Angry Rants

Written By Don Shetterly

I'm overwhelmed these days by most things online.  It feels like there is enough stress in a day and then seeing angry rants just pushes it over the edge.  I'm not sure why we as a world are at the place we are, but I'm worried for the future of our civilization.

No one seems to want to listen to another.  We only seem to want to scream and push our point of view on everyone.  I think many feel like no one hears them and if that's the case, the result is to scream louder to compensate.

Everyone seems to have their point of view and belief system.  While that is fine, when you force it upon everyone else, what do you profit?  How do you make their life better?  How do you make the world better?  After all, they are "our" beliefs.  Often times, "our" beliefs are not backed up by as much truth as we think they are.

I see the I'm right, you're wrong in the angry rants.  It doesn't matter the issue.  The ego is crafty and smart and powerful.  It says, my way or the highway and to heck with your views, thoughts, or ideas.  The only thing is, if we are all right, and everyone else is all wrong, then we've got a mess on our hands.  Surely life is more than you're wrong, and I'm right.

Angry rants go on about this individual or group of people.  It often centers around politics and the latest headline of the day.  I'm bewildered when I see the constant stream of it online, weeping in sadness for how we treat one another.

Surely our lives are more than angry rants of who is right and who is wrong.  Are we not more than all of the mind-numbed issue ranting of the day?  If you really look at it, it is not a conscious behavior.

I'm not saying that we should ignore injustice, abuse, and bullying.  In fact, I think we have to speak up, but there are different ways of doing that.  Many that are being used today are not effective and become nothing more than a noisy gong.  We are drowning each other out.

I get the frustration with what is happening throughout the world.  It feels frightening at times and stressful most other moments.  It feels like there is nothing stable or permanent.

In my mind, I see the pendulum of the planet swinging so far back and I wonder how much further it can go.  What will happen when it reaches its furthest most point?  My mind wonders about what will happen when it swings back and hits all the other balls hanging there without motion.

Some days I feel like the only one seeing this, but lately I've noticed I'm not alone.  There are others that see this and try not to add to the anger in this world.  I am inspired and hopeful by these connections.  The peaceful and loving ones are beginning to emerge.

Each and every human needs to stop and take stock of their lives.  We need to be mindful and aware of what we are putting out into the world.  There is more than one way to communicate and right now as a civilization, we're really messed up.

May we figure this out before the pendulum swings too far back.  I hope that everyone who reads this will stop and think about it for one moment.  We cannot expect everyone else to do what we want when we're doing the very same behavior.  We cannot expect others to listen if we do not hear.  If we are screaming, we can not expect them to be silent.

We may think we are right and quite possibly that is true.  However, being right comes with a responsibility to see others through the eyes of love and understanding.  In fact, love and understanding see beyond who is right or wrong.  Angry rants do very little to help.

How do angry rants impact your life?  Do you see anything that you can do differently to be part of the healing in this world?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 12/14/17 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required in writing before any part of this blog is reprinted, reworded, transmitted or used in any format. 
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What Does Mindful Mean?

I see many things discussed about this every day, and while some hit the mark, others miss it, and some do a drive-by.  Mindful has become a buzzword these days, and while some of that is good, there's a lot that is not helpful at the end of the day.

So I'll give you my take on it, and I'm sure some will disagree.  However, what I write will be from my own experience, and what I have learned in the healing work I've been a part of over the past decade.

What Does Mindful Mean?

First off, it has to do with the mind.

Second, in my view, it is a connection between the mind and the body.  This is probably the point in which I differ with many, but again, I am speaking from my own experience and knowledge.

Too often as humans, we live in our head.  Yes, physically we are attached to our bodies, but we are so disconnected from anything we feel there.  No, I'm not referring to the pain that you feel, but an overall sense of being disconnected.

Most of the time we go through our days not fully feeling what is going on in our bodies. We don't stop to check in.  We don't notice how shallow and ineffective our breathing is.  We don't stop to see how stress and tension are affecting our bodies.

We just go through our days as if it is one task to the next, oblivious to what the body feels.  Yes, we need to do this to function and get our tasks done, but we often forget to stop, step back, and slow down or rest.  We think that's only for a yearly vacation, a weekend, or when we sleep at night.

So, while we focus on the mind part of mindful, we usually blow right past the body part.  The body part is where most of it happens.  Check out more on the Enteric Brain to get a better sense of that.

While it is nice to take a walk in the park and notice all that is around us, or to see something we normally don't see in a day, mindfulness is more than that.  It is about seeing and feeling all of these things from deep within your body so that it resonates outward and upward to your mind.

Mindfulness is about finding peace through awareness of all parts of the body, not just what thoughts we derive and create in our mind.  You can reach a level of peaceful contentment in your mind with your thoughts, which can be very helpful, but without the body you're only embracing half of mindfulness.

With feeling more in your body and getting in touch with those deep corners and recesses within you, you'll find that there is more to the mind body connection.  The more you embrace this and feel it and sense it, the more mindful you will become.  You will enhance your overall experience.

While experiences in life, stressors, and other situations keep us in our heads and out of our bodies, it should be our goal to be more in touch with the physical sensations lying beneath the surface.  We don't have to ignore and disconnect from them.  We can experience them and in turn, bring more fulfillment and mindfulness to our lives.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2017 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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Enjoy Life's Beauty

Don Taking In Life's Beauty
In The Mountains.

While traveling on a recent vacation to the mountains, we were stopped at one of the overlooks.  The leaves were beginning to turn and the views were breath taking.  For me, it was almost an overload of sensory input.  There was so much to see and take in while feeling, sensing, and listening to all the sounds around us.

Yet, while we were standing there taking in the view, one couple looked at us and exclaimed "there's nothing to see here".  In disbelief, I stayed silent.  My mind immediately began to wonder exactly why it was that they made this statement.  Could they not see what I saw and heard and felt?  Were they not able to view all that surrounded that place we were standing?

Obviously, I don't know their story or how long they had been in the mountains by that point.  For me though, I never get tired of seeing the mountains and the views around them.  It is always breath taking moments of peacefulness and joy for me.

Mindfulness With Jon Kabat-Zinn

I was made aware of this video on YouTube at a Google meeting on Mindfulness. I didn't realize that companies out there really thought about things like this and am very thrilled that they have events like this one. The video is about 1 hour and 12 minutes long but to be honest, it went by very quickly. The presenter, Jon Kabat-Zinn actually takes you through a very deep meditation on mindfulness. It is well worth the time to watch this video.

The link to the video on YouTube is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc&feature=share

Mindfulness is something we all need to learn about and practice. The more we are mindful, the more creative we are, the more centered and powerful we are as we come from a deep place within ourselves. Mindfulness is a force like no other.

Jon Kabat Zinn is an author of several books and speaker on Mindfulness. You can find more about his books available on Amazon.


Further Reading:
1) Mindless Or Mindful (Blog Post 1/9/2011)
2) Healthy Benefits Of Mindfulness (Blog Post 9/18/2010)
3) Mindless Humans (12/1/2009)
4) Mindfulness (9/21/2009)
5) Are You Mindful And Creative? (9/19/2009)




Blog Post & Images (c) 4/15/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Is Time Speeding Up?

I see a lot written these days including guests like Shirley McClaine on Oprah talking about time speeding up. Everyone seems to notice time speeding up or at least that is what was indicated on the Oprah show (April 11, 2011). While time may be speeding up, I have no way to prove that it is or that it is not. I'm sure there are many out there that can give justification to this.

The only thing that I do know is that I cannot control time. Each one of us only has so many seconds, minutes, and hours in any given day. Whether those change at any given point, is of course the question. There is always the possibility that they do. I learned a long time ago when i was doing research, that what we think is correct is not always as it seems.

Again, I go back to my biggest concern. Can I influence how fast time goes in a day? I doubt I can. If I can, I have absolutely no idea of how to begin doing that. For what is time, but a measurement we all use in life to organize our day. Of course, time could be more than that and I'm sure it most likely is.

What I do know is that if I spend my all my time in front of the computer, on Facebook, running from this meeting to that meeting, going to this event or filling my every waking hour with something to do, I feel like time really speeds up. We, the collective we, of course spend more of our waking moments keeping ourselves busy than stopping to feel, sense, observe and notice all that is around us. Meditation practices are for those really dedicated, spiritual, new age people, not for the rest of us. Mindfulness is something that is thrown around in our day but not truly understood or observed.

So, here's my plan that seems to work for me when I feel like time is out of control. I do this very simple and profound thing, I STOP! Yes, you heard me correct. I STOP! That may mean I take a walk in the park or along the ocean. It may mean that I spend some time reading a book, taking a nap, sitting by the pool or enjoying time with my plants. It may mean that instead of seeing how many events I can participate in for any given week, that I begin to pick and choose what really matters. Of course, it means that I spend less time on Facebook and reading all the news that society deems is important so maybe I can have more time to just relax, rest and rejuvenate my body, mind and spirit.

Many years ago, we did not have all these electronic devices that crowded our days and our minutes for attention. We spent more time out doors, playing, running, walking and getting to know our neighbors. It was a simpler life that we have left behind.

Maybe the important question should not be so focused on is time speeding up, but what are we doing with the time we have? How are we effectively managing our lives so that we get to stop, rest and energize? Are we just doing everything that we can because it is easier to keep our minds busy that way rather than allowing our minds to unwind and catch up?

You, the individual, are the only one that can answer that question. You are the only one that can make changes and discover what is truly important to your life. We need not worry so much about what it is that we cannot control but more on what we can control.

Further Reading:
1) When Life Is Too Busy
2) Mindful Words



Blog Post & Images (c) 4/1/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Two Frogs and Perception

A number of frogs were traveling through the woods. Two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.


When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

Sometimes it is all in our perception of how we see the world and those people around us. What one sees and hears is often different than what others see and hear. Let us be mindful of our perception and evolve our awareness to perceive more than we already do in life.

By: Author Unknown



Blog Post & Images (c) 3/31/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Clutter In Our Life, 30 Day Challenge

Clutter In Our Life Series
30 Day Challenge

As you have been reading through this 10 part series, feel free to not be in agreement with all of what I have written. I am perfectly happy to accept that. However, before you complete write these things off, take a moment and test something out.

Try this challenge for one month. Then, come back and let me know what happened in your life as a result of the challenge. The best way to see if something works for you is to challenge yourself until you find the answer that fits in your life.

So here are the parts of the challenge for at least the next 30 days!

1) Turn off the TV news including the internet. If you want to subscribe to an online service with headlines, let that be the most you do for a month. You'll actually find that most of what you need to know can be found reading the headlines. Honestly, it is true.

2) Limit your time on places like Facebook for a month and actually give up the games for one month that you normally would play on Facebook.

3) Try to put the cell phone/pda/mobile device/iphone etc, in a different room from you so that if someone calls, you can go get the cell phone but you won't be tempted to just spend countless hours on it.

4) Evaluate your day and see where you are spending your time and is it matching up to things that really matter in your life. Be critical of it from an observers view, rather than your regular view.

5) Spend some time out in nature each day if it is nothing more than sitting outside for 5 minutes, listening to the birds, feeling the warmth of the sun or the coolness of the breeze.

6) Spend a few moments reading that book you always wanted to get to or writing something in a journal if you feel so led.

7) Pick up some paints or other craft things and enjoy just creating in the moment.

8) Book yourself a massage or try Yoga once a week for the month or spend some time walking, going to the fitness center, bicycling, swimming.

9) Spend time with people you love like a partner, spouse, child or pet and just enjoy the simple moments with them.

10) Find things to do that give you simple moments in life. The goal is to slow down and observe, enjoy and be in the moment, not try to find everything possible to keep yourself busy.

11) Try changing what you eat at least once a week. Really go all out to see if you can find something so healthy to eat that your taste buds dance the greatest movement known to this world.

12) Double the amount of water you currently drink for at least a week and see if you don't notice a change.



If you do this for a month, I have a feeling you will not want to stop these things. Yes, withdraw may be tough at first and you may feel disconnected from life, but in time, you will come to understand what truly matters to you and what does not.

To each person, it will be different. I cannot state what will be right for you no more than you can state what is right for me. Until you truly and honestly go into these moments, what matters to your life, will remain a mystery.

There is much more to life than we currently understand. We are in an epidemic of hiding from the moments of connectedness in our life and giving ourselves the false illusion that the clutter moments are what matters.

It is easier most likely for us to living in a mindless world but if we learn to live mindfully, being connected to the moment, life will give us so much more.

I challenge each person reading this to take the challenge I just stated and see what happens. What do you have to lose? The world will still be here after these 30 days are up. Who knows, you might just be pleasantly surprised in a simple and easy way.

If you are just finding this blog for the first time, please feel free to read all 10 parts of this series by clicking on the links corresponding to each section below.

Clutter In Our Life Series
- Introduction
Part 1: Spending our hours watching TV news
Part 2: Keeping Ourselves Constantly Busy
Part 3: Numbing Ourselves
Part 4: Following Blindly
Part 5: Food Choices
Part 6: Health care, Doctors, and Medicine
Part 7: Hydrating Our Bodies
Part 8: Thinking We Have The Answers
Part 9: Exercise Is For Another Day
Part 10: We Fail To Evolve
- The 30 Day Challenge


Blog Post & Images (c) 3/20/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Creativity And Judgment Are Opposites

Recently, I saw a video response on twitter to a question by an artist regarding the art of creativity. The question that was asked about the advice Yanni would have regarding the creation of their own music. Yanni's response can be seen in the following video but it was exactly correct in what I have found in creation of my own music.

The best music, writing, paintings I have done were when I was totally in the zone and not judging what I was doing. In those moments, I was not aware of the process, but just allowing it to come through and surrendering to it.

Judging can come in many forms of thoughts and questions running through your mind. From what key do I play next, to how does this sound, to what word should I write or color should I use to many others. There is a great book on the art of Mindful Creativity written by Ellen J. Langer. When we are critical or judgmental about our creative work, we are in a mindless state, not a mindful state. In those moments of judgment, we are not in the zone.

And judgment can come in very subtle ways that inhibit us from connecting and creative to the flow coming from us. We may often think it shows up through distinct ways but if we observe our thoughts and our questions in those creative moments, we will learn more about ourselves and help our self go deeper into creativity.

It is a frame of mind and the more we practice allowing our self to surrender into this space, the more we can connect to our creativity. It is not always easy to do this with the demands upon our day but creativity also gives us a greater fulfillment in life. So take a moment and listen to the following video response by Yanni because it is very true. Check out the link below to Ellen Langer's book because even though it has an emphasis on painting, it applies to all who want to be more mindful not only in their creativity but in their life.






Further Reading
1) Music by Yanni
2) Book by Yanni - Yanni In Words
3) On Becoming An Artist (Mindful Creativity) by Ellen J. Langer





Blog Post & Images (c) 3/15/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Mindful Words

I am always amazed at just how everyone sits behind a computer screen these days and can type anything to anyone and never fully know them or even know what they look like, who they are or what they are about. Because the screen doesn't force you to stand face to face with someone, it is much easier to just type words that you would not otherwise say.

Several years ago, I saw this on internet message boards where people would not think about the words they wrote but just automatically type whatever came to their mind. Often they needed to just sit on it and think about it before typing what they wrote. It is just too easy to respond and much more difficult to think about the words that should be said, if anything.

Of course today, on every news story posted online, there are comments and ratings and replies. People are either spammers or trolls and often there is no discussion of the facts, just an outright manner of whatever you feel like typing is what goes. People have no interest in looking at all sides of an issue when posting online. That is too difficult for our simple minds and our mindless ways in our world.

It just doesn't stop on the internet either because now there are talking pundits from all walks of life and from all ends of the political spectrum that just shout their opinions and words and facts rather than listening to what anyone has to say who differs with them. Each person on TV tries to see how much they can get their point across without even taking a moment to stop and truly listen to the other person. It is interesting that all sides of the shouting have their "documents" and "research" and "polls" to back up what they are saying. Stop and think about that last statement for a minute. It is interesting that everyone has their research, documents and polls as proof of what they are trying to proclaim.

We tend to live our lives in a mindless way, not paying attention to anything but what is currently on our mind. The media feeds into this and so many spend a majority of their life allowing the media to feed their brains. I hope that one day, we as a society will wake up and understand what we are doing to ourselves.

We are not helping ourselves, our society or the world by seeing who can shout the loudest, who feels they are more right than anyone else and those across the political spectrum that are convinced that they know what is best. In fact, we are hurting not only the people we shout at but we hurt ourselves individually and collectively as a society.

At the end of the day, most of the things that everyone gets so upset about, they really do not matter. In the end, the bigger person is the one that can walk away from all of it and see a bigger picture. Our world and our lives do not need to be this way. There is another alternative that we can be part of but we must make difficult choices for our lives.

My hope is that all of us will wake up and begin to learn how to be mindful in our day with our words. With becoming mindful, we will learn what truly matters and how we can build one another up and evolve as we are meant to be. We as humans are meant to be much more than we currently are. Let our words show how much we truly care for each other and how much we want to evolve ourselves and the world.

And the mindful word of the day is hiybbprqag. Sorry, but I thought this made up word was too cute to not include here after I read the article about the search engines. I'm wondering how many though will mindfully read this and even see it.



Blog Post & Images (c) 1/31/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Mindless Or Mindful

Walking through Blue Springs State Park yesterday, there were many squirrels running around, gathering nuts and making all kinds of noise in the brush. It was fun to just stop and watch them scurry about as if they were working quickly because of approaching danger or bad weather.

As we were walking along watching the squirrels, I heard comments from others saying, "I wonder what that is down there. It must be an armadillo or something." All the time, I am thinking that all these people have to do is just stop and observe what is around them. It was not that difficult to see the squirrels but you did have to stop for a moment.

Of course we observed people hurrying along the little board walk trail like they had to get all the park in in less than 1 hour or something. Most people were talking or had their phones out texting messages. Some were upset that they could not get close to the spring although from the viewing points, you could see quite a bit. Most were completely oblivious to the environment they were in as they walked along in a mindless fashion.

Then as we were walking back, a squirrel with a nut tucked in his mouth came running along the path in front of us. He was between where we were at and some other people coming our way. There is no way you could have missed him because you almost had to step over him. As we watched the squirrel with glee, we observed that no one else saw him. Everyone was too busy in their own little mindless worlds to watch something beautiful before their eyes.

It got me to think for a moment of just how mindless we as humans are in our day. Here was a perfect moment and place to just be mindful and sit back and observe all that was around everyone. To hear the birds sing, watch the squirrels play and run or listen to the wind rustle through the trees was a free gift that just wanted to be observed and accepted.

In our culture and society, we spend so many hours a day watching TV, playing on our iphones or other electronic devices that we fail to observe all that is around us. We are more concerned with what a screaming, angry pundit is saying on TV than we are indulging in all that is around us which shows us something greater than ourselves is there for our lives. As a culture, we are too busy rushing here and there that we cannot even take a moment to be mindful of all that is around us or that we can stop and breathe for one moment in time.

In return, we spend countless hours chasing false illusions of health care and endeavors that give us nothing in return. We spend our days walking around mindless which robs us of the enjoyable moments of life. Our lives are full of stress, to do lists and moments where our body just wants to say, enough already - please stop and let me rest!

When we go through our days being mindful, we begin to notice things that we never saw or heard before. As we mindfully observe these things, we begin to realize that life has so much more to offer and all we have to do is slow down and stop to take part in it. Being mindful is really that easy and that difficult to do.

So why not try something different this week. Take a day and find a park or some quiet place that you can just observe and be mindful. Maybe if you live in an area where the weather is not good, you could just stare out the window at the clouds or trees or whatever it is that you see. There are many ways to do this and finding them is being mindful because it means you are in the moment. If you do this, you might just surprise yourself in that it will offer so much to you that you never truly realized existed.

Further Reading on Mindfulness:

1. Mindful Of Our Moments
2. Mindfully Present
3. Author Ellen Langer on Mindfulness
   

Blog Post & Images (c) 1/4/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only

Health Benefits of Mindfulness

Ruth Buczynski, President of NICABM, wrote on her blog that there is a teleseminar series coming up beginning September 22, 2010.

The topic of this series is "The Health Benefits Of Mindfulness". For more information and free registration, click here on her blog http://www.nicabm.com/nicabmblog/?p=1365 . You can also click on the image to the left which takes you to a YouTube video about the teleseminar series.

I've participated in some of her previous events and found them to be very informative and helpful. It looks like this one has some excellent speakers and great topics.


Some of the speakers include:


Daniel Siegel, MD. - The Mindful Therapist
* Why mindfulness can make health and mental health practitioners more effective
* How quantum theory could revolutionize therapeutic possibilities
* How the development of trust leads to brain growth
* How mindfulness can facilitate neural integration


Tara Brach, PhD. - The Mindful Path to Radical Acceptance
* The trance of unworthiness revisited
* The role of intention in healing
* Antidotes for Inadequacy: Finding presence through RAIN
* A mindful approach to fear
* The contraindications of mindfulness in working with traumatic fear
* The three gateways to a fearlessness
* The essential process of healing from a buddhist perspective


Rick Hanson, PhD. - Neurodharma: How to Train the Brain Toward Mindfulness
* The neuroscience of mindfulness
* 5 Essential inner skills for psychotherapists
* The neural benefits of meditation
* How cultivating equanimity can enhance the treatment of trauma
* How mindfulness can overcome evolution's paranoid trance and increase feelings of safety
* The two wings of psychological growth and contemplative practice


Sylvia Boorstein, PhD - A Path to Happiness:
* How to help your patients quiet the mind and lower anxiety
* Restoring the mind to balance after disruptive events
* Working with difficult mind states
* A buddhist approach to meeting life's changes
* A realistic path to wisdom and compassion


Ronald Siegel, Psy.D - Harnessing Mindfulness: Fitting Practice to Person
* Mindfulness: Why all the interest now?
* Crafting mindfulness practices to fit the needs of different people
* Introducing mindfulness to individuals with diverse beliefs and backgrounds
* The common mechanism beneath almost all psychological disorders
* Tackling resistance: the heart of mindfulness-oriented treatment
* Starting with safety — then turning toward the sharp points
* Modifying practices for anxiety, depression, and other difficulties


Elisha Goldstein, PhD - A Practical Approach to Mindfully Reducing Stress
* How Mindfulness is Being Used as an Antidote to Stress in the Workplace
* How to Navigate Mind Traps Using Mindfulness
* Why Focused Attention May Be the Key to Stress Reduction
* The Great Unnamed Epidemic: Lack of Self-Compassion
* How to Use Mindfulness to Calm Anxiety and Eliminate Stress
* How to Incorporate Mindfulness into Personal Coaching


*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Mindful Of Our Moments

Just as the sky and weather change from one minute to the next, so do our days. We should be mindful of this, so we don't miss one moment.

Mindfully Present

Have you ever just stopped and listened to what is around you? Have you noticed all the sounds that may be present? Sure, there are times when we hear the familiar sounds we know very well. But, just how much do we really hear and notice and take in? So often we are too busy in our lives to notice and be mindful of our surroundings.

If you really want to reset and be mindfully present, try quieting yourself and listening to what is around you. You may want to take a notebook with you and record all that you hear. See how many different sounds you can pick up on. Observe all that you can see. Notice everything that is going on. Allow yourself to be part of the moment, pushing aside all other thoughts, worries, and things you need to accomplish for your day. This time is about allowing yourself to be mindfully present in the moment.

For there is no better moment of rest that is energizing, refreshing and inviting than to surround yourself with the symphony of nature. All too often, we are too busy in our lives to just stop and let our mind, body and spirit be in the moment.

It is so easy for us to get caught up in our days, filled with electronics of all flavors, type and sizes. We are constantly bombarded by noise from the TV news, the cars rushing by or the chatter of our fellow humans. While many of these things may be a necessary part of our day, we need to balance our lives with time away from these noises. We cannot expect to let go when we are constantly bombarded with noise that never stops.

So, find a place in nature somewhere, as far removed from the city hustle and bustle, that you can. Take some fresh, cool water with you. When you arrive at your spot, make yourself comfortable. If you're having a difficult time quieting your thoughts, acknowledge them and then just sit there focusing on your breathing. Tell yourself, if you need to, that all the stresses and worries of your day are not needed int his moment. Let them go for now, because they will be there when you are done. However, they may appear different.

Then as you sink into the moment, just allow yourself to be there as an observer. Take note of all that you see, feel, sense, observe and pick up. If it feels right, try to record these things on a notebook, but stay mindful and present. Just sit there with all that is going on. Take in everything and see what shows up that you may not easily see. Just observe and notice it all.

Once you have finished, be thankful for this time. Then, notice how the rest of your day goes. Is there a change in how you view things in your life? Is there a change or shift in you? Do you feel a sense of ease? Just observe and notice all of it. Take it all in.


*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog