Trust that everything is working out as it should. In divine time. In divine order. For your highest good.
Video: Let Go and Flow
Tag: Stress Relief
You hold the key.
Even though we often have little control over the “outside forces” in our lives, we can always make a positive difference – from the inside out.
Start here. Right here. Right now. Be still. Breathe in gratitude. Be thankful for this very moment. Start small. Notice your passing thoughts. Let go.
Awareness empowers.
Notice the exact time it is right now. Say today’s date out loud. Look up at the sky. Wink at the clouds. Stomp your feet on the floor. Smile with gusto.
Slowly bring yourself back to this moment.
Grab onto the coffee mug you are holding. Inhale the rich scent of the sumatra you are drinking. Feel the warmth of each passing breath.
Feel the texture of the clothes you’re wearing. Wake up to the sound of your voice. Whisper. Sing. Shout it out!
Dance a little dance. Stand up tall. Anything and everything that shifts you from outer space to inner spirit. From not enough to overflowing.
Positive change begins within.
Come back to yourself. Back to the grace of your magnificent spirit. Into the beauty of your incredible form. Feel the rhythm of your beating heart. Sense the pulse of life itself.
Everything you need to transform yourself and the world already exists within you. You matter. You truly matter. But you have to believe it to see it. Feel it to know it. One gentle, uplifting thought at a time.
You hold the key.
Originally published on March 1 2017
The Cure for the Anxious Mind.
Nature is a beautiful way to stop the monkey mind in its’ tracks.
What is the monkey mind? 🐒 🧠
“Buddha described the human mind as being filled with drunken monkeys, jumping around, screeching, chattering, carrying on endlessly. Fear is an especially loud monkey – screaming out all the things that could go wrong.” Source: HuffPost
When we’re caught in a loop of anxious thoughts, our amygdala goes into overdrive. Causing us to get stuck in the basement of our brains (the limbic system) where our stressful thoughts go around and around. With no end to the downward spiral in sight.
B R E A T H I N G S P A C E
Time in nature gives us a chance to catch our breath, to see the light, to realize there’s a way out of this never-ending rumination loop.
The Healing Power of Nature 🍃
The impact of nature on the human spirit is so profound that a hallmark study in 1984 showed that patients who had a room with a view healed faster than patients without a view. A mere glimpse of nature was enough to enhance their resilience.
Hope 🌷
Nature shifts our thoughts. Expands our awareness. Gives us hope. Lifts us up from the basement of our brains (amygdala) to the penthouse (cerebral cortex) where all solutions are possible.
”And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.”
Related Video: Grounding Techniques
How do you soothe tame your anxious monkey mind?
Catch your breath.
“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, not what’s left of you.”
Pause.
Be still.
Catch your breath.
Take a rest.
Practice self-care.
As often as you can.
Pause at the end of my video ⬆️ for 30 fun self-care ideas.
Do you practice daily self-care?
Please share in the comments below.
Rest in Truth.
Truth is truth.
Let them gossip. Let them chatter. Let them say what they choose to say.
Because at the end of the day truth is truth.
And nothing can stand in it’s way.
Rest. Relax. Sit back. Breathe in deep.
Stop trying to convince anybody and everybody of anything and everything.
At the end of the day time will tell.
Rest. Relax. Sit back. Breathe in deep.
When the dust settles and the sun sets truth is truth.
And it shall set you free.💫
One Minute Meditation | Stress to Growth Reframing
“To make the growth choice instead of the fear choice a dozen times a day is to move a dozen times a day towards self-actualization.”
Re-imagine stressful moments as growth moments.
Opportunities moving you one step, one breath, one moment closer to your dreams.
One thought debilitates.
The other levitates. 🍃
I hope you enjoy my one minute meditation retreat.
Visit my YouTube Channel for more psychology videos.
Happiness in present time.
Our left brain lives in the past and the future.
Our right brain lives in the here and now.
One scrambles for solutions to problem after problem.
The other sinks into the present moment, trusting all is well.
Which side of the brain will you live on today?
I choose my right brain.
Right here. Right now.
Fully present.
Breathing it all in.
All is well.
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.”
The inspiration for today’s post.
A walk around Blue Heron Lake.🍃
Related Post: Is Happiness a Choice?
Remember to breathe.
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that have the greatest impact on our happiness.
Something so close, so within reach, we often forget it was there in the first place. The good night’s sleep we’re yearning for; waiting patiently at the end of each day. The connection to nature we’re searching for; available 24/7 just beyond our front door. That extra deep breath; we frequently forget to take.
You possess a power so magnificent, so liberating, right under your nose.
Breathing is one of the few physiological functions that can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously.
When everything feels out of control, breathing is the one thing that will always be within our control. The times we’re under the most amount of stress is the exact time we need to expand our breathing – not restrict it.
We must become conscious of breath.
The next time you’re under any kind of pressure. Stuck in traffic. Rushing from class to class. Dealing with a difficult customer at work. Desperately trying to recall answers on a final exam. Wake up to the formidable power that exists within you. Right here. Right now. Right under your nose.
The deeper the breath. The deeper the peace.
Related Post: Give pain room to breathe.
Set a time limit on negativity.
Time is in such short supply. The sooner we appreciate its value, the better life becomes.
When I was a kid my mom set the egg timer for almost everything we did; whether it was how long we spent doing our homework, weeding the garden, watching television, or complaining about life’s challenges.
It helped us to understand that nothing lasts forever – good or bad.
This was especially important when we felt helpless over things we did not have control over, including chores we did not want to do.
Setting time limits also taught us to respect how our words and actions impact ourselves and others.
Full disclosure: My mom is a psychologist too.
Your time. Your life.
To this day I set a timer on the stove.
A simple, yet effective way to motivate myself through tedious tasks and become more mindful of time itself.
The timer principle can also be applied to how often we are negative vs. positive throughout the course of a day.
Negativity is the easy (automatic) route. So we need to be conscious of where our mind flows.
Venting feels good in the moment, but when it goes on too long, the costs outweigh the benefits.
Joy needs room to breathe.
Too often we complain about stressors for hours beyond the momentary challenge has passed. Leaving little time in the day for appreciation, wonder, and gratitude.
Then one day we wake up and realize that life is too short to be all negative, all the time. Even (especially) when life gets tough.
Balance is key.
Negativity is to be expected. It’s part of the human experience.
The question is – how long will you stay there.
Share your challenges. Share your obstacles. Share your difficulties.
But also leave room for what’s good in your life.
Joy needs room to breathe.
And so do you. ♥
▪️Reblogged from October 2016▪️
What’s your mantra?
This is my mantra.
I write it on my bathroom mirror. I post it on my refrigerator door. I tape it to my office wall. I speak of it every time I teach.
These 4 words remind me to focus on what’s good, what’s working, what’s infinitely possible. Even (especially) when everything is going wrong.
Focus on the good.
Because if I can find one good thing in the course of a day, I have found my reason to live, to love, and to lead.
Sometimes the blessings are obvious. Sometimes they’re hidden. Sometimes it’s simply breathing. Other times “it’s the moments that take my breath away”.
Mantras wake us up.
Mantras work because they wake us up. Snap us out of it. They carry us from the perpetual loop of our worries to the equanimity of present time.
For we all need a gentle nudge in the right direction. A loving reminder to come back to reality.
Or we’ll all be too busy looking down that we miss the beauty of what’s right in front of us. Life itself. 💙
What’s your mantra?
Related Post: Happiness in one word.
