Each morning, as our eyes open, there is a moment—even if only a sliver of a second—when the mind is calm, clear and available. There is a glimpse of awareness, albeit fleeing, of the coolness of the sheets, the chirping of birds or the delicious stretching of the body from the inside-out.
Then, often instantly, a barrage of thoughts yanks us from this experience we call the present moment. The mind goes from its natural state of rest to one of restlessness. All of its life force energy, which had been returning and gathering during sleep, begins once again to hemorrhage outward. Before long, mental and physical fatigue ensues, accompanied by a dullness of mind; a kind of sleepwalking, whereby we become blind to life’s blessings and opportunities.
The mind’s intrinsic light becomes veiled by worries, complaints, doubts and judgments. We go dark, and unconsciousness takes over. Here is a simple, three-step procedure to maintain the mind’s primal state of restful awareness and remain truly awake: calm, clear and present to life and all of its possibilities.
1. Relax. Trying to stop thoughts is counterproductive, and ends up creating more thoughts, judgment and stress. Simply give the mind permission to rest on anything in our present awareness that brings us peace. It could be our breath, the sensation of relaxing our shoulders, a tree or a distant sound. Start with a dedicated practice of just a few minutes a day, and throughout the day whenever it occurs to us; for example, while waiting at a red light. Remember to let go of all tension or effort.
2. Enjoy. The instant the mind settles, focus on how we feel in our physical body. Enjoy the peace, the stillness and the calmness. Remember this feeling, and make a cellular memory of it. Don’t think or do anything about it; just feel. Shift from thinking and doing to feeling and being; stay there as long as possible, even if only for a second, and enjoy. Research shows that learning is more effective when the process is enjoyable, and this essential learning, the training of our mind, is no different.
3. Repeat. Consistency is critical. Old patterns of unconscious thinking and behavior may have been reinforced for decades, so enlightenment is not likely to happen overnight. But then again, you never know. Let go of any expectations or attachments to results. Be committed, but at the same time, don’t take it too seriously.
Mindfulness is a science, so just approach it as an interesting experiment. Whatever we do, we must not give up. Relax and enjoy. While practicing awakening through mindfulness, be mindful of the benefits. We should be aware of any shifts in any aspects of our life: health, relationships, work or finances. Simply noticing these changes, obvious or subtle, will inspire us to continue and deepen our practice. There is no limit to how conscious we can be, whether detecting a trace of chicory in our tea or a melodious lilt in a loved one’s voice that we never heard before.
Mindfulness can be defined as the mind filled with radiance; the light of consciousness. When the mind is returned to its natural state—clear, bright and peaceful—it becomes our best friend, continually waking up to its own luminous nature and all that life has in store for us.
Steve Price directs and teaches at A Mindfulness Life Center, in Scottsdale. For more information, visit www.AMindfulnessLifeCenter.om.
MINDFULNESS
The Science of Waking Up
by Steve Price
Originally printed by Natural Awakenings December 2014
Self-Care is kind of an art. Yoga is an art. Living well is an art. And to get it right, you kind of have to study. I mean, not kind of…you HAVE to study.
Svadyaya is a sanskrit word meaning Self-Study. Understanding the Self – the YOU – is imperative to understanding how to take care of YOU. If you don’t know who you are, what you like, what you don’t like, what your tendencies are, what your potential is, what your emotional state is, then you can’t really formulate a map for becoming all you can become. And taking care of yourself begins with accepting yourself and loving yourself as you are, but also wanting the best for yourself.
Each of us is born with a certain set of genes; we have a certain personality – unique to ourselves – and we are “created” to be in co-creation. We start out fine, although completely dependent..crying to have our needs met, and then being molded into whatever our parents are capable of molding us into. Sooner or later, we are trying to become something we’re not to keep up with the expectations of anyone other than God and ourselves. We fumble our way through junior high and high school. We get really intellectual in college thinking we know everything. Then, we get hit with reality in the “real” world as we work and strive to “get ahead” so we can have what our culture tells us we should have, how we should look, and who we should be.
My point is, along the way in life, some of us lose ourselves. Practically none of us is really emotionally healthy by the time we leave our family of origin. There’s so much dysfunction and even if there isn’t, society is so crazy that we can hardly make heads or tales of what’s right and wrong anymore. It seems that anything goes these days, so we can get caught up in confusion over the littlest things.
Reality is the only way to go. And Self-Study is a course in understanding the reality of who YOU are. It requires asking many questions of yourself and taking the time to examine your beginnings, your mistakes, the wrongs against you, the wrongs you’ve done to others, your personality tendencies, your strengths and your weaknesses. It also asks you to consider your natural gifts and talents and how you
can best serve. At some point, you need to ask yourself, “Who Am I?” and go deep to discover all that is you.
Here are 3 ways you can get to know yourself better:
1) Take a Personality Profile
There are many personality profiles in the marketplace. There’s the DISC profile, the Meyers-Briggs, the Enneagram and more. These profile questionnaires are designed to highlight what your basic tendencies are in personality with regard to your emotional, intellectual and instinctual sides. Once you complete a profile and know your own tendencies, you can understand how you might react or respond to certain
other personalities. Companies often use these profiles to determine whether or not to hire someone based on their ability to fit into the corporate structure. Or, they might use them to strengthen the communication model in their work environment. If you can view your tendencies without judgment and just understand that you fall into certain descriptive personality types like everyone else does, you can seek to shift and adapt more easily to the various environments in which you find yourself. Research online the various personality profiles and choose one to pursue. You can find the Enneagram in book form on Amazon.
2) Spend some time alone.
This is hard for some people to do. Most people do not enjoy being alone. In fact, many are afraid to be alone because they wouldn’t know what to do with their time if they were alone. But it’s very important if you want to learn what you value and what you’d do with your time once you are “forced” to decide on your own what will make you happy.
Have you ever considered going to a nearby resort for a night or two just by yourself? I have worked at a resort for over 10 years and every now and then a woman comes in and tells me she is on her own for just a couple of nights. She brings a ton of magazines, the book she is reading and spends time doing what she enjoys. She might get a massage, order room service, lay by the pool or take in a yoga class. This time away is precious. It can make you think about your life, get some clarity and find some much needed peace and quiet. This can be a very restorative time which is good for your body, mind and soul.
3) Begin a meditation practice.
Meditation can be as little as 5 minutes or as long as an hour. The length of time is not important, except that the longer you allow yourself some quiet time, the more you can allow your mind to rest. The mind needs rest from the incessant chatter that is your natural mind.
You can find lots of information on meditation through the internet or by reading books on the subject. The goal is to sit quiet long enough to hear your own heart. To quiet the mind so you can feel and open your consciousness to get clarity and creative input. If you do this long enough, you can get closer in touch with who you are and the things that truly matter to you. But start small. 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, etc. Do not let the quiet intimidate you. Simply observe what is happening and without judging, notice and move on.
Feel free to journal – take notes on what you experience. Get to know yourself by writing about your personality traits, your experience of being alone or what thoughts might have popped into your head while meditating. You will be surprised what you learn about yourself when given these small opportunities for reflection.
There is a better way to exist. It’s in the knowing. It’s in the understanding that regardless of your background or experience, you are worthy of being here and being loved. You deserve dignity. We need to earn respect but we don’t have to earn our existence. We’re here! Life is short! For healthy living, we must come to terms with who we are. It’s the first question in the life-long journey of
self-discovery and is critical in feeling worthy of Self-Care. Internal peace comes from accepting yourself just as you are and engaging in things that bring you more joy.
Once you have deepened your relationship to yourself, you will feel super confident about doing the things that keep you content and even serving in capacities where you can make a difference in the lives of others. Taking care of yourself is important, so get to know yourself; get to love yourself and get to doing the things you love to do for you!
BaliDog is one of my favorite brands for yoga pants and tops. The company has been around a very long time and they continue to create beautiful, high quality yoga wear.
These are the Black Chakra pants. I was so excited to receive these in the mail recently. I wear a lot of black pants and am not really into all the new colorful, trendy pants in the market right now. These Chakra pants go with just about any color top you have! They are so comfortable, hugging gently below the waistline. The material is soft, yet sturdy, made from 95% cotton and lycra. The designs are yogic and beautiful. BaliDog pants are inspirational, flattering and fun to wear. I've gotten so many compliments on my BaliDogs, so I know they inspire others.
I bought a pair of these pants about 12 years ago when I started teaching yoga and am still wearing them today. The key to longevity is to NOT put them in the dryer. Just let them dry over your tub or shower door.
To see all that BaliDog has to offer, check out their website at www.balidog.com.
Mindfulness is usually not associated with personal empowerment. In fact, the mind itself tends to assume that the opposite is true: that mindfulness is passive, a process of simple observation. But when one begins to practice mindfulness, one can experience, firsthand, how it can be a rich source of personal power: the power of consciousness itself.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), defines mindfulness as "paying attention to the present moment, with intention, while letting go of judgement, as if your life depends on it."
Tha last part, "as if your life depends on it," is a radical but profound truth, which makes sense if one looks deeply into three phases that precede it.
Attention to the present moment.
Getting stuck in the past or worrying about the future are mental activities by which one gives away one's personal power. The past is over and the future hasn't happened yet. The only place where personal power is available is in the present moment. Only in the here-and-now is it even possible to resolve the past or create the future.
Being present empowers us to be more responsive and less reactive, and to have a closer, more fulfilling relationship with ourselves, others and life in general.
With intention. An intention is different than a goal. A goal is external, achievable only in the future. If one sets the goal, "I will get an A on the exam," the power in that statement is compromised because of the future tense. An intention is internal, and achievable right now.
An example of an intention would be, "My mind is clear and radiant." An intention is a conscious, deeply planted, internal commitment. Intention is the "why" beneath the goal. Goals are instrumental, but it is the power of intention that will keep one on course toward a goal, and beyond.
Letting go of judgment. Judgment, because it is often unconscious and unintentional, is an activity of disempowerment. It is the projection of the past (assumption) or the future (expectation) onto the present moment. This coloring separates us from the reality that is right here, right now, and keeps us from all of its opportunitites and blessings.
The root cause of all judgment is self-judgment. This is the stress through which one sees and experiences life. As there is less judgment of self, there is less judgment of others, and less stress. Hence, the qualification, "as if your life depends on it." Of the three, letting go of the judgment is often the most difficult, and arguably the most critical. The mind is constantly assessing and analyzing. That is why mindfulness practices are empowering. Whether it's meditation, prayer or gardening, it's helpful to devote time each day doing something that calms the mind.
With practice, one can observe even one's own judgments, and those judgments over time, lose their power. And when one reclaims one's own power of mind, life becomes a lot less stressful and a lot more fun.
Steve Price manages and teaches at A Mindfulness Life Center, in Scottsdale, AZ.
During a yoga class the other morning, my teacher mentioned that there were many layers of bliss. It caught my ear because I promote bliss as something to strive for in the sense of Self-Care. So I asked my teacher to explain what she meant. She obliged but her answer makes sense in the context of yoga. If you haven't tried yoga yet, it might not make sense. But I can tell you that this morning in another class I was taking, I discovered bliss in many ways from tuning into my breath, learning new sequences and finding strength I didn't know I had. I also felt extremely blissful when the teacher played a tune during savasana (final resting pose) that I often play myself when teaching. It was so soothing to my soul. Anyway, here is my teacher Barbara Adams of Yoga Village explaining the "Many Layers of Bliss" which I absolutely loved!
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"In yoga we often hear about an 'ultimate experience' called peace, bliss, ecstasy, samadhi, absorption, harmony, union. It is a state of perfection and the result of impeccable thought and living – and so, often sounds unattainable for us ordinary people.
I do think being in this state as a steady condition is a lovely intention, but quite beyond me. However my practice has caused me to realize that there are many moments of harmony and that those moments can be nurtured and grown. With mindfulness, it is possible to notice these moments and with intention it is possible to open to and embrace them. Life provides the offering of many moments of harmony in which we experience truth. There are teachings that ask us to open our minds so we can grow.
I love how the physical practice gives us a tangible tool for exploring this expansion towards harmony, truth, bliss. We come to our asana (postures) with our views of what is true about our bodies and the poses yet will find out we are often mistaken. One layer of bliss is simply to realize a mistaken thought or to see where something is blocking progress. Another layer is becoming aware of options for discovery and growth. An important layer is believing in our strength that allows us to let go of old thoughts and habits so we can be open to truly new awareness. And then there are all of those moments where we feel something that is True. These moments can also be considered layers, like perhaps the first time you understand how pressing your hands into the floor changes everything that is happening all the way to the shoulder or how lifting up out of the pelvis can relieve hip pain, or really understanding how the yogic philosophy is fully present in the physical practice.
Experiencing bliss can be thought of as a seed that can come to life, taking root and expanding. And although we can envision an ultimate experience, we are experiencing bliss as we progress towards our fullness."
Barbara, ERYT-500, has been the owner of Yoga Village Fountain Hills since 2003 and Yoga Village Scottsdale since 2006. She has studied and practiced several styles of yoga, but has enthusiastically embraced Anusara Yoga since 2003 and is Anusara certified. Barbara loves ALL that yoga offers and has especially focused on alignment and therapeutic approaches in her studies. She is deeply appreciative to her fellow teachers for daily inspiration. Barbara has a MS in Counseling and Human Development and worked in behavioral health for 15 years – she is delighted to see how yoga can bring contentment to so many hearts and how the yoga philosophy weaves seamlessly with her Counseling studies.
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There are many moments of bliss in our lives, like when we're holding a brand new baby or watching a beautiful sunset or kissing our lover. Yoga allows us to enjoy these moments even more because it teaches us to be more aware – more mindful – of the beauty around and in us. If you've had yoga on your bucket list…don't hesitate another day! Get to a class now!
She knew it was coming – a financial collapse of extreme magnitude – and no one listened. This was the start of a devastating loss that propelled Denise Hatch to re-build. Listen to her story here and let it inspire you to know that you CAN start over if you have to with a little help from the universe and some of your own chutzpah!
Denise is the founder of Yoga Sports Performance, a licensed hypnotherpist, certified Anusara yoga teacher and she leads the way for the Global Feminine Potential Movement. Her clients are high-level professionals who want to operate at their greatest potential. She currently works with elite athletes in the NFL, Major League Baseball and motor sports as well as business executives, creative writers and artists – people who want to find and listen to their soul's calling and thrive outside of a conventional system. Her mission is to align her clients to their full brilliance so they can put it to work to create a better world by living a more purposeful, joyful and healthy life.
Denise studied finance, nutrition and exercise physiology at UNC. She earned All-American honors in springboard and tower diving and competed in the world championships in outrigger canoeing. She has also worked at the Mayo clinic as an instructor in a pilot program that explored the healing effects of yoga on sleep disorders and anxiety.
Denise is currently living in upstate New York where she offers a 200 hour yoga teacher training at the Lakshmi Institute. Her most recent passion is helping the feminine to find purpose and prosperity.
Steve Price directs and teaches at A Mindfulness Life Center, in Scottsdale. For more information, visit www.AMindfulnessLifeCenter.om.
