Everyday Mindfulness

With Fee up to her eyeballs in in-laws this week, I've taken on the pleasurable task of talking you through week four of Finding Peace In A Frantic World. I'm working with the Kindle edition so, unlike Fee, I won't refer to specific page numbers.
This week the book looks at how the running commentary our mind imposes on life affects how we react to events.
It begins with the following story:

John was on his way to school.
He was worried about the maths lesson.
He was not sure he could control the class again today.
It was not part of a janitor's duty.

Like myself, I expect you found yourself repeatedly updating your view of the scene in the mind's eye. As the authors say, "We never see a scene in photographic detail, but instead make inferences based on the 'facts' that are given." They go on to say that we don't see the world as it is, but as we we are. Consequently we often think that our emotions are aroused by a situation when, in fact, our emotions are simply a response to our interpretation of that scene. This can lead to a lot of unnecessary suffering.
Williams and Penman ask if it is possible to step outside this endless cycle of reaction and just watch our thoughts unfold; whether it is possible to understand certain thoughts as "symptoms of stress" rather than as cast-iron facts.
Week four teaches us to notice thoughts, acknowledge their presence and let them go, rather than be pulled into their vortex.
When I first followed this course back in December, I felt a major breakthrough during week four. I've felt at the mercy of my own thoughts for most of my life, and it was incredibly liberating to learn that thoughts do not necessarily have to be granted unstoppable momentum.

Practices for week four:
An eight-minute Breath & Body meditation (track 4 on the audio).
An eight-minute Sounds & Thoughts meditation to be practiced twice a day (track 5).
A three-minute Breathing Space meditation (track 8) to be practiced twice a day.

Thanks so much for this Jon. If anyone else would like to have a go at writing up week 5 just let me know

I remember doing this week in July of last year. A close friend of mine had just become a mum and two other close friends were planning their wedding for which my husband and I were both the best men. It was a beautiful evening and I was coming home in a taxi from meeting my friends beautiful daughter for the first time. I watched the sunlight through the brilliant green leaves of the trees.
The taxi driver had the radio on and team GB had just won another goal and my phone buzzed with an excited text message about suit fittings. I felt wholly present and noticed my enjoyment rather than get carried away with worries.

I got home and sat in my room practicing the sights and sounds meditation. I was so used to trying to block out distraction but I remember just feeling peaceful and not caught up in thoughts of all the good experiences of the day or the bad. It was a memorable learning experience.

I'd forgotten how useful the 3-minute Breathing Space meditations can be. No substitute for a longer meditation but very useful all the same.
Had a busy day today so no time to sit for as long as I'm accustomed to. But I've managed to squeeze in a couple of Breathing Spaces on the beach. Wonderfully calming even though the seagulls were kicking up an almighty din.

3 minute breathing spaces are such valuable little gems

Beautiful day in Brighton so I attempted an 8-minute Sounds & Thought meditation on the beach.
I was doing fine up to the 6-minute mark when an old lady stopped and asked me if I needed help. She assumed I was having some sort of attack.
Happily, Fatboy Slim has bought the local cafe back off Heather Mills (who'd turned it into a rubbish vegan restaurant) so I went off and cheered myself up with a baked potato (cheese, tuna and baked beans topping).

sounds and movement is my favourite of the meds, however i do mine in the peace and solitude of my bedroom

No seagulls in your bedroom, I take it.
Much more peaceful.

This is probably the week I was most looking forward to but at the same time worried about the thoughts side of things.

As I've said before I tend to over think everything, real problems and non existent ones too.

Last night I did my first sound and thought meditation, the sound part I loved as my mind never wondered and it was just quite relaxing hearing background sounds. When it came to thoughts I actually struggled to think anything, it was odd there just didn't feel like anything to observe.

This morning I did it and my mind was bombarded, a thought would pop up but it would go away. Random things like my desk at work, my dog. It was as if I was seeing photos of these things, but each thought came and went but another one would just come in. It just felt like a constant steam of images but none of them stayed.

I tried thinking of clouds but then I noticed that I was just thinking of clouds rather than thoughts lol. So I then would sit the image of the thought such as my dog, on the cloud and watch it float away.

I totally agree with the book how thoughts are flashes of images.

Does this sound like I'm doing it right?

It was what it was if that makes sense? I try not to label things good or bad, they just are

Still really struggling with watching thoughts, I just don't get it. I know there are a few threads on this so I don't expect anyone to try and explain it to me. I'll just have to keep practicing.

Looking forward to next week as I really am wanting to work on the acceptance side of anxiety and its physical symptoms. I have done a couple of meditations on the physical side of anxiety already and I can see by acknowledging it, it does seem to loosen its grip a little.

I do feel a little put off at the moment as I am no longer taking Anti depressants, my sleep and appetite have suffered dramatically, so has my mood. I'm hoping it is just my body adjusting to not having meds rather than my depression coming back. But I really really want to do this without the need of medication.

I know only I can make this decision but I have seen people say you should not do this course whilst depressed, personally I think its the best time to do it! My depression is moderate I'd say so it's not severe.

One thing I have noticed is when I'm depressed, much to my partners frustration, I go very inward and quiet, this time, even though i feel like utter crap I'm still quite chatty.

I think I know its going to take me a little longer to feel the benefits of mindfulness because of the negative mind state I'm in and I totally accept that. Week 5 seems to be the week where the 'therapy' actually begins though!