Checking your Connections Part 1: Mindfulness

Often, when we get to this place, this waste-land of being done, we become open targets for that snarky little voice in our head that always has something to say, and it’s never anything very nice.  You might recognize that it often starts off with “You always…” or “You never…”, very judgmental, and always condemning.

Left unchecked, this self-criticism can become a loop and can suck us even further down.

One of the best ways to silence that voice is to hold the light of mindful awareness up to it. That voice does not like this light.  It wants you to get drawn along on its path, believing what it is telling you.

Mindful awareness allows you to connect with the present moment, to ‘see’ the voice for what it is, some old tape running in your mind, that no longer has value.  Once you can recognize the tape, you can choose whether to believe it or not.  Recent research has shown that mindful awareness is an extremely useful way to end the looping of negative thoughts.  But don’t believe me, or the research, try it for yourself.

Mindful Awareness Practice:

• Pay attention to your breath, allowing yourself to notice the sensation of it, not trying to direct it in any way.
• Notice sensations in your body. Go from your feet to your head, noticing the sensations in different parts of your body, again, not judging them or trying to change them, just notice.
• Bring awareness to what you hear.  Explore the various layers of sounds that are around you.  Don’t label them, just notice.
• Play with the sensation of taste.  When you are hungry, choose something that is flavorful or juicy, something with incredible texture or smell, and let yourself savor every element.

Which of these will you choose to connect with the present moment?