Developing Mindfulness
I think we have all had the experience of being so engrossed or better, consumed in an activity we don't hear people talking to us Happens actually more as kids That's being mindful
Mindfulness doesn't ascribe mental activity involving thought although the word might imply that
Actually it is quietly paying attention It engages one in witnessing, not thinking, but observing
So how do we become more mindful, witnessing, observing, not thinking which are all the same thing? One of the ways is meditation which helps reduce thought activity Another is yoga nidra that can help channel energy in a certain direction
But today we're going to talk about how to engage in mindfulness during daily activity through the use of the breath, linking it to our body and its movement
When we inhale we go slightly back toward the heels, knees bend slightly, the torso moves upward, arms bend slightly, wrists rotate outward, shoulders go back but stay down, neck stretches upward
Now you try it And see if you can hear the breath move in and out when you breathe
When we exhale our chin bends forward, shoulders stay down, abdomen goes back toward the spine, we feel a subtle elevation of the anal canal, legs straighten, and weight shifts to the balls of the feet
Now you try it
This is an exercise that creates mindfulness but of what? Becoming aware of the breath and how it moves us
It takes practice but doing it during the day when thinking about a kajillion things over time will promote a quiet alert witnessing mindbody
What does this have to do with nutrition? Everything Because when we can become aware of what we are doing our digestion improves Remember if we pay better attention to what we are doing, we do it better
How long does this take to develop this mindfulness? Six weeks! And it will make all the difference
Have you ever tried breathing mindfully? Did you sense the breath moving the body? Did you find some settling of the mind?
Until tomorrow To health as a Skill Love DrBill
