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  • A 12-Minute Meditation for Cultivating Daily Gratitude

    A 12-Minute Meditation for Cultivating Daily Gratitude

    In this guided meditation, Kim Armstrong walks you through a simple practice to expand your capacity for gratitude in the everyday moments of life.

    We often think about gratitude as happening in response to “good” things, especially if those moments or events are also significant—a new job, a windfall, an amazing vacation. While these high points can easily spark positive emotion, a daily gratitude practice can go much deeper.

    For instance, what about moments that aren’t grand or overtly happy, but are small and emotionally neutral? What does it feel like to notice, take in, and consciously appreciate even the basic things we do every single day?

    This week, join Kim Armstrong as she leads a gratitude visualization practice. This gentle meditation invites you to shift your gaze inward and discover the often-overlooked moments of joy and contentment that punctuate your day. Kim guides us to visualize the warm embrace of our morning coffee, the soft light of dawn, or the comfort of a familiar smile. By focusing on these simple yet profound experiences, we grow our capacity for gratitude, because we begin to realize we can appreciate everything from the mundane to the magnificent.

    A Meditation for Cultivating Daily Gratitude

    1. This practice can be done in the evenings before bed. You can also do it in the mornings, looking back at the day before.
    2. Begin by finding a comfortable posture of your choice. You can do this practice while sitting, standing, or lying down. Shift your body to find what’s comfortable. 
    3. Whenever you feel ready, take three breaths. Breathe in through your nose, and exhale through your nose or your mouth.  
    4. Take a few relaxing breaths. Close your mouth and breathe in slowly through your nose. Then let it out through either your nose or your mouth.
    5. First, tune in to a moment this morning, or yesterday morning, when you first woke up. Note one or two things that you appreciate or are thankful for about that moment. Maybe it was your warm bed, or the pet or the partner sleeping next to you.
    6. Next, move to the moment right after you woke up. It can be anything that springs to mind—putting on your slippers, making a little stretch, brushing your teeth. Note this and say it to yourself, even out loud if you wish. 
    7. Now, keep moving through the morning, taking note of things you remember. For example, the sounds of loved ones, the delicious taste of your coffee or your tea, your cozy robe or your favorite outfit or socks. They can be very small things. 
    8. Next, consider that transition between home life and work life, noticing something you appreciate, something you’re grateful for from that moment.
    9. Keep moving to the next phase of your day—when you were digging into work, school, or caregiving. Take note of something you appreciated in an interaction with a colleague or loved one: a little bit of humor, a little laughter, a little lightness or ease.
    10. Move on to midday, and again, just flag with gratitude some simple moments. This could be the tastes and smells of your lunch, intentionally focusing on all the steps and people involved in bringing you this meal.  
    11. Continue on in this same way, going through the rest of your day: gratitude for the purpose you served that day, for leaving work and arriving home, for moments in your evening as you wound down from the day, a pleasant meal or conversation, a favorite TV show, a comforting beverage. This could be placing your hand on your heart, or giving yourself a hug—whatever would feel soothing and reassuring. 
    12. Remember, these moments do not have to be grand. For this exercise, it’s perfect if they’re small or emotionally neutral, moments you’d usually pass right over and not notice at all. You can say Thank you, in your head or even out loud.
    13. Notice how it feels in your body to go over your day like this. What’s happening? What is the experience like for you?
    14. Close with a breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. 
    15. Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed this gratitude practice.

    Never Miss a Meditation

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  • Allow the Storm to Pass

    Allow the Storm to Pass

    In this practice, Scott Rogers guides us to take the role of observer to difficult emotions, so that we can more easily create the space we need to let them go.

    Sometimes we can see our intense emotions coming, and sometimes we can’t. Emotions can build up, increasing in strength slowly. At other times, they crash down on us all at once. We can get lost in our emotions, swept up in a feeling. They can be beautiful and they can be scary. In all of these ways, emotions are like storms. As such we need to allow the storm to pass.

    Let’s look to different aspects of the hurricane and see how they connect to our own thoughts, feelings, and sensations.  

    The good news is that we can allow the storm to pass, and so do emotions. With mindfulness, we can practice taking the role of observer to our strong feelings. When we put that space between ourselves and the whirlwinds, we can find stability and cultivate resilience. Scott Rogers leads us in this guided practice with the metaphor of a hurricane to help us recognize the qualities and the impermanence of even our stormiest emotions. 

    A 12-Minute Meditation for Emotional Resilience

    1. We begin this 12-minute mindfulness practice by bringing ourselves into a posture that’s upright and stable. We lower or close our eyes and bring our attention to our body sitting in the chair. 
    2. As we breathe, we are aware of where our bottom meets the seat of the chair and of where our back meets the back of the chair. We are aware of our feet and where they make contact with the ground, our shoes, or our socks. We are aware of the sensations of the body, of the hands resting one in the other or on our lap. We are aware of the fingertips, the palms, the points of contact, as we begin this practice by coming to our senses as we breathe.
    3. At times, things can become intense and quickly turn, much like a hurricane, so this practice will draw upon the metaphor of a hurricane to help us understand our own true nature. It can help us understand the ways that mindfulness practice can be helpful in observing our nature moment by moment. That observation can create spaciousness around the tumultuousness that can arise during the course of our day and at times throughout our life. 
    4. We take three slow, deep breaths. A little slower and a little deeper than we might otherwise take. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. 
    5. The hurricane arises when the conditions are sufficient for it to come together and, in time, it dissipates, much like our own emotional conditions. So, let’s look at a few of the different aspects of the hurricane and see how they connect to our own thoughts, feelings, and sensations, and the spaciousness and ease that we can find with agitated thoughts, feelings, and sensations. In this way, we can allow the storm to pass. 
    6. There are times when we experience agitation and frustration in the body, much like the strong, gusty winds and heavy rains that feed into the hurricane. We might reflect for a moment on times when we have felt that intensity in the body—that tension, that tightness.
    7. Thoughts arise from time to time that can be judgmental, pessimistic, and reactive, like the outflow of high-level clouds that intensify the hurricane as they move away from it. We might take note of thoughts that arise in our mind now, or thoughts that have arisen today, that carry that judgmental, harsh, reactive quality. Just notice these thoughts as we breathe. 
    8. There are moments we experience intense emotions like anger and fear that are akin to the eye wall, the extreme conditions that form around the eye of the hurricane. You may notice these arising now, perhaps because of the circumstances of the day, or that they arise on a fairly regular basis. 
    9. And so, too, there are times we experience inner calm, much as is found within the eye of the storm. This is a reminder that we don’t have to have the intense and agitated thoughts, feelings, and sensations go away to find that inner calm, that inner tranquility. By shifting to an observing state, we find freedom from the intensity of those thoughts, feelings, and sensations. It’s like finding our way into the eye of the storm,  into a place of our own safe refuge without needing anything to change. 
    10. Let us settle into the body, aware of thoughts, aware of feelings that will come and go, aware of the sensations in the body, aware of preserving and allowing the breath to anchor us a little bit more fully, to steady us a little bit more comfortably into the moments of this practice. In doing so, we begin to develop and cultivate a resilience to steady us in the moments of our life. 
    11. Breathe in and out, allowing this moment to be as it is. When, from time to time, the mind wanders, gently return to the sensations of the breath flowing through the body. When you’re ready in the next moment or two, with awareness, lift the gaze, open the eyes. 



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  • A Body Scan Meditation to Prepare Mind and Body for Sleep

    A Body Scan Meditation to Prepare Mind and Body for Sleep

    Summary

    What Is a Body Scan Meditation? A guided practice where attention is systematically moved through different parts of the body to release tension and increase awareness.

    Benefits for Sleep:

    • Improves sleep quality, especially among those with sleep disturbances
    • Reduces physical tension that may prevent falling asleep
    • Calms the nervous system and reduces stress
    • Helps disconnect from mental activity that keeps the mind active

    Research Findings: Clinical trials from UCLA found that mindfulness meditation improves sleep quality among older adults with sleep disturbances.

    Practice Application: Can be done lying down in bed as preparation for sleep, helping transition from wakefulness to restfulness.

    The Science of Sleeping Better with Mindfulness

    A good night’s sleep has a significant impact on our health—helping us feel more energized, less stressed, and able to perform better mentally. Unfortunately, according to a 2024 poll, many people struggle to get a full night’s rest, with 57% of Americans reporting that they would feel better if they got more sleep.

    If you’re the kind of person who finds themselves wide awake at 3 a.m. contemplating the shadows on their ceiling, practicing mindfulness may offer the secret to sleeping better. A randomized clinical trial from UCLA found that mindfulness meditation improves sleep quality among older adults with sleep disturbances. The following guided meditation was used in that study to help people fall asleep. May it do the same for you.

    We’ll be noticing these sensations without trying to change them or make them different, simply bringing a mindful attention of curiosity and openness to the present moment.

    During this guided body scan meditation you may find yourself drifting off to sleep. This is fine, so you can allow the meditation to turn off on its own. If you notice thoughts such as worries or concerns arising that take your attention away from the meditation, this is also normal. See if you can redirect your attention back to the body scan, gently letting go of these thoughts.

    If it’s possible, we’ll be noticing our body lying down on the bed. We’ll be feeling the body’s sensations that are present, scanning the body for any kinds of obvious sensations like vibrations, tingling sensations, heaviness, pressure, movement, heat, coolness. We’ll be noticing these sensations without trying to change them or make them different, simply bringing a mindful attention of curiosity and openness to the present moment. If you notice yourself starting to think about the sensation or think about something else, see if you can simply come back to the feelings and sensations present in your body.

    A Body Scan Meditation to Prepare Mind and Body for Sleep

    1. Begin the meditation by noticing the sensations at the top of your head. Simply note what you feel. You might notice vibration or pressure.

    2. Focus your attention on your skull as it makes contact with the bed or the pillow. There might be a sense of pressure or other sensations. Simply be curious about these sensations.

    3. If you can, allow any tension you feel to gently release. If that doesn’t seem possible, simply notice what it is that you feel.

    4. Scan your face area, forehead, eyes, and nose. Notice your cheeks and mouth. There may be sensations of tingling, temperature, tightness; let it all be there. Be curious about your experience, and begin to notice the sensations in your throat.

    5. Now bring your attention to the sensations present in your shoulder area. Notice any tension arising. Sometimes in the act of noticing tension, you may find yourself relaxing. If that’s not possible, you can breathe gently, directing the breath to your shoulders.

    6. Notice the sensations in your left shoulder, and then bring your attention down your arm. Notice any vibration, tingling, coolness, pressure, or movement in your elbow, your lower arm, and then your hand. Be curious and open to the sensations that are present in your hands and fingers. Allow your hands to soften and relax.

    7. Now, bring your attention up to your right shoulder, noticing any sensations that might be present. Start to scan your right arm for vibration, tingling, or movement. Notice your elbow, your forearm, your hands, and fingers. A lot of sensations are usually present in the hands and fingers. But if at any point there’s no sensation, just notice the absence of sensation.

    8. Let your attention go to the top of your shoulders and to your back. Imagine a zigzag sensation or an up-and-down movement across your back. Can you be open and curious to whatever the experience is? Be kind to yourself no matter what comes up.

    9. Notice your upper back, your mid-back, and the sensations in your lower back. If thoughts arise as you’re doing this—worries, concerns—see if you can let them go. Let them be like clouds floating in the sky, moving across your mind. Or, come back to my words and this body scan.

    10. Bring your attention to the top of the chest area. Gently scan your chest, your rib cage, and your stomach. See if you can soften your stomach. Breathe deeply while directing the breath to that area—allowing it to soften and relax.

    11. Now, notice your pelvic area and the places where your body has contact with the bed. Feel whatever sensations are present. Gently bring your attention to your left hip and down your left leg. Notice the sensations in your thigh.

    12. Bring this kind and curious attention to your leg, your knee, and your left calf. Notice whatever sensations are present: vibration, tingling, itching, warmth, coolness, heaviness. Then bring your attention to your ankle, left foot, and toes.

    13. Now, notice the sensations in your right hip. And again, bring your attention down to your right thigh. You can circle your attention on your right leg or notice it in any other way that makes sense to you. Feel any vibration, tingling, temperature, heaviness, or movement in your knee and calf. Scan your leg down to your right ankle and toes.

    14. Now that you’ve scanned your body, you’re welcome to start again. This time, you can start at your feet and go back up through your body until you get to the top of your head. Feel free to scan your body up and down as many times as it is helpful to you.

    The Ultimate Guide to Mindfulness for Sleep 

    Sufficient sleep heals our bodies and minds, but for many reasons sleep doesn’t always come easily. Mindfulness practices and habits can help us fall asleep and stay asleep. Consult our guide to find tips for meditation, movement, and mindfulness practices to ease into sleep.
    Read More 

    • Mindful Staff
    • July 13, 2023



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  • Constant Craving – Mindful

    Constant Craving – Mindful

    If there’s a patch of open lawn at a corner, children will cut through, and grass soon becomes hardened ground. Ancient people created paths walking from one place to another; horses and oxen widened them; and today they’re paved roads. When we want to go someplace, we choicelessly take these well-trodden paths.

    It’s the same with our brain and the muscles and organs that respond to its commands. As neurons keep firing in a particular configuration, a path is created and it’s just easier to go there. Neurons that “fire together, wire together.” It’s how we learn to talk, to play guitar, to paint, and to smoke and overeat.

    As Judson Brewer points out in The Craving Mind, laying down memories (pathways to return to) is as ancient and ingrained as life itself. Eric Kandel won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2000 for demonstrating that even the lowly sea slug—hardly a big-brained cousin to humans—employs a “two-option approach” to raise its chances of survival: “move toward nutrient, move away from toxin.” Likewise, we adapted by laying down memories of what is and isn’t food and where to find it, so we could return for more. And, critically, the food offered us a reward: a shot of brain chemicals that signal satisfied hunger. Yum. Yum.

    This reward-based learning system, Brewer notes, is easily hijacked to develop other habits: See cool kids smoke. Smoke to be cool. Be seen as cool. Feel good. Lay down a feel-good memory. Want to do it again.

    Once laid down, this path takes us round trip; we’re on a loop. Seeing people smoke triggers us, and the immediate effect is the brain saying “that will make me feel better or lessen the pain.” An urge, a craving, emerges in the body. We take action to feed the craving and light up. We get the good feeling (our reward), but we also start to see the world differently. In what psychologists call increased “salience,” we now wear smoke-colored glasses that offer a landscape filled with perceived opportunities to smoke. The habit is reinforced, and the increased salience points us to more cues and triggers that keep the wheel spinning. Round and round we go.

    Mindfulness can break this well-worn cycle, as we see illustrated in the diagram conceived of by Brewer below.

    Graphic by Heather Jones



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  • 10 Tips to Mindfulness Meditation

    10 Tips to Mindfulness Meditation

    Curious about how to start your own mindfulness meditation practice? This infographic from the Garrison Institute is a great place to begin.

    When it comes to learning a mindfulness meditation practice, or learning anything new for that matter, it helps to bring in some visual representations. Here’s the latest meditation infographic from the Garrison Institute.

    Get all 10 tips below, or click here for the Garrison Institute’s page. Plus, if you’d like a full description of each step, just scroll down. 

    10 Steps to Start Your Mindfulness Meditation Practice

    1. Create time and space. Choose a regular time each day for mindfulness mediation practice, ideally a quiet space free from distractions.
    2. Set a timer. Start with just five minutes, and ease your way up to 15-40 minutes.
    3. Find a comfortable sitting position. Sit cross-legged on the floor, on the grass, or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. You can also lie down, or find some other position to accommodate mobility or pain issues. The best mindfulness meditation practice is one that works for you and your body’s needs.
    4. Check your posture. Sit up straight, hands in a comfortable position. Keep neck long, chin tilted slightly downward, with your tongue resting gently on the roof of your mouth. Relax your shoulders. Then, close your eyes or use a soft gaze downward 5-10 feet in front of you.
    5. Take a deep breath. Deep breathing in any mindfulness meditation practice helps settle the body, relax the nervous system, and establish your presence in the space.
    6. Direct your attention to the breath. Focus on a part of the body where the breath feels prominent: nostrils, back of throat, diaphragm, chest. Keep one focus; try not to switch.
    7. Maintain attention to your breath. As you inhale and exhale, focus on the breath. If attention wanders, that’s okay. It’s normal for this to happen in any mindfulness meditation practice, even for people who have been doing it for decades! Simply return to the breath. When thoughts come in, which they will, think of them as floating by. Don’t get “hooked” on them—just let them float by and return your attention to your breath.
    8. Keep repeating steps 6-7 for as long as you like. Your mind will wander. Just keep bringing it back to the breath. Think of it like reps in weight lifting: getting distracted isn’t bad, and you’re not doing it wrong, and every time you bring your attention back, you’re actually training and strengthening your focus.
    9. Be king to yourself. Don’t be upset if your focus occasionally drifts, or if you fall asleep. If it helps, you can keep your eyes open, or adjust your posture to keep you more alert if you need to.
    10. Prepare for a soft landing. When the timer goes off, open your eyes when you’re ready. Acknowledge your practice with gratitude.

    Looking for more ways to build your own mindfulness meditation practice? Check out Mindful’s Getting Started page.



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  • Boost Compassion With A Loving-Kindness Meditation

    Boost Compassion With A Loving-Kindness Meditation

    Time required

    15 minutes daily

    Loving-kindness meditation:

    Relax Your Body:

    Close your eyes. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. Relax your whole body. Keep your eyes closed throughout the whole visualization and bring your awareness inward. Without straining or concentrating, just relax and gently follow the instructions.

    Take a deep breath in. And breathe out.

    Bring Your Attention To The Warmth of Your Heart

    Keeping your eyes closed, think of a person close to you who loves you very much. It could be someone from the past or the present; someone still in life or who has passed; it could be a spiritual teacher or guide. Imagine that person standing on your right side, sending you their love. That person is sending you wishes for your safety, for your well-being and happiness. Feel the warm wishes and love coming from that person towards you.

    Now bring to mind the same person or another person who cherishes you deeply. Imagine that person standing on your left side, sending you wishes for your wellness, for your health and happiness. Feel the kindness and warmth coming to you from that person.

    Now imagine that you are surrounded on all sides by all the people who love you and have loved you. Picture all of your friends and loved ones surrounding you. They are standing sending you wishes for your happiness, well-being, and health. Bask in the warm wishes and love coming from all sides. You are filled, and overflowing with warmth and love.

    Send Loving-Kindness to Loved Ones

    Now bring your awareness back to the person standing on your right side. Begin to send the love that you feel back to that person. You and this person are similar. Just like you, this person wishes to be happy. Send all your love and warm wishes to that person.

    Repeat the following phrases, silently:

    May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain. 
    May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.
    May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.

    Now focus your awareness on the person standing on your left side. Begin to direct the love within you to that person. Send all your love and warmth to that person. That person and you are alike. Just like you, that person wishes to have a good life.

    Repeat the following phrases, silently:

    Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.
    Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.
    Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.

    Now picture another person that you love, perhaps a relative or a friend. This person, like you, wishes to have a happy life. Send warm wishes to that person.

    Repeat the following phrases, silently:

    May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.
    May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.
    May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.

    Send Loving-Kindness to Neutral People

    Now think of an acquaintance, someone you don’t know very well and toward whom you do not have any particular feeling. You and this person are alike in your wish to have a good life.

    Send all your wishes for well-being to that person, repeating the following phrases, silently:

    Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.
    Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.
    Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.

    Now bring to mind another acquaintance toward whom you feel neutral. It could be a neighbor, or a colleague, or someone else that you see around but do not know very well. Like you, this person wishes to experience joy and well-being in his or her life.

    Send all your good wishes to that person, repeating the following phrases, silently:

    May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 
    May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 
    May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 

    Send Loving-Kindness to All Living Beings

    Now expand your awareness and picture the whole globe in front of you as a little ball.

    Send warm wishes to all living beings on the globe, who, like you, want to be happy:

    Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health. 
    Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
    Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.

    Take a deep breath in. And breathe out. And another deep breath in and let it go. Notice the state of your mind and how you feel after this meditation.

    When you’re ready, you may open your eyes.

    This article was adapted from Greater Good In Action, a site launched by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This exercise draws on a guided meditation created by researcher Emma Seppälä, Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and author of The Happiness Track (Harper One, 2016) and Sovereign (Hay House, 2024).



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  • 12 Minute Meditation: Transform Shame Into Self-Trust

    12 Minute Meditation: Transform Shame Into Self-Trust

    Exploring difficult emotions and experiences may be the key to loosening their hold over us. Gentle awareness of our inner world allows us to transform shame in this practice from Patricia Rockman, MD.

    Becoming familiar with a difficult emotion means getting interested and curious about the experience, like you might do when visiting a new city. Take it slow, uncovering new “territory” a bit at a time instead of trying to get to know it all at once. As you navigate shame, you learn that you can sit with uncomfortable feelings, and that they will eventually pass. Over time, you develop resilience, self-knowledge, and trust in yourself—the best antidotes to the self-judgment that shame inspires.

    Thoughts and feelings are larger and scarier when they’re left unexplored and kept in the shadows.

    Whether you’re experiencing feelings of shame right now or have buried shame that you’ve been avoiding, are you willing to get to know it a bit better? Remember, thoughts and feelings are larger and scarier when they’re left unexplored and kept in the shadows.

    12-Minute Meditation: Transform Shame Into Self-Trust

    1. Take a comfortable meditation posture, eyes closed if comfortable. Begin by bringing attention to the body sitting. Attending to the base of the body as it makes contact with the surface you are resting on. Allowing the jaw to soften, shoulder blades sliding down the back and hands at rest in the lap or on your thighs.
    2. Turn your attention to the sensations of breathing at the level of the belly. Attending to the in-breath and the out-breath, the rising and falling of the abdomen. Perhaps letting the breath move in and out of the body naturally, as best you can.
    3. And now, gently bringing to mind an experience or memory, a time in which you felt shame. Maybe it was something you did or something that someone else said about you or to you. Whatever it is, turning toward this memory, experience, or situation gently, as best you can, checking in with what thoughts are present, what emotions, and what body sensations.
    4. Without needing to change or fix anything, beginning to explore what is arising or what is here right now. If there are specific thoughts, as best you can, experiencing them as sensations of the mind, as events that come and go. If there are emotions, naming or labeling them as they make themselves known. Saying to yourself, “Shame is here,” or fear, anxiety, or guilt, whatever it is, and staying with these for a few moments.
    5. And now, shifting your attention to any associated sensations in the body. Investigate these with friendly interest, getting curious about them, even if they’re unwanted or intense, really getting to know them, if that is possible in this moment.
    6. If the sensations are particularly intense or strong, saying to yourself, “This is a moment of difficulty. I can be with this, it’s already here.” If it is helpful, breathing into the sensations, expanding on the in-breath and softening on the out-breath, staying with these sensations as long as they are capturing your attention.
    7. If this is too difficult or feels overwhelming, there is always the choice to return your attention to the breath at the belly or to open your eyes, letting go of this practice. Otherwise, continuing with this attention to the sensations in the body…
    8. And now, returning to the sensations of breathing in the abdomen, to the rising and falling of the belly with each breath, breathing in and breathing out.
    9. And when you’re ready, bringing attention to the entire body, to any and all sensations, resting here in a more spacious awareness, if this is available.
    10. Then gently, with this shameful experience in the background now, asking yourself: Can I let this be as it is? (It’s already here, after all.) Can I let it go? (It’s already happened.) Does it need addressing? Do I have to take an action? If so, what? Can I shift my attitude, bringing a different perspective to this experience? And then gently opening the eyes if they have been closed and letting go of this practice.



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  • Summer Meditation Retreat: 6 Mindfulness Practices for Self-Care

    Summer Meditation Retreat: 6 Mindfulness Practices for Self-Care

    Summary

    • During the summer mindfulness can become an invitation to savor things more completely.
    • Rather than only appreciating the best experiences, savoring every aspect of life allows us to discover the gifts that often hide within unwelcome or challenging moments.
    • Savor the summer with a free collection of 6 guided meditations from expert mindfulness teachers.

    The word “savoring” crops up a lot in instructions for mindful eating, but why stop there? Inspired by that notion, I decided to challenge myself to a week of savoring things. As I started out, I began to see that I was automatically leaving lots of things out—things that were, well, unsavory—so the challenge had to undergo some immediate reengineering. It would have to become about savoring everything. Yikes.

    If I was going to savor the unsavory I would have to be thankful somehow for whatever came my way.

    That immediately led me to the understanding that if I was going to savor the unsavory I would have to be thankful somehow for whatever came my way. I would have to embrace the artificially sweetened (but still valuable) “attitude of gratitude.” It was a bit of a revelation. What I was prepared for was taking time to really enjoy things, in the present moment. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much it would challenge underlying attitudes and assumptions. When the week was over, I came to some conclusions about how savoring can reach into every area of life.

    6 Ways to Savor the Moment

    By Barry Boyce

    1) When things are good…savor the joy

    When things are good, it should be easy to savor them. But it took more effort to savor something I already appreciated than I would have imagined. Joy came in the sudden realization that the body is always in the present, no matter where my thoughts take me, and I can always return to that.

    2) When it’s every kind of bad…savor the resilience

    I can glimpse the fact that pain, whether physical or emotional, is something that lets us know we are alive. And as we try to manage it as best we can, we are humbled, we are vulnerable, we seek help. We find a way. We bounce back. And, as we savor the equanimity, we learn to take the good and the bad.

    3) When it’s boring…savor the freedom

    As we all keep discovering in meditation, we don’t really need to keep ourselves occupied with extra thoughts. It’s peaceful to take a break from that. My savoring challenge helped me learn (once again) to savor the freedom from the need to entertain myself every minute of the day.

    4) When it’s unwieldy…savor the laughter

    When things go haywire, the same tendency we have with hassles—to indulge in some “why me?” time—can easily take over. But, I’m starting to really appreciate the antidote that a meditation teacher friend of mine told me about: Just say “Why not me?”

    5) When you’re alone…savor the space

    In the right doses, being by ourselves can be deeply restorative. It can help us discover a deep reservoir of contentment that does not need to be chased after. That kind of space—a space of awe and wonder and simplicity—is well worth savoring. It may be the most savory treat of all.

    6) When you’re with others…savor the companionship

    The sheer joy of a shared laugh. The moments of listening when you need to be heard. The shoulder to cry on. Someone to share ups and downs, without caring which it is. I’m blessed with friends all over the world, people I can connect with within minutes no matter how long it’s been. Other human beings…what’s not to savor?

    Summer Meditation Retreat: 6 Mindfulness Practices for Self-Care

    Day 1: Connect With Presence

    By Sharon Salzberg

    If we can practice savoring the present moment when we’re sitting in formal meditation, we can also practice while standing in line at the grocery store, sitting anxiously in a doctor’s waiting room, or sitting down for a meal in good company. A portable exercise in meditation is focusing on the sensations of the in- and out-breath. If the breath is not a comfortable place for you, choose another object of attention like the sensation of your hands touching your knees.

    A 10-Minute Breathing Meditation

    This variation of breath meditation can be especially supportive if you feel restless or bored. Savor the freedom to simply let your mind be. It doesn’t matter how many times your attention wanders or how long you may dwell in distraction during this summer meditation. The practice is gently letting go and, with kindness toward yourself, beginning again.

    1. Sit comfortably and relax. Let your attention settle on the feeling of the breath at the nostrils, chest, or abdomen. As you breathe in make the silent mental note “in,” and as you breathe out you can count “one.” This becomes inhale “in,” exhale “one,” inhale “in,” exhale “two,” all the way up to ten. When you get to ten you can begin again.
    2. If your mind becomes distracted, and you lose touch with the breath—that’s OK. You can begin again. Stay connected to the rhythm of the breath with the mental note and the number.
    3. See if your awareness of the breath can be full and complete. Your attention is wholehearted with “in, five,” “in, six,” “in, seven,” all the way through to ten. Each breath is full and complete on its own—with the counting there to support you.
    4. When you feel ready, you can move into the rest of your day.

    A 7-Minute Meditation to Rest Your Attention

    Our habitual tendency is to grasp a thought or a feeling, to build an entire world around it, or push it away and struggle against it. It can be helpful to instead note what is painful, pleasant, or otherwise. Here we stay even, balanced, and calm, as we recognize what arises and bring our attention back, one breath at a time.

    1. Sit comfortably or lie down. Settle in to a comfortable position.
    2. Center your attention on the sensations of the in- and out-breath, at the nostrils, chest, or abdomen. As you feel the sensations of the breath, you can make a mental note of “breath” with the in-breath and then again with the out-breath.
    3. When a thought or feeling arises that’s strong enough to take your attention away from the breath, note it silently as “not breath.” You don’t have to judge yourself; you don’t have to get lost in a thought or elaborate it. Recognize that it’s simply not the breath.
    4. Bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath. Some of your thoughts or feelings may be tender, caring, cruel, or hurtful, but they’re not the breath. You can recognize them, let them go, and bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath.
    5. When you feel ready, come back to your surroundings.

    Day 2: Connect With Yourself

    By Sebene Selassie

    Belonging is the sense of ease and joy we can savor when we are truly present. Often we don’t feel like we belong because we’re caught in feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and doubt. Feelings of not belonging are learned over time and lead us to think that there’s something wrong with us, that we’re not enough, that we don’t belong—but we do. By the very nature of our existence, we belong. Mindfulness helps us remember this by allowing us to experience belonging in any moment.

    A 9-Minute Meditation to Listen to Your Body

    Meditation can help us be more present to life, and mindfulness of body and breath help ground that presence. It’s only when we’re present with each moment that we can savor our experience. This summer meditation invites you to try grounding yourself throughout the day, feeling the body and using the inquiry, “What’s happening in my body right now?”

    1. Find a comfortable posture. You don’t have to do anything special, just make sure that you’re relaxed and alert. Lower your gaze and give yourself the opportunity to go inward.
    2. Bring awareness to the sensations you notice while sitting. It can take some time and practice to feel sensations in the body rather than think about them. Is there a sensation in the body that’s particularly strong or clamoring for attention? It’s OK if you don’t notice anything. Just recognize your experience as it is and see if you can bring a sense of curiosity to it. You can ask yourself, “What’s happening in my body right now?”
    3. Whatever is happening, continue this inquiry. Notice the sensations that are present. When the mind starts to wander, gently bring your awareness back to the body. Again, ask yourself, “What’s happening in my body right now?”
    4. Bring the same curiosity to your breath. If the breath is not a comfortable place for you, continue grounding in sensations of the body. Otherwise, take a moment to connect to the natural rhythm of your breath. Notice your belly rising and falling. You can always ask yourself, “What’s happening in my body right now?”
    5. Know that you can come back to the body at any moment, as you come back to the space around you.

    A 7-Minute Meditation to Welcome Open Awareness

    Open awareness meditation is often associated with the metaphor of the mind being like an open sky. We can observe thoughts, sensations, sounds, but they simply pass like clouds in the sky, or they can flow like a river savor the space between you and what drifts past. The sky is not bothered, the river is not changed, everything is carried by the current of awareness.

    1. Find a comfortable posture. If you like you can gaze down softly at a point in front of you. Allow your body to soften and rest. Feel the connection between your body and the floor or the chair beneath you.
    2. Bring your awareness to the sensations of being right here, right now. Begin to listen to the play of sounds around you. You can notice sounds that are loud or soft, far or near—just listening. You don’t need to name the sound, or follow the sound, just listen in a relaxed and open way. Notice how all sounds arise and vanish as you listen.
    3. Sense that your awareness is expanding to be like the sky—open, clear, vast. Allow your awareness to extend in every direction. Sounds come and go, moving through the sky of your awareness, appearing and disappearing as you rest in this open awareness. You might notice that thoughts and images also arise and vanish. You can let them come and go without resistance or grasping.
    4. Allow the breath or sensations in the body to move like a breeze in this open sky of awareness. Notice that this awareness is naturally clear and spacious. Allow all sounds, thoughts, and sensations, feeling that spaciousness.
    5. As you lift your gaze, pause for a moment to reorient to the space around you.

    Day 3: Connect With Everything

    By Jessica Morey

    We tend to focus our minds on what is wrong or threatening or what could harm us so that we might be better protected through the vagaries of life. But if we allow that bias to run rampant, we risk missing out on what’s beautiful, joyful, and nourishing in our lives. Not to mention, we grow less equipped to cultivate beauty and joy and nourishment in ourselves.

    A 14-Minute Summer Meditation to Appreciate Joy

    Perhaps it seems strange to investigate what we consider to be a positive emotion, but we often miss joy. We don’t pay a lot of attention to it and let it slip by without much notice. The good news is, there are practices to cultivate joy. It can be sparked by something enjoyable, or we can attend to and support joy in our felt experience. One of the great ways to do that is to savor—really stop and savor—what’s beautiful and good in life.

    1. Take a seat or lie down if you’re in a place where you can do that. Take a few deep breaths, lengthening your inhale and your exhale. During these opening breaths, notice how you’re feeling. If you’re feeling tired or drowsy, emphasize the inhale. If you’re feeling agitated or restless, emphasize the exhale. Then allow your breath to come to its natural rhythm.
    2. Now bring to mind recent joyful moments. Alternatively, you could reflect on things you’re grateful for in your life. Choose a few moments of joy and gratitude to focus on.
    3. Reflect on receiving the joy of these experiences. Bring your attention into your body. Notice how you experience joy in this moment. Where do you feel it in your body? The chest, the belly, the throat, the face? What do you notice? Is there a temperature to the joy? Is there a flow or movement to the energy of joy in your body?
    4. If you lose that felt sense of connection, just recall the images, people, or situations that bring you joy. Then return to savoring the felt sense of joy in your body. Breathe into it.
    5. Take a moment to reflect on the people, places, or situations that bring you joy. What were the things that really inspired a felt sense of joy for you? How can you bring more of that into your life?
    6. When you’re ready, bring your attention back to your environment. Take a deep breath. Orient yourself to the space around you and notice how you feel right now.

    A 14-Minute Meditation to Explore What’s True

    Longing is a vulnerable emotion, but it’s also very important. It directs us toward what we want in the world—where we want to go, what we value, what we want to create. When we can stay with the emotion and get to know it on a deeper level, there’s a great deal of wisdom at our disposal. If we can feel into it, be with it, and notice what’s underneath and inside of it, we can then better decide how we want to respond next.

    1. Settle into a comfortable position. You may be seated, or you’re welcome to lie down. Wherever you are, take a few deep breaths. You can cast your gaze down and ahead.
    2. Feel into your body and ask yourself: Is there anything I need right now? Is there anything I’m longing for in this moment? You may want something to be different, or you may be longing for a particular experience. Ask yourself: What do I want? What do I need?
    3. If nothing is emerging for you, bring to mind a recent experience when you really wanted something. Maybe you wanted to be seen or acknowledged; maybe you wanted to connect with a certain person, or you wanted someone to call you or attend to you. Identify a recent experience you had of longing and consider the situation, the people, the place.
    4. Turn your attention toward the felt sense of the wanting. Hold this feeling of wanting, and as you do, see if you can identify what it is that you want—below the particularities. What universal need are you touching upon? Maybe you want respect, ease, joy, or connection.
    5. Consider this question: How could I meet this need? Take a few moments to explore the creative ways this need could be met.
    6. Take a few deep breaths. Feel your body on the chair or on the ground. When you’re ready, lift your gaze.



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  • A 10 Minute Body Scan That You Can Practice

    A 10 Minute Body Scan That You Can Practice

    Explore this guided practice to calm your mind, notice sensations in the body, and bring awareness to the present moment.

    We’re practicing mindfulness each time that we bring attention to a body part and are aware that we are doing so. Practicing mindfulness through this 10-minute body scan involves moving attention through various parts of the body. You will notice sensations that are present in your feet or hands or legs such as tingling, tightness, temperature, or you might notice a lack of sensation; simply be aware of it.

    We’re practicing mindfulness each time that we bring attention to a body part and are aware that we are doing so.

    We typically do the body scan by lying down on the floor or a soft surface, but if that’s not possible for you, you can certainly do the body scan while sitting in a chair.

    A 10-Minute Body Scan Practice

    As we begin this 10-minute body scan, we’ll be slowly and systematically moving attention through the various regions of the body, from the feet to the top of the head, noting any physical sensations as we go along.

    1. As you are lying on whatever surface you’re on, notice what it feels like to be lying there. Noticing the sensations present in this moment, noticing temperature, noticing points of contact with the body and the surface, noticing the rise and the fall of the abdomen. Allowing the body to rest in this position and noticing sensations as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
    2. Left foot and leg: Feeling the air move in and out of your body, let’s begin by bringing attention to the toes of your left foot. With the in-breath, noticing the sensations present or lack of sensation. And then with an out-breath, letting go of the toes and move your attention to the bottom of the left foot, including the heel touching the floor. Noticing all the sensations present in that region of the body, also notice how lack of sensation is something the mind can be aware of. Move on to the top of your left foot and ankle, noticing sensation. Now moving to the lower leg, knee, thigh, and hip on the left side of the body.
    3. Right foot and leg: Moving awareness, now, to the toes of the right foot, the bottom of the right foot, including the heel touching the floor. Bringing awareness to the sensations present in that part of the body. Moving on to the top of your right foot and ankle and scanning that region with awareness, noticing sensations present or lack of sensation. Now move into the lower leg, knee, thigh, and hip on the right side of the body.
    4. Pelvis: Bringing awareness now to the pelvic region, noticing sensations present or lack of sensation.
    5. Lower back and abdomen: Bringing awareness to the lower back and abdomen, aware of what’s there, without judgment or assessment, simply noticing with awareness.
    6. Upper back, ribs, and chest: Continuing to scan the back, the rib cage, and chest.
    7. Shoulders: Moving now to the shoulder blades and shoulders, noticing what is present in those regions of the body.
    8. Fingers and hands: From here, go to the fingers and the hands, the left and right together. Tuning into the fingers, thumbs, palms, back of the hands, wrists, noticing what’s there, noticing sensations present in the hands and the fingers.
    9. Wrists and arms: Now moving awareness to the wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, and shoulders, and noticing what sensations are present in those regions of the body. On an out-breath, let go of the whole of the arms and the hands.
    10. Neck and throat: Moving now to the neck and the throat, noticing what is there or not there.
    11. Head: Moving on to the head and face, and scanning with awareness the jaw, and the chin, the lips, the teeth, and gums, roof of the mouth, tongue, the back of the throat, the cheeks, and the nose. Feeling the air moving in and out of the nose. Then bringing awareness to the ears, the eyes, the eyelids, eyebrows, forehead, temples, and scalp, holding the whole of that region with awareness.
    12. Now, notice the breath: Stay in the present moment with the breath flowing in and out of the body, simply awake to whatever arises and predominates in your field of awareness at any given moment. And this may include thoughts or feelings, sensations, sounds, the breath, stillness, and silence. Be with whatever comes up in the same way you were with the scan.
    13. Notice how you may tend to react to impulses, thoughts, memories, and worries: Let yourself purposefully observe them without rejecting or pursuing. Practice simply seeing and letting go, seeing and letting go. No agenda other than to be present and awake.
    14. Closing:  In a moment, you’ll hear the sound of the chimes and move the awareness from the body to the sound. And as you follow the last sound to the end, gradually wiggle the toes and move the feet and stretch in whatever way you like. Coming back into the room, fully awake and fully present.

    As we bring this 10-minute body scan practice to a close, may we be peaceful and at ease, may our hearts be soft and open, may we be safe and protected, and our bodies healthy and strong. And for all of those known and unknown to us, may they be peaceful and at ease, may their hearts be soft and open, may they be safe and protected and their bodies healthy and strong. May the merit of this practice be for the benefit of all beings.

    Introduction text adapted from Harvard Pilgrim. This practice was originally published on Mindful.org in October 2018.



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  • The Science and Practice of Staying Present Through Difficult Times

    The Science and Practice of Staying Present Through Difficult Times

    Research suggests that when we turn towards pain and discomfort, we can experience less of it. Plus, Ed Halliwell offers a guided meditation for being mindful when things get tough.

    Research into mindfulness has shown the benefits of staying present, and of gently turning towards difficulty. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) trains people with addictive habits to manage their cravings mindfully by staying present to the sensations of craving, rather than trying to distract from them, avoid them or defeat them.

    The Science of Staying Present

    In a large trial of MBRP, mindfulness-trained patients drank and used drugs significantly less than those who were treated with cognitive-behavioural approaches, and a control group who attended twelve-step and psycho-education groups. The authors of the study conclude that mindfulness was the most successful approach, especially over the longer term, because it enabled patients to “monitor and skilfully cope with discomfort associated with craving or negative affect.” A similar study with smokers found that mindfulness training was more than five times as effective as a standard smoking cessation programme, as measured by abstinence from cigarettes after four months (31 per cent compared to 6 per cent). Another study has suggested that mindful people are more able to tolerate their own distress, rather than react in harmful ways.

    There are benefits to staying present with physical, as well as emotional, discomfort. Fadel Zeidan and colleagues suggest that meditation practice is associated with brain changes that indicate and reflect shifts in people’s experience of, and relationship with, pain. Meditators show decreased activity in the primary somatosensory cortex (an area of the brain involved in registering pain) and increased activity in three areas involved in the regulation of pain—the anterior insula, the anterior cingulate cortex and the pre-frontal cortex. When gently turning towards pain, people report that they experience less of it, and their resistance usually decreases. They may not get so caught up in the negative stories and evasive reactions that tend to accompany pain but do nothing to stop it (and, indeed, may increase the mind’s perception of it). This may be why people with chronic conditions have reported reductions in pain after training in mindfulness, even though they still suffer from the illness.

    When gently turning towards pain, people report that they experience less of it, and their resistance usually decreases.

    As far back as 1971, Robert Wallace and Herbert Benson found that meditation reduced activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “fight or flight” reaction. More recently, attending a mindfulness course has been shown to reduce activity and grey matter volume in the amygdala—a key indicator of how strongly this reaction is triggered. With mindfulness training also comes a thickening in parts of the pre-frontal cortex—the region directly behind the forehead—which may be connected to a strengthening of the body’s capacity to regulate stress. Connections between the amygdala and other parts of the brain weaken after mindfulness training.

    One part of the pre-frontal cortex associated with stress regulation is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Poor ACC function tends to correlate with impulsive behaviour and mental inflexibility—which are both common among people who are under stress. Experienced meditators display more activity in the ACC, and better stress regulation. The capacity to self- manage during difficult situations may be trainable at a very young age. One study that tracked a group of pre-school children who attended a mindfulness programme over six months found that they were less impulsive (more able to regulate) than a group of children who did not receive the training.

    The Benefits of Leaning Into Discomfort

    Just the act of describing unpleasant experiences mindfully can have a positive effect on stress levels. In one study, people with a fear of spiders were asked to walk towards and try to touch a live tarantula. Some were invited to reassure themselves as they approached the spider, while others were advised to distract themselves from what they were trying to do. A third group was encouraged to acknowledge and turn towards their fear, saying something like: “I am frightened by the big ugly spider.” The members of this third group—those who openly stayed present to their fear— got closest to the tarantula, felt least upset by the experience, and had the least sweaty palms.

    Staying present to difficulties seems to have a significant impact on well-being. In Matt Killingsworth’s studies of wandering minds, he has found that people are less happy when their minds are distracted, even when they are engaged in an activity that we would usually describe as unpleasant. So, for instance, even though most people are not keen on commuting, they tend to be happier if their minds turn towards the experience of the journey rather than wander away from it. Other studies have suggested that setting oneself the goal of avoiding stress increases the long-term risk of depression. By contrast, if we view stress as a normal, helpful indicator—something we can handle and from which we can learn—rather than as something to eliminate, we are more likely to experience good health and emotional well-being.

    Try This 15-Minute Guided Mindfulness Meditation

    When you’ve established a stable foundation with mindfulness of breath and body you can experiment with turning towards difficulty.

    Sometimes our experience is painful and difficult. And there may be little or nothing we can do about the arising of the pain or difficulty. In these cases, we may be able to work with what’s happening skillfully by exploring our relationship to it. Most of us have a habitual pattern of turning away from problems or trying to get rid of unpleasant events. Unfortunately this often seems to increase our sense of stress, because if pain is already present, you can’t get rid of it by trying to run away from it. In mindfulness practice we gently experiment with reversing this habit by turning gently towards difficult experiences that come up in our meditation.

    This practice is usually best done in small doses at first. Preferably working with difficulties that aren’t likely to be overwhelming. It’s important to remember that you’re in charge of how you undertake this experiment. You can return to mindfulness of breathing as an anchor at any time or let go of this practice for a while if you need to, being kind to yourself.

    Note that this practice includes longer pauses of complete silence for reflection and presence. If you want more time, feel free to pause the recording as you go.

    1. Begin by settling into a dignified sitting posture. Upright, steady, grounded. Feeling the feet on the floor, bottom on the chair, spine erect shoulders dropped. Feel a sense of openness at the chest, muscles un-tensed, centered, feeling the breath in the belly. Attuning attention to sensations of the breath as it moves in and out. Being with the breath. Being in the body.
    2. And now expanding awareness to experience throughout the body. Being in the present moment with the body. Noticing what you find and allowing what’s here to be here. Especially noticing sensations in the body that are more unpleasant and difficult to be with. Maybe there’s an aching, throbbing, churning, or a tightening somewhere. There may be a physical or a more emotional tone to the sensations. If it feels helpful to label this for yourself, you could mentally say some words describing the experience: anger, pain, or restlessness, for example. Perhaps also noticing where in the body you’re feeling these tones of sensation and emotion.
    3. Now inviting you to experiment with gently taking your attention towards a region of more intense sensation. Turning towards the intensity. Being interested in the qualities of and changes in sensation from moment to moment. What increases or decreases in intensity are there? What shifts in location or texture? As best you can, staying with the direct experience of sensation and letting any thoughts about what’s happening or urges and impulses to react be held in kindly awareness in the background of the mind. Letting go of any need to try and get any kind of result here or for anything to have to change. Just gently turning towards what’s going on. And noticing what happens without an agenda. Riding the waves of experience, moment by moment.
    4. If you like you could offer a sense of breathing with the sensations, feeling them together with the rising and falling of the breath. Breathing in with sensations, breathing out with sensations.
    5. Noticing: are there any impulses to resist or pull away? Perhaps you find your attention drawn into thoughts. Rumination maybe or distraction. Maybe you find your thoughts trying to make sense of the difficulty or problem solving it or judge the success or failure of the practice by whether the intensity decreases or changes. As best you can, seeing if you can include these reactions in your noticing, allowing space for them to be experienced along with the sensations themselves—without having to buy into them or reject them.
    6. If it feels too much to be doing this it’s always okay to continue with or return to mindfulness of breathing or body or to stop practicing for a time. Gentleness is paramount here and there are no right or wrong things to happen when you try this. Just being interested in what does happen when you take your attention into a region of difficulty, moving towards it, letting the experience be observed and awareness without needing to do anything else.
    7. And experimenting now if this feels okay for you with breathing into the region of intensity. Opening further to the sensations on the in-breath and having a sense of softening on the out-breath, of letting go. This isn’t to try and change what’s happening but rather to offer a skillful relationship to it. Flowing with it. Offering space to it, allowing it. Breathing into the sensations on the in-breath, breathing out from them on the out-breath, softening, letting be, allowing.
    8. Staying present with the intensity only for as long as feels manageable for you right now. If you like you can gently move your attention away from and then back towards the intensity noticing what happens each time you work with redirecting your attention in and out. Inviting you to be like a scientist undertaking a laboratory experiment. Being interested in what happens rather than seeking a particular outcome. Coming back to mindfulness of breath or body as and when that feels right for you.
    This post was adapted from Into The Heart of Mindfulness, by Ed Halliwell, published by Piatkus). Download a set of 14 guided audio meditation practices from Ed’s books here.



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