Thank you to everyone who joined in the Mental Health and Recovery Board Mindfulness & Yoga Session on Wednesday evening! Your presence was powerful and meaningful -- whether it was in-person or online via Facebook Live.
I'd like to offer-up a few of my notes from our time together, in the hopes that some of these thoughts resonate with you and inspire your ongoing, personal mindfulness work.
- Awareness is your innate super power!
- Awareness channeled into the present moment is mindfulness.
- Every day, every conversation, every interaction, every activity, every breath you take is an opportunity for a mindfulness practice or a full mind practice. Whichever practice you choose is what the mind perfects… You can be your own "mental personal trainer," to stretch and strengthen your mindfulness muscles.
- Pick a mindfulness practice that works for you. Breath, Movement, Exuberance (VIVRE!), Listening with your whole body, Be the witness or observer... It can be anything that helps bring your awareness into the present moment. The important part is that you practice! As Swami Sivananda said, "An ounce of practice is better than a ton of theory." So, don't just talk about it, BE about it!
- Don't let your mind get in the way of your mindfulness. Rather than defaulting to your mind's ability to categorize, label and judge yourself and the world around you, can you create a mindfulness practice that helps you process the world around you in a more inclusive and accepting way?
Exercise your mindfulness muscles with me every Monday on the MHRB website. And stay connected with MHRB and me to learn about more free mindfulness and yoga events coming your way soon!