Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

The Practice of Mindfulness

I just completed an 8 week mindfulness based stress reduction course.  It was not what I expected; however, I am very grateful for the experience and the information.

The conversations were honest and frank.  Mindfulness is not a magic bullet.  But, it can be an important tool for you to have in your toolbelt.

The practice can help to reduce the pain and anxiety, which may be filling your life, if and only if the practice resonates with you.

Mindfulness is not for everyone; however, if you are able to live mindfully during the day the effects can be quite beneficial. 

Even as little as 5 minutes at a time, interspersed throughout the day, can make a significant impact on your health and wellbeing.

Did you Know……..

You cannot rationalize emotions. 

In fact, the more you try, the more anxious and tense it can make you.

Emotions, need to be felt and released. 

There is no need to know the WHY!

Plain and simple – You are feeling what you are feeling.  

Without the WHY, there can be no judgement.  No one is a victim and no one is victorious.  There is just the reality of it.

As a human, you are an emotional being.  A being of the body and your body speaks in the language of emotions.

You are asked to be present to interpret, without judgement, what your body is trying to tell you.

To know and acknowledge is part of the release process.

Unprocessed Emotions

Your unprocessed emotions remain in your body.

Some believe that your unprocessed emotions are the root cause of stress.

And, prolonged stress, chronic stress, is the root cause of disease.  Sometimes refered to as dis-ease.

The Ah Ha Moment

I learned a lot about myself during the course but, most significant of all was that my mind is a continuous playback loop.

During my periods of mindfulness, different emotions popped up to the surface.  My belief is that emotions pop to the surface so they could be released.

In 9 out of 10 times, the emotions were tied to a picture.  A scene that was visible to the minds eye.  Interestingly, the majority of the scenes where from a movie or television program I had watched.

I watch maybe a couple of hours of TV in the evening after dinner.

What I found to be truly fascinating was that my mind was obsessed with characters from the TV programs.  The emotions that the characters or their circumstances evoked in me.

I know that you always teach what you need and I am always saying how important it is for your wellbeing to be in good company.  Now I know how very true that statement is.

It doesn’t matter whether the company is a person you are sitting with and talking to or a movie you are watching.  They all have the same impact on us.

It really does matter who/what you choose to share your time with.  Every single thing you interact with leaves an emotional imprint on us.  It all matters.

Learn More

Stress and the Body

Images

Opening Image by JL G from Pixabay