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Essentials of Managing Your Chronic Illness
You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, providing the entire byline at the end of the article is included and the content is left unchanged. If you use it, please notify me with a copy of your publication or a...
Start Your Day on Your Terms
Most of us start the day like we’re trying to catch a train. We wake up, grab a cup of coffee, look at the paper and listen to the news. We rush out of the house to make an appointment or deadline or to put the finishing touches on a...
Stress Management - the Modern Day Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde
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'I'm so shocked and angry with him for embarrassing me in front of...
The Universal Connection
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I believe in a phenomenon I have been known to call a 'Universal connection'. Yesterday one of these destined...
What is Self Mastery? - Part 4
Now, let's cover the last component of self-mastery, which is spiritual health. Sometimes, the discussion of spiritual health is considered "politically incorrect." This is a shame, because we want to live life to the fullest and cannot ignore our...
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Mindfulness and Independence: Observing Fireworks
“It’s a free country,” they say. “Celebrate our independence,” I hear.
Well, I’m all for having a party, but it strikes me that you don’t have to be an American to appreciate freedom, and doing what I’m told isn’t the best way to exercise independence.
So, let’s expand that notion of freedom just a bit, and look at how we can become more aware of the fireworks that are lighting up our minds.
What sets off your mental fireworks? What ignites your personal bottle rockets?
Perhaps it’s a simple pet peeve, like small handbag dogs, or Jello salad, or people who talk on their cell phones too loudly. Maybe you go ballistic when you hear a certain song. We often have extreme reactions to relatively minor things based on our own little stories about them.
Maybe you save your fireworks for the big-ticket items—issues like war, poverty, health, and education.
In your head or in the sky above, when those fireworks start exploding, you’ve got two choices. You can either: 1) Hoot/holler, ooh/ahh, whistle/clap -or- 2) Watch quietly
What do YOU do?
How do you respond when that initial flash appears? Do you get caught up in the excitement of it? Are you likely to share your enthusiasm in a way that is
noisy—or are you more likely to watch in silence? What is your NATURAL TENDENCY?
In the name of freedom everywhere, I’d like to offer this tip to those who may be convinced that mindfulness requires silence: try making noise. And to those who are more likely to hoot and holler, here’s a suggestion: be quiet.
In other words, use fireworks as an opportunity to free yourself from your typical response pattern, and pay attention to the newness of it. After all, mindfulness starts when we notice something new. So, instead of focusing on always finding something to get excited about, try tweaking your own way of reacting. And then, watch THAT.
Start with the big, glorious displays in the night sky. Observe. Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.
Later, try the same thing with those mental fireworks. Observe. Watch yourself. Do what you normally wouldn’t do.
And celebrate your independence.
About the Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com.
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Meditation |
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Details of activities, events, and classes in Wollongong University, Australia. Also offer a free online Meditation course. |
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Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
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Sivananda Yoga - Meditation |
Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
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Stress Reducers: Articles index |
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Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
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Meditation and concentration |
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Siddha Yoga path - Gurumayi - Swami Muktananda founder |
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Meditation Handbook |
Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
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Healing Music|Meditation Music|Self Help products |
Healing Products offers healing music for your Mind, Body & Soul at low prices. Use sound and music to heal and relax. |
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