Morning Vibes With Dr. Jerry - the First
Hello and welcome to
#MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst-Episode 300
Title: 6 Practical
Ways To Be Present
There are a lot of amazing
benefits to being more present and mindful, but one of my favorites is this:
you’re not missing the beauty and joy of the present moment.
Being present also helps
you to see when you are feeling fear or resistance, uncertainty or the urge to
procrastinate, anger or resentment… and then to work with those difficulties
mindfully.
That’s all great, but how
do you remember to practice being present? It’s so easy to get caught up in our
thoughts and distractions, and forget to practice.
The honest truth is that
no one is perfect at this. Me least of all. It’s a continual learning process,
not something you figure out and then you’re good. It’s messy and beautiful.
So with that in mind, here
are some practical ways to practice:
1. A Small Regular Practice.
Form the
simple habit of meditating for just two minutes a day (to start with). After
you wake up, simply sit comfortably and try to focus on your breath for two
minutes. When (not if) your mind wanders, just notice it and label it
“thinking.” And gently return to the breath, without harshness.
Set a timer, and when the
timer goes off, you’re done! If you feel like expanding it by a minute every
week or so, feel free to do so, but you don’t have to expand.
The benefit of this
regular practice is that you learn skills you can take and practice in other
parts of your day.
2. Work with Others.
Having a regular group or
partner to meditate with is helpful. You support each other continuing to
practice, and can talk about struggles and things you’re learning.
If you don’t have a
practice group in your area, you could find people online to talk to regularly
about practicing.
3. Have Mindfulness Bells.
You could have a chime
regularly sound off on your phone or computer (numerous apps do this) to remind
you to pause and be mindful of what’s going on right now.
I’ve also found it useful
to see other things as mindfulness bells: seeing my child’s face, a traffic
light, hearing an alert from an appliance or the computer. Each of these can be
a reminder to be present when I notice them.
4. Set an Intention Before an Activity.
If you’re about to do a work
task, process email, read a book, cook dinner… you can pause just before
starting, and think for a second about what your intention for that activity
might be.
What are you hoping to do
with this activity? For me, I might cook dinner out of love for my family or
myself. I might write a blog post (like this one) out of love for my readers. I
might do a workout out of love for myself (and to set a good example for my
kids).
I process email out of
responsibility and consideration for those trying to communicate with me. By
setting an intention, it reminds you to be mindful of that intention as you do
any activity.
5. Reflect Daily.
At the end of each day, or
at the beginning, take a minute to journal or just reflect on how your day has
gone. How have you done with practicing being present? What have you struggled
with? Have you been using your mindfulness bells and setting intentions?
What resistance has come
up for you, what stories are you telling yourself about all of this? Daily
reflection is one of the most useful habits for continuing to practice and
getting better at practicing.
6. See Everything as a Teacher.
This method admittedly
sounds a bit corny, but it’s actually amazing. When you’re feeling frustrated
with someone, feeling stressed out by work, feeling upset or grieving about the
health of a loved one, feeling anxious about a national election… pause and see
this person or situation as a teacher.
What can you learn from
them about being present? What attachments can you see in yourself that are
causing this difficulty? What stories are you forming that are causing you to
feel this way? What can you practice letting go of? What can you appreciate
about this moment that you are taking for granted?
In this way, every
difficulty, every person, everything that arises in the present moment can be a
loving teacher that is helping us along the path to being present.
Until I come your way
again, this is #MorningVibesWithDrJerryTheFirst
Keep it coming!!!
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PS:
This Program is powered by Topitup Media & Communication Nigeria.
This Program is powered by Topitup Media & Communication Nigeria.
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rights Reserved (c) 2018
Beautyfilled post
ReplyDeleteA teacher and always one. Am sharing this one with passion. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIndeed practice makes perfect
ReplyDelete