„Mindfulness is being compassionate with yourself“- Prof. Mark Williams
Dear students & friends,
There is no right or wrong in this class, there is no perfect way to practice and there is no possibility to fail, experience kindly and gently.
Obstacles:
Observe what obstacles are in the way of your practice, sleepiness, feeling of not doing it right, resistance, wish to rush…that’s all normal, not a problem. Obstacles are part of our life. See if you can relate to them with kindness and understanding, be curious about them, explore: Where does this restlessness come from? Anxiety? Are you unsatisfied? Does anyone not respect your boundaries? Are you yourself not respecting your own boundaries? Ask yourself what you need and be mindful with the obstacles.Take a step back and be gentle with yourself, not judging or blaming yourself.
Sleepiness during meditation:
When you get sleepy during the practice: Let your eyes open. If you fall asleep against your will be kind to yourself. It’s OK. Sleep is precious. Modern life is exhausting. You can use a Breathing Spaces and Meditation additionally as a help to get asleep.
Restlessness during meditation:
Sometimes the Wandering mind that does not want to let go. Its job is rushing. Just notice restlessness. See if there are some muscle tensions or physical agitation in your body and bring some softening and relaxation in this region. Breathe. Give yourself time and space and be kind. Over time your mind will get calmer through Mindfulness.See if you can be kind to the restlessness, it’s not such a big deal. There always will be meditation sessions like this.
No time for meditation:
If you find it difficult to integrate your Mindfulness Practice in your daily life, don’t worry, this is normal. It takes time to find the right tool, the right time, the right place. We will learn several techniques from which you can chose. Make a plan for your practice
Reflect about what you brought tot this class and see if you can set an intention with a plan with your assignments week by week.
How often?
Consistency is more important than duration. Practice once or twice daily for 10- 30 minutes and chose repetitive actions you do anyway on a daily basis like drinking tea, watering the plants, caring for your dog and practice Mindful Breathing & Releasing of tensions, repeating mental notes we will learn throughout the class. We use them as an anchor to change the inner narrative towards kindness, compassion and courage. It’s not about being mindful the whole day through. Use certain moments to be mindful. Do not overthink. Mindfulness is not about enlightenment. Stay flexible, keep it simple and enjoy the process.
The breath as an anchor:
Be explorative, take my sentences as guidance and not as „a must“ to follow. You do not have to take the breath as an anchor, although I am using it in our recordings. You can take anything as an anchor to focus your attention or you can just be in the present moment, moment by moment. Take my Breathing sentences as reminder to focus on your anchor or learn our Breathing technique, how it feels right for you.
The right posture:
It’s not so easy for students to find the right posture. Keep it simple. Just find a posture that feels right for you. You can choose either sitting or lying or standing or even walking. Don’t remain in a posture that is painful. That would not be mindful towards yourself. You can sit on a comfy sofa with a cup of tea and practice. Mindfulness should not be like going to the gym or even the doctor. It should fit in your daily life smoothly. You should look forward to it.
The right place:
To begin with you can chose the same place to practice your Breathing Space each day. A room, a chair, your yoga mat. It’s a space for you to take care of yourself in a kind and gentle way for some moment. Mindfulness and Kindness belong together.
Send us a message to get the Meditation Ease for free:
contact@northletters.com
Be kind to yourself-
© COPYRIGHT NL MINDFUL 2023