Day 25

Dear {!firstname},

How was yesterday’s mindful walking?
Did you get to play with the physical sensations awareness? I’m curious; what did you notice?
http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/forum/topics/mindful-walking-stage-1

And how are you getting on with the Stage 1 meditation?
Are you still managing to find time for your 10 minutes? Have you discovered any more techniques, for stopping ‘life’ or ‘excuses’ from getting in the way?
Remember: you can share your experiences and ask questions here:

http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/forum/topics/stage-1-meditation-how-are-you-getting-on

Today I wanted to talk about how there’s no ‘right way’ to ‘do’ mindfulness.

Mindfulness, being mindful, is a pretty hot topic out there at the moment. Each week sees a cluster of new books come out and any yoga / meditation teacher worth their weight in incense sticks is rebranding to include the word ‘mindfulness’ somewhere in their course descriptions.

And I think it’s great, that so many people are now able to learn how to be mindful.

But how can you know whether it’s the ‘right kind’ of mindfulness?

Over my years of studying, training and teaching, I have found a tremendous variation in the ways that people ‘tell you’ how to ‘do’ mindfulness.

In fact, ‘telling you how to do’ it is the approach that most books and courses take. And they seem to be becoming more evangelistic by the day! 🙂

The snag with this approach is that mindfulness isn’t a ‘process’. It’s an ‘experience’.

This means that someone else telling you what to do may or may not give you an experience of mindfulness that is similar to what they tell you to expect.

The mindful state is different – individual – for each of us.

Why?

Because only you have access to your mind, your thoughts, your physical body, your emotions, your life history, your future dreams. The steps that got you to where you are today are unique to you. So your personal version of ‘being in the now’ will be unique, too.

So my message today is:

There’s no such thing as the ‘right way’ to ‘do’ mindfulness.

Firstly: it helps to let go of the idea of aiming to ‘do mindfulness’. Personally, I prefer to think of ‘being mindful’. That way it takes it away from being an item on your ‘to do’ list and moves it back to a state of being and experiencing life. This state of experiencing is something you can choose any time, any place, no matter what else you are ‘doing’.

Secondly: since your way of experiencing mindfulness is unique to you, no one can tell you there’s only one way to get there. This is your journey and you alone will discover what works best for you – and that will change over time.

Yet the goal of all the mindfulness traditions is the same:

To bring your awareness (your experience of life) back into the present moment, so you can feel fully alive.

So my intention, with the 10 week Magic Of Mindfulness course, is to help you discover your personal box of magic tricks for accessing (and enjoying!) that state of being mindful.

I don’t want to tell you how you have to do it. I want to guide you towards mindful experiences, so that the ‘how’ becomes second nature.

And by helping you to notice when you’re there – and how it impacts your life – I hope to motivate you to weave those magic tricks into your everyday activities – subtly transforming your experience of life.

Does that make sense?

How does all that sit for you?

Here’s where to share your views with others on the course:
http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/forum/topics/is-there-a-right-wrong-way-to-do-mindfulness
Namaste,
Clare x

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Key Links For Stage 1:
Magic Of Mindfulness Group
http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness

Discussion Forum:
http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/forum

Stage 1 Meditation:
http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/page/stage-1-resources
Magic Of Mindfulness Group

Discussion Forum

Stage 1 Resources

Got a question not covered on the forum? You could start anew discussion topic or reply to this email.

Dear {!firstname},

Today is the final day of stage 1 of the Magic Of Mindfulness. Tomorrow we’re going to move on to a new meditation and build in mindfulness practices that you can do, no matter how busy you are!

But for today, I’d like to help you to experience the wonders of mindfulness for helping you to easily release stress and tension, to feel more calm, more relaxed and more able to manage your emotions.

Interested?

It fits in with your mindful walking and you can do this wherever you are walking, during your day. You don’t have to save it for special places.

This technique works because our mind and body are linked – as are our emotions. If we experience mental or emotional stress, we will also experience it somewhere in the body. If we release it in the physical body, we help our mind. 🙂

Here’s the simple mindful walking de-stressing technique:

• Once you’re in the flow of your daily mindful walk, take a few moments to pause – this is easiest if you stand still.
• Mentally scan your body for any areas of stress or tension. These might be aches, itches, tense muscles, slight pains, a feeling of tightness or something else.
• Choose just one!
• Take a ‘snapshot’ of how that area is feeling. And, if you allow all of your awareness to settle in that area, notice the impact on your thoughts or emotions. Don’t dive into any drama. Don’t tell yourself the story. Don’t connect with any uncomfortable emotions. Just allow yourself to take a snapshot, for later on.
• Breathe in from theEarth, through the soles of your feet, into that point of tension or discomfort in your body.
• Breathe out from that area, through the soles of your feet, back into the Earth.
• Keep doing this, at your own speed, for a few breaths.
• When you’re ready, on your in-breath, imagine you’re breathing in total acceptance – acceptance of the physical sensation; acceptance of the thoughts or emotions connected with it. You may experience a feeling of relief, at no longer having to hold on to or resist that tension.
• As you breathe out, imagine you are breathing out that tension or stress, allowing it to be released back into the Earth.
• Keep going until you feel the release. Then take a snapshot, to notice the change.

What did you notice?
How did this technique work for you?
Do you have any insights you’d like to share? Or questions you’d like to ask?

http://thetransformationclub.ning.com/group/magic-of-mindfulness/forum/topics/how-did-you-find-the-mindful-walking-de-stressing-technique-from-

Namaste,
Clare x