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Dec. 20, 2021
Joyous Seasonal Mindfulness
Welcome Mindful Tribe. Today the show is about seasonal mindfulness because when we're celebrating, let's use mindfulness to help us fully enjoy the moments. Enjoy the peace and quiet. Enjoy the bustle, and the hustle and joy, the vibrancy. I talked last week about how you can get through this, if this is challenging for you. If this is a season that does not feel joyous or happy or exciting, what do you do? In this case, I urge you to check out last week's episode, “Overcome Holiday Sadness”. It's Episode 718. How can we enjoy this season even more, and experience more joy and more bliss?
The answer is to notice one of those things that we do every day. We do it every hour. We do it every single hour that we're alive. And of course, you know now what I'm talking about. I'm talking about breathing. And when I first started my podcast, I thought well, I'll ask every guest about breathing. Now I realize that every guest has something interesting to say about breathing, even if what they say is, wow, this is something that I don't really place much focus on.
Listen & Subscribe on: iTunes / Stitcher / Podbean / Overcast / Spotify BreathingA lot of guests have given us insight into how to use breathing to enhance your life. And you definitely can use breath to make your life better. I practice Wim Hof breathing, as I've talked about different times on the show. You can always search that on Google and and find all kinds of information about Wim Hof breathing. The bottom line is to not overthink it. It doesn't have to be complicated because it isn't really complicated. The fact is, just remember that breath is important. Remember that at different times let yourself breathe. Take a moment to breathe deeply and with meaning.
A Hot BathSurround yourself with what gives you pleasure. A lot of people find that a hot bath can be so relaxing and enjoyable. Light a few candles, enjoy some bubbles, some lotions, Epsom salts, and treat yourself to this pleasure. It doesn't matter who you are, you can enjoy the pleasure of a hot bath. I don't think I know anybody that can't enjoy that. And if you don't have the luxury of having a tub that is accessible to you, of course you can have a hot shower and just relax under the warm water. Give yourself the gift of some private time where you enjoy a hot, relaxing soak in the tub.
A Photo Frame?My friend posted that she had received a beautiful birthday gift. Her husband gave her and a digital photo frame. It was terrific how excited she was. She explained that this frame was a treat, because she could put images of her favorite artwork on there. She could include some of her favorite photos, her dogs. And of course, you can very easily put some of your favorite quotes up there. I think this is a beautiful mindful thing; a beautiful gift to yourself. If you pick up a digital photo frame and load it up with some of your favorite, beautiful images. All you have to do is plug it in and turn it on. I just was thinking immediately of Monet, and some of the incredible images of Monet, that I love. And of course, there are so many artists that have created beautiful, impressive images that really can stir your emotions.
Focus On Your FeelingsIf we did not have a variety of different emotions; sadness, pain, fear, then joy and bliss and happiness wouldn't really exist because everything would be flat. We would have no real emotions. And so it's so important to use mindfulness as a tool to help notice your emotions, help feel your emotions, and then decide what you want to do with them. Allowing those thoughts and feelings to happen and that's when you truly begin to grow.
As long as we are embracing our emotions, we will learn to focus less on our thoughts, and more on our feelings. In the past, I believed I could solve all my problems by thinking up a solution. A lot of times, what we need to do is think less by focusing on the feeling. Where in your body do you feel the pain? Or the fear? Or the anger? Do you feel it in your chest? Do you feel it in your heart? Do you feel it in your gut in your abdomen? In your solar plexus? Where do you feel this feeling? Just go there, allow yourself to breathe and notice what this feeling is like, allow it. This is the complete opposite to what I used to do. You know, I used to notice the pain and then I would tighten up. The key is to think less about how to solve these issues.
All of the above can be done through meditation. If you're like me and you enjoy a physical activity in your day like, for me, it's running. Every day, I do a one hour run. That gift of getting out there and enjoying nature, and running is a form of meditation. For me, it's also a form of self hypnosis. It's a relaxing, peaceful experience that I give to myself as a gift. So what is it for you that feeds you? Maybe it's swimming, or maybe it isn't an activity at all. In conclusion, I want to say that mindfulness is not about piling on a whole lot of things.
Mindfulness is more about simplifying your life and simplifying your thoughts. Mindfulness is a way to simplify your life, rather than the opposite. I hope that this joyous season will be a time when you can allow yourself to simplify what your life looks like and what your life feels like, without trying to add on more. It's more about letting go of things that don't serve you and things that don't feed you. I honestly believe the more you can let go, the more joy you will have in your life, the more bliss you will have in your life. It is about letting go. I'm reading the book, Letting Go, right now, which is written by David R. Hawkins. It is a beautiful book to read. I wish for you a beautiful season, a beautiful, joyous season. And thanks so much for being with me
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