Our morning sessions help us later in the day thru overwhelm, conflict, etc.
From my post to my support group on August 13, 2019:
Today's Daily Calm (I use the Daily Calm App) was on "gezellig" which means "cozy" in Dutch. I have learned so many cool words from other languages (including Sanskrit) on this app. They all are used to introduce a concept on mindfulness, a lesson, some new nugget that helps us grow in our practice.
Today we focused on our breath in the belly first. Paying attention to the rise and fall with our breast. Then ribs. Then chest. And did a pattern. Belly, ribs, chest, putting our attention on those body parts while breathing.
Most of the Calm App meditations use the breath as an anchor. You can also stare at rocks, a fountain, etc. There is no ultimate one right way but many ways. The breath is a common anchor. With kids, you can do today's more easily if you lay down and use a small stuffed animal that sits on the belly and they can watch it rise and fall.
Remember these are all like dress rehearsals... I was just beyond overwhelmed at work yesterday. I arrived to work to find an overflowing in-box, a voicemail light on, several emails, several new demands for hearings (I am a judge's assistant), a conference in 2 hours that I needed to prep her for & do equipment setup, just a host of things that all had the same high priority. I was slammed.
Mindfulness has helped me feel my body more so I could feel this all and ask what was it saying? "Eat & drink" my body told me. So I quickly grabbed a salad and come back. As the overwhelm persisted, I took mindful pauses and separated myself from it all so that just like we do with our thoughts--watching them go like cars on the freeway--I could look at all my tasks more objectively and pace myself better, as well as slow down to avoid making errors.
Sometimes we are in impossible situations. I am only allowed to work 20 hrs a week but there will be floods of work come in that require 40 and I'm not authorized to come in beyond my allotted time. Some of the work has legal timelines and has to be done same-day. Taking those mindful pauses and breathing breaks have helped me distinguish what is really my responsibiity and humanly possible and not take on stress and anxiety that isn't mine to bear. It helps me to have a level of self-care even when I must work quickly and feel like I'm drowning in work.
Same thing at home when my kids suddenly have big emotions all at once. Usually when I'm driving, a transition, etc. Mindfulness helps me feel in my own body the stress... As well as physical things like hunger reminding me they might need to eat. It helps me call a family breathing break or require one to take some deep breaths before going to their activity.
These sessions, however you do them--with a guided app or on your own--are all dress rehearsals and help us throughout the day to respond to whatever we're going thru even conflict or overwhelm with that breathing break, that cozy pause, to pay attention to our body's signals, to pay attention to our thoughts, etc.. If you've not yet started up some type of daily meditation practice I highly encourage you to.
For those who have, what is your daily practice and how have you seen it help so far?
Today's Daily Calm (I use the Daily Calm App) was on "gezellig" which means "cozy" in Dutch. I have learned so many cool words from other languages (including Sanskrit) on this app. They all are used to introduce a concept on mindfulness, a lesson, some new nugget that helps us grow in our practice.
Today we focused on our breath in the belly first. Paying attention to the rise and fall with our breast. Then ribs. Then chest. And did a pattern. Belly, ribs, chest, putting our attention on those body parts while breathing.
Most of the Calm App meditations use the breath as an anchor. You can also stare at rocks, a fountain, etc. There is no ultimate one right way but many ways. The breath is a common anchor. With kids, you can do today's more easily if you lay down and use a small stuffed animal that sits on the belly and they can watch it rise and fall.
Remember these are all like dress rehearsals... I was just beyond overwhelmed at work yesterday. I arrived to work to find an overflowing in-box, a voicemail light on, several emails, several new demands for hearings (I am a judge's assistant), a conference in 2 hours that I needed to prep her for & do equipment setup, just a host of things that all had the same high priority. I was slammed.
Mindfulness has helped me feel my body more so I could feel this all and ask what was it saying? "Eat & drink" my body told me. So I quickly grabbed a salad and come back. As the overwhelm persisted, I took mindful pauses and separated myself from it all so that just like we do with our thoughts--watching them go like cars on the freeway--I could look at all my tasks more objectively and pace myself better, as well as slow down to avoid making errors.
Sometimes we are in impossible situations. I am only allowed to work 20 hrs a week but there will be floods of work come in that require 40 and I'm not authorized to come in beyond my allotted time. Some of the work has legal timelines and has to be done same-day. Taking those mindful pauses and breathing breaks have helped me distinguish what is really my responsibiity and humanly possible and not take on stress and anxiety that isn't mine to bear. It helps me to have a level of self-care even when I must work quickly and feel like I'm drowning in work.
Same thing at home when my kids suddenly have big emotions all at once. Usually when I'm driving, a transition, etc. Mindfulness helps me feel in my own body the stress... As well as physical things like hunger reminding me they might need to eat. It helps me call a family breathing break or require one to take some deep breaths before going to their activity.
These sessions, however you do them--with a guided app or on your own--are all dress rehearsals and help us throughout the day to respond to whatever we're going thru even conflict or overwhelm with that breathing break, that cozy pause, to pay attention to our body's signals, to pay attention to our thoughts, etc.. If you've not yet started up some type of daily meditation practice I highly encourage you to.
For those who have, what is your daily practice and how have you seen it help so far?
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