Here are some of the practices that have helped me learn and grow and de-stress. They are great quick pick me ups whenever you need them. Please give credit to the sources listed if you decide to use/share them. Thanks!
Stoplight breathing:
Take a moment to look out the window, ground yourself in the PRESENT moment. PRACTICE slowing down your breathing - Andrew Weil's In 4 - hold 7 - out 8 - (4 times) is always wonderful for calming and grounding. Notice the PROGRESS you are making learning to stop, breathe, think. I have attached a great stoplight graphic that I use in my classes as a reminder that your P3 is always up to you to use whenever you need it.
Creating a Full Moon Happiness Jar:
Choice points:
Social Psychologist John Glidewell has a book called "Choice Points: Essays on the Emotional Problems of Living with People". While much of it is for groups in industries like healthcare, education and manufacturing, the basic premise is how we choose to react in certain situations can change the dynamic for the better - if we're mindful of the intentionality behind watching our reactions, we can make better choices for ourselves.
These are the points he says we can look for:
Quick practice for today:
Take a moment to look out the window, ground yourself in the PRESENT moment. PRACTICE slowing down your breathing - Andrew Weil's In 4 - hold 7 - out 8 - (4 times) is always wonderful for calming and grounding. Notice the PROGRESS you are making learning to stop, breathe, think. I have attached a great stoplight graphic that I use in my classes as a reminder that your P3 is always up to you to use whenever you need it.
A letting go ritual here: The Fetzer Institute
Creating a Full Moon Happiness Jar:
- Beginning on the Full Moon, each day write down one thing: healing prayer (intercession, petition), acknowledgement of a blessing (praise, thanksgiving) or gratitude for Spirit's action in your life (adoration) on a slip of paper.
- Keep them in a special jar - you can create one or find a unique glass vessel (kinda' like a "snap cup" from Legally Blonde 2 ;)
- At the next Full Moon, empty the jar, read each slip, then burn them with incense as a grateful offering for the blessings and abundance you are blessed with each day.
- Invite friends over to bring their jars as well and make a Full Moon ritual out of it. If it's raining, do it in a fireplace or stone bowl (safety first!!)
- Go back to the beginning and repeat...
Copyright MLC 5/3/15
Choice points:
Social Psychologist John Glidewell has a book called "Choice Points: Essays on the Emotional Problems of Living with People". While much of it is for groups in industries like healthcare, education and manufacturing, the basic premise is how we choose to react in certain situations can change the dynamic for the better - if we're mindful of the intentionality behind watching our reactions, we can make better choices for ourselves.
These are the points he says we can look for:
- "When to fight and when to run away; and how to fight and how to run away; and
- "When to be dependent and when to be dependable; and how to be dependent and how to be dependable; and
- "When to offer love and when to seek love; and how to offer love and how to seek love."
- Why am I upset?
- Is this something I will regret not doing/doing in 5 years?
- Will taking on another commitment take away from the people around me I know and love?
- Is it worth damaging a relationship by continuing to pursue this project?
- How will my mental health be impacted by continuing this constant stream of DOING?
- Does it really matter?
- When I'm on my deathbed, will I be happy I made this choice?
Quick practice for today:
Stop. Breathe in deeply - no, deeper than that, fill yourself all the way to your toes!
Close your eyes and breathe out s-l-o-w-l-y while repeating "relax".
Smile as you count to 20. Repeat twice.
Tuned in Trimming:
Do you put up a tree during
the holiday season? If so, take the time to take a deep, mindful breath
as you unwrap and place each ornament. Invite your family to join you and, especially
if you have kids, have them share what they remember about gathering around the
tree each year. If you are trimming with your family, talk about the
history of each ornament, where it came from or who gave it to you and take a
moment to send blessing thoughts to the family and friends who have given you
ornaments, traditions or decorations over the years. Play Christmas music,
don't have three different things happening (like batches of cookies, laundry
or everyone doing something separate in the name of efficiency), don't do
anything but trim the tree. When undecorating the tree after the holidays,
reverse the process and mindfully wrap each ornament with a quiet breath and a
prayer of gratitude for the gifts of tradition and ritual.
© MLC 11/23/14
Observing mindfulness at
the Office:
Take one small thing with
you - a crystal, a candle, a photo, a holiday card - that reminds you of the peace of the
season. I have a small scented candle that smells like Christmas
cookies. When things start to get overwhelming at the office, I stop,
inhale my candle and reframe before things get crazy. Remember that you
always have a choice on how you are going to react, no matter what else is
going on around you. If you choose to stay present & practice breathing,
you have made progress toward a more peaceful, joyful end of the year.
Always keep yourself present to keep your perspective before things feel out of
control. Enjoy this wonderful season!
© MLC 11/23/14
Daily Spiritual Practice:Five-Fingered Gratitude:
Guide yourself to a centered, focused state of gratitude by following the steps below:
1. With your eyes closed, practice opening the fist of your heart by actually making a fist while inhaling, and then opening it as you exhale.
2. Breathe deeply as you allow the energy of gratitude to flow around you and within you.
3. Touching your thumb to your index finger, think of something that you're deeply thankful for in the present moment. Visualize it clearly and give thanks for it.
4. Touching your thumb to your middle finger, travel back in time and think of something you feel deeply grateful for that happened in the past. Visualize it clearly and give thanks for it.
5. Touching your thumb to your ring finger, project yourself into the future and think of something that you're deeply thankful for that is waiting for you in the future. Visualize it clearly and give thanks for it.
6. Touching your thumb to your little finger, think of something that transcends all time that you're profoundly grateful for. It could be Source, or universal love, or life itself. Give thanks for it.
This simple five-finger gratitude helps you to enter into a beautiful state of grace. Carry it with you into your day.
http://www.soulwomansanctuary.com/soul-sanctuary/
5 Question Headache Relief:
This works by focusing on where the pain is and describing it, which brings more blood flow to the constricted area and also releases natural pain enzymes to make the headache diminish. Thanks to Chet from that CLC workshop in 1999 for this one!
Location – Where is it? Describe
exact location. (1 inch above my temple to the left).
Color – What Color is it?
Shape – What shape does it have? Edges,
spikes, 3-D or flat?
Texture – Is it hard, soft, squishy, fuzzy,
rough, other?
A Gratitude Retreat:
