Life and love are calling you...

Are you listening? Can you tune into your heart's deepest longing?

One way I tune in is by keeping a journal and taking mindfulness breaks through out the day. Sometimes I use quotes as writing prompts to reflect and connect with what's happening in my life. 

While some quotes are cliche and over used others are original words from individuals who give or have given of themselves. In writing down their experiences they pass their wisdom on through words and actions. The ones that bring inspiration are ones that help us shift our perspective on how we view and live life, love and ourselves. 

Leo Buscaglia's words are inspiring and filled with love and healing. He gave love, spoke about it and helped many students and people learn about the power of living life from a loving perspective. He lived life in service to helping others connect with compassion, love and life. The quote below is one that can inspire, help us pause and reflect on what matters most in life.

"DON'T MISS LOVE. It's an incredible gift. I love to think that the day you're born, you're given the world as your birthday present. It frightens me to think that so few people even bother to open up the ribbon! Rip it open! Tear off the top! It's just full of love and magic and joy and wonder and pain and tears. All of the things that are your gift for being human. Leo Buscaglia"

The prompts below can help you let go of living in your thoughts, the past/future and connect with the life that is right here and available to you right now:  (you can use a journal to jot down your responses):

• What I appreciate about today is....
• One thing I appreciate about myself is...
• One thing I appreciate about my loved ones are...
•  
• I feel fully alive when...
• What happiness feels like in my body...
• A healing way I can respond to sadness is...
• One activity that connects me to my breath, my body and this moment is...

It helps when we connect with the vibrant life that is right here. Once you complete the questions about take a moment and practice the following:

• Pause and connect with the breath as it comes into the body. (Not just taking the breath for granted and breathing in and out)
• Attune to the sensation of the breath coming into the body and flowing out. 
• Notice the fullness as you breath in and the possibility of relaxing and letting go as you breathe out. 
• Notice the sensations in the chest, lungs and belly as you take in a new breath...
• Appreciate this moment of pure awareness, of connecting with the life that's right here without stories or judgments. 

May you be happy
May you be peaceful

May you be well 

Learning to be present...

Acceptance is an important part of the practice of mindfulness. On the flip side so is resistance. These two (acceptance and resistance) are connected through awareness or moments we wake up. Waking up means that we notice when we are resisting what is happening within or when we are reacting to the outside world. When we are reacting we are living in the world of stories, judgment and defenses.Yet there are so many moments that fall by the wayside as we race through life as if there is some imaginary deadline or destination we need to get to. We're surrounded by beauty but are unable to see it when we're caught up in thinking mind or in an emotional tornado.  In these moments we are blind to the world that's around us and within us. When this happens we suffer and unable to see clearly or appreciate life. There is an abundance of worry, fear, anger and no space for compassion, acceptance or being present with what is happening right here and right now. I'm not suggesting you drift through life on a cloud or deny that there are things that have to be addressed. This isn't practical, this is denial. What I am suggesting is that there is a need to slow things down, notice when you are caught up in your defenses, stories, or judgment...breathe and notice what you are feeling in your body. Come home to the breath and notice what is happening in your body as you breath. This pausing creates space, a space where we can shift from reactivity to response. What do you need in this moment? What helps to calm the emotions? Maybe pausing and connecting with kindness and compassion.

Practice pausing and shift from reacting to responding. Allow yourself the gift of listening to this guided meditation on the practice of mindfulness and the Sacred Pause. 

http://media.dharmaseed.org/recordings/2010/08/20100804-Tara_Brach-IMCW-meditation.mp3 

May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be peaceful :-)

The gift of opening to life...

It takes a real willingness to open our hearts, minds and bodies to life and to connecting with others. To be open to both joy and pain. Both are temporary and in their own way create suffering. When in pain our tendency is to clench like a tight fist and in doing so we intensify the pain. Or we begin to catastrophize about how awful the situation we are going through is and when we look to the future we imagine the worst. On the other side of the coin are the things we long for, to feel happy, joyful, connected and alive. So what possible suffering can joy cause? When we are in connection with all of life, with our body, breath and heart we feel expansive and life is wonderful. At the same time we may be wondering and worrying about how long this being joyful is going to last. When this happens we aren't fully present to experience this moment and this one and this one...

I sometimes experience this in teaching yoga. At the beginning of the practice I am aware of the worries, concerns and things to do. As I arrive in the moment I begin to connect with my body, breath, heart and my surroundings. I am in the moment and at times there is a genuine feeling of peace and calmness that flows through me. At the same time there are moments where I find myself drifting off into thought and this is a reflection of life outside the yoga studio. There can be a real longing to stay in this peaceful place forever but this isn't realistic. Instead, if I can really be present to enjoy the practice and accept that there will be times I drift off into thought then I am not at war with what is happening, lost in judgment or wishing it didn't have to end. It's also important to acknowledge that judging things, experiences, myself and others is a natural part of being human. The real question is can I shift from judgment into connecting with what lies beneath the judgment, can I bring compassion to this getting caught up in judgment, or lost in thought?

Mindfulness isn't about being present to life in every single moment of the day. It is about bringing awareness to what is happening and arriving back home to the body, heart and mind when we've journeyed into the land of thinking, planning and worrying. Taking the time to reconnect with what is happening right here and now. This practice helps us to see more clearly, to be open to live and feel alive.

Today, pause and take time to connect with both your internal and external world. Read the following and then make a commitment to practice this 3 minute mindfulness practice:

• Feel the ground beneath your feet, the chair or cushion supporting you...
• Gently close your eyes and take 3 full breaths...
• On the in breath feel the expansion that happens, the places in your body where you feel the breath the most, on the out breath feel the emptying out, the letting go...
• On your next breath scan gently through your body and soften the places that carry tension...
• Allow your breath to be natural and see if you can stay connected to the natural rhythm of the breath...
• Notice when your mind wanders and bring your  attention back to the breath or back to sensations...
• End with another three full breaths in and out
• Bring your palms together in front of the heart and end with these words of loving kindness

• May all beings be free from suffering
• May you be free from suffering
• May I be free from suffering

Notice how you feel and know that you can incorporate these moments of mindfulness throughout your day to help you be present.

May you be well
May you be happy
May you be peaceful

Three words that create connection...How are you?

Do you take the time to really see the people you come into contact with? I am guilty of saying what's expected. So someone asks me how's my day and I automatically say good or fine...but this isn't always true. So,  I was really surprised when I asked the cashier at the grocery store how she was doing and she gave me an honest answer... After my initial surprise I took in what she said and responded with understanding and compassion. Her response to this was a true appreciation for having been heard, seen and validated. Just three words,  a real desire to connect and an interest in a persons wellbeing can make a difference on both sides. I felt empathy and she felt gratitude. I'm not suggesting that you go around sharing your life story with everyone! But pausing to really connect with others helps us get out of our heads and into life!

Checking in to see how you're doing is an act of care and compassion...

A good practice is to use this question as a way to check in with yourself...what are you thinking, how are those thoughts affecting your emotions, does it escalate the feelings, are you reacting or responding... It is an opportunity to come into the present moment and see if there is a need to slow things down and really connect with what is happening... This in turn gives you a chance to begin to respond in a way that is healing. It could be pausing to breathe, or give yourself a break from thinking, doing, acting or being. So go ahead and give it a try! When you take care of yourself the world becomes a brighter place, you feel balanced and are able to connect from a place of abundance. 

Here's a beautiful podcast by Buddhist Meditation Teacher and Psychotherapist Tara Brach where she guides us on how to practice checking in and explains the benefits of this loving practice.

May you have moments of peace
May your heart be filled with compassion
May you be free from suffering