Everyday Mindfulness

This topic seems very reminiscent of some we did last year from How to Train an Elephant so promises to be a good one. Slowing down in a great way to be more mindful - maybe it will help prevent me rushing though the week and forgetting to be mindful (see my post on week 5).

I love the quote "Breathe, smile and go slowly" and the question "why rush through life (in pursuit of some future happiness) instead of enjoying the present moment?" and will keep these in mind this week.

Steve

This one always seems timely for me
Right now I am going back to basics following a recent diagnosis of fibro which is further complicated by my post haem stuff and the bone disease I was born with. A few times recently I have been either totally exhausted, to the extent I spent 2 days unable to move off the sofa and/or experiencing some of the worst pain flare ups in over a year.

For me, it isn't just about going slowly, it is about being OK with going slowly and being mindful of myself physically and emotionally. Otherwise I can hit a downward spiral of self recriminations and feeling very negative about myself. I have a difficult anniversary coming up, 2 in fact in less than a week, so I am also working mindfully with those feelings too this week.

Steve wrote:"why rush through life (in pursuit of some future happiness) instead of enjoying the present moment?"
Steve

Amen to that.

FeeHutch wrote: I have a difficult anniversary coming up, 2 in fact in less than a week, so I am also working mindfully with those feelings too this week.

I am going through a bad patch this week dealing with a family problem and am finding it hard to stay with the breath during meditations but I am ok with that and know it is ok to feel that way. When I first started meditating I would feel annoyed at myself for not staying with the breath but its all about accepting and being compassionate towards yourself.

I have had to be away from posting a few weeks, and am still on last weeks finding a good quality, which I have found most surprisingly difficult . I have had to go and canvas a few ideas of good qualities I may have from friends so a bit of a shock with that, that I was unable to generate any ideas on my own.
I have no problem going slow,it is going fast that I cant do, so I am sticking with last weeks work.
It sounds like it is a good subject to have fallen this week as people sound as if they have had testing times, so hope the Buddha focus is providing some help in the struggles.

It's good to hear that everyone is finding different ways of using or adapting the weekly topics to suit their circumstances. It's good to experiment to find out what works for you and what doesn't.

I've found 'going slowly' can make a big difference to how I feel and how stressed I am. By getting up just a bit earlier, by just doing everyday things (getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, washing up, etc) just a tiny bit more slowly, it seems to remove much of the tension/stress/rush/lack of attention that otherwise takes over. By leaving 5-10 mins earlier for something so I am not always in a rush but can do things in a more relaxed manner, makes a huge difference to my day. It also gives me more opportunity to remember to be mindful more often. So, so far, 'going slowly' (or rather just easing back very slightly on the usual mindless rush) is feeling good.

Steve

How has everyone got on this week?
I've found the deep breathes helpful as ever and taken my foot off the gas by planning ahead rather than trying to cram everything I need to into one day. Still my body has got in on the act and slowed me down to a full stop this weekend anyway!

In an effort to get myself back on track, I went back and read all the chapters we've done so far again. Week 5 (See the Good in Yourself) was definitely the most difficult. Week 6 was easier as I have been working on that for a long time. I've learned not to volunteer to do things in groups where I feel a lot of pressure because only a few people do all the work. I also try to keep one weekend day free and spend some time on at least one of my hobbies every day. I'm up to 8 minutes a day of meditation and it's been a real lifesaver during some trying times lately.

Hi, I had a good week doing my alternative JOT task... It was great to have been able to take "a week off" for that...

It was interesting to read how you've gotten on with the "slow down" exercise. I liked Steve's suggestion of leaving 5-10 minutes earlier, so that travelling isn't so hectic - I know that's something that I do waaay to little...

I'm looking forward to being back in the regular JOT group for this coming week - I missed having ppl to discuss the week's exercise with!

XXX Janey

As mentioned in a previous post, I found 'slowing down' to be effective in de-stressing activities and helping me be more aware of the present moment rather than forever chasing an imaginery rainbow somewhere in the future. Slowing down physically is a great way to help slow down the mind but I found the same can apply to mental activities as well - just adopting a calmer, less rushed approach can make a great difference.

I still found it very easy to slip back into old habits but given the benefits when I did 'slow down' this is an approach I intend to keep practising to try to counterbalance my natural tendency to be on edge all the time (guess I am a type A person trying to become a type B!).

As mentioned before, the degree of slowing down only needs to be small - just enough to achieve the shift in taking the urgency out of the task, so the emphasis is on the activity in hand rather than the next activity.

Steve