “flow” when they feel alive, fully present, and meaningfully connected…
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