Whaaaat’s up?! I am going to write today about having a mindfulness practice. We can also call it a mood setter if you prefer. We’ll base it on what you need, a boost of energy, some calm, focus, a little more love? I know it seems daunting when you have a gazillion things to do and limited time to do them; “How can I possibly squeeze in one more thing!!?” But THIS IS WORTH IT! And it doesn’t have to be sitting on the floor in a classic meditative pose, and it doesn’t have to be 30 minutes. Start with 2 or 5 minutes. The key is to get emotionally behind the practice. Athletes practice this before an event or game. Performers practice it before they go on stage. It can be a pump you up session or calm you down session, whichever is needed at the time.
It can be listening to a song that makes you want to dance and be happy. A focus on your breath to calm yourself, a repetitive mantra to center you in love, good health, whatever it is you need.
Let me give you an example; when I have a little scratchy throat or think I don’t feel good, I say to myself “Hold up, you are FINE!”, and I sing “I am healthy, I am healthy, Yes I am, Yes I am” to Frara Jaqua, that old nursery song. I make my fingers sing it to me, can you see that hahaha? It makes me happy, resets my mind, and it works- I don’t get sick! Just so you know the power of the opposite, my husband decided he wanted to have a “sick” day. When he told me that I told him, “why not just say you want the day off, you might regret those words.” Guess what? Yep, he got sick, but for like a week. He won’t do that again, lol. This stuff works!
You have to be emotionally tied into these practices though. If you say you are calm but can’t get behind it, it won’t work. So try to remember a moment when you were calm and relaxed. Imagine yourself on the beach, walking or lying down, on the top of a mountain, or the middle of the woods, staring up at a starlit night. Wherever you feel restores you. Just take yourself there and give thanks. Put a smile on your face and hold it there for at least 30 seconds. That resets your chemistry. You can do that anytime you are feeling blue.
Focusing on your breath is super easy. Even if you are short on time, it can provide calm and focus. It de-stresses you along with a host of other beneficial side effects. Practice Intentional Breathing. Breathe in through your nose and down into your abdomen, expanding it out. If you can hold for a few seconds great if not, no worries. Let the breath out slowly through your nose or mouth, squeezing the air out by pulling in your abdomen. You can count to see how slowly you can breathe in, hold, and release. There are so many different types of breathing exercises; Kundalini, roll, belly , qigong, bioenergetic breathing, or Lion’s breath. Try one or many of these techniques, depending on which one you like. They all involve breathing consciously but have different benefits and effects. If you suffer from panic attacks, asthma, or hyperventilation, focus on shallow breath instead as deep breath-work will only exacerbate and prolong it. Breathe in and out through your nose to work at slowing your breathing down, but don’t force it.
Practice slowing your breath down while repeating a mantra such as “I choose peace now.”, “Everything is OK”, or “I am a super attractor for good.”, I am loved.”
When you dance to a song you love or inspires you, it transports you to a happy place. Let loose and have fun! Dance around the house by yourself, with your dog, child, maybe your significant other. You can do it in the car if you don’t have time to do it before you leave the house. You’ve seen the videos of people singing and dancing in the car, it makes you happy to just think of them, doesn’t it?
When you are feeling sluggish or cold stand on your tippy toes and drop your heals to the floor hard 8 times. In just a few minutes you will notice that you are no longer cold or yawning away!
To recap, JUST DO IT! Try these few things. It will set the tone for your day. And if you hit a slump during the day, you can do these things to put on the brakes and turn it around before it spirals into a bad day.
Let me know what you think or if you try these things by leaving your comments below.
