Those of you who are familiar with my program, Living the Soul of Recovery, know that the first pillar of strength for long-term recovery is Awareness.
Awareness has three components:
– Mindfulness
– Inner Wisdom
– Essence
These three parts, working in harmony with each other, enable us to know and master ourselves so we can be fully present to ourselves in the present moment.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not about having a mind full of thoughts, ideas and information. It’s about being present. In some ways it seems like a better term might be “mindLESSness,” but then no one would want to do it!
Mindfulness, or being present, is a practice of noticing and observing what you are experiencing within and around you – right now. What emotions are you feeling? What sensations are you aware of? What do your senses tell you about your environment? All in the present moment.
Meditation is one of the most effective ways to practice Mindfulness. One of the simplest meditations is a basic breathing exercise: Relax, then breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 2, breathe out for a count of 4, pause for a count of 2, repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 breaths.
How easy is that? You have to breathe anyway, this just gets you to pay attention and not let your mind wander around aimlessly. As you breathe, just observe the experience of being aware of your breathing – no thoughts of whether you are “doing it right” or “getting something out of it.” Rather, simply be conscious of your inhale, exhale and the pauses between.
As you practice and get familiar with this breathing meditation, stop counting the repetitions and instead build up to 15-20 minutes. Research shows that 15-20 minutes of meditation has the beneficial impact on the mind and body of an hour of sleep, and helps the heart and brain function more optimally, reduce blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, relax muscle tissue, and boost the immune system! Who knew you carry a built-in spa with you?!
Another way of being Mindful and simultaneously be grounded is to focus your attention on your feet and where you are standing or sitting. Just bring your attention to your feet. If you are barefoot, feel the pressure of the ground or floor against the soles of your feet. Notice the texture of what you are standing on. If you are wearing footwear, notice how your feet feel in your socks or hose and in the confines of your shoes or sneaks. Wiggle your toes a little.
Then expand your awareness slowly to about 12” around you, pausing every inch or so to really get that on this whole Earth, this spot and this moment are where you are right now. This grounding exercise serves to bring your energy lower into your body and can help in lowering anxiety and releasing worry.
The purpose of these practices is simply to be Mindful and present to the here and now in space and time. With regular practice, most people find they are calmer, more alert, more creative and better able to let go of their mental blocks so they can more easily attract opportunities to help them toward their dream. I’m sure you will find that, too.
We will cover Inner Wisdom and Essence in the next issue of LifeLetter.