_Just a reminder that this is the third of a four part series inspired by the work of Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, where each activity is done in a state of mindfulness.


This week we will be focusing on eating.

As with the previous two exercises, try to eat all your meals in a state of mindfulness. What does this mean? Being totally present in the experience – not lost in thought, or guzzling down the food as quickly as possible so that you can get on with something else. It really helps with this one if you can eat as many of your meals as possible in silence. Make sure that you are not involved in other activities while you eat – not working, or watching TV, or on the phone.

Most religions have a tradition of prayer before meals. I think this is a wonderful way to begin a meal – in a state of gratitude. I don’t mean for you to blurt out a quick “thanks for the grub”, but take a moment before you begin to consider where this food came from, how much energy it took to bring it to you, how wonderful it is that you have something to eat at every meal, and particularly how wonderful it is to eat delicious food!

And then show your appreciation for your food by actually paying attention to it while you eat...

Although food may seem to be mostly a taste experience, try to make use of your all your senses:
– smells: you’ll be surprised how much smell affects your ability to taste your food. Take a moment to bring the food up to your nose and breathe in the different aromas.
- sounds: the sound of your cutlery on the plate, the sizzling of the hot food, the sounds of your chewing.
- textures: different foods have vastly different textures – is your food smooth or slimy or chewy or rough? How does it feel to simply hold it in your mouth and run your tongue over it?
- tastes: see if you can taste the subtle differences between mouthfuls, the underlying herbs and spices that have been used, the combinations of salty, bitter, sweet, sour and pungent foods.
- sights: the colours and textures and vast variations on these in one meal, the uniqueness of each vegetable or fruit, the shapes and contours.

Although you may have preferences for different tastes, smells, or textures, attempt to suspend your judgement this week. Try to eat something that you particularly dislike, but eat it slowly and in a state of total mindfulness and non-judgement and see what happens.

Set aside a little more time for your meals this week and slow them down considerably. There is a Chinese Saying: “drink your food and eat your drink”. Don’t forget that digestion starts in the mouth, not in the stomach. Most of us are eating much too fast and are then confused by the resulting indigestion. Take a moment, too, to appreciate your own body and how amazing and intelligent it is to take whatever nonsense you give it and send it to the correct place, break it down into what you need, distribute these nutrients to different areas of the body and then use them to fight disease or build muscles or numerous other tasks without you paying any attention to it whatsoever.

If you want to take this exercise one step further, work on preparing all your meals in a state of mindfulness too – with total presence, attention and acceptance for the moment exactly as it presents itself.

Remember in all these exercises to be patient with yourself. If you find yourself consuming an entire meal in unconsciousness or judging your experience in any way, to simply notice it, and celebrate the fact that you have noticed it and that you now have a chance to choose differently in the future.

BTW Don’t forget to continue brushing your teeth and doing your dishes with awareness. The point of this series of exercises is to bring awareness into as many areas of your day as possible, but focusing on one at a time to make it more accessible.

Bon appetit!

Just a reminder that this is the second of a four part series inspired by the work on mindfulness in everyday life by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn.

This week we will be focusing on either washing the dishes or packing and unpacking the dishwasher.

This is somewhat less of an emotionally neutral activity than brushing your teeth, and we will bring some of this emotional awareness into the exercise.

So, out with the post it notes and pop one above the sink or on the dishwasher or somewhere where it will be a quick reminder before you begin one of these tasks. If you are not the person in your household usually responsible for the dishes, then maybe this is a good time to combine this activity with doing something nice for someone else with no need for acknowledgement or exchange (a future exercise coming soon!).

Perhaps the best way to approach this exercise initially will be with acceptance rather than joy and excitement (although if these do pop up in the week, don’t be surprised). The main thing is that while you’re dealing with the dishes to do this in a way in which you are not completely lost in thought.

Make use of your senses:
– notice any smells - the dishwashing powder, the leftovers, any other general kitchen smells
- sounds - the clinking of the dishes against one another, the water going into or out of the sink (in our home we call this the drain dragon and it elicits much excitement from the kids – perhaps a chance to reclaim some childishness and actually enjoy this?)
- textures - smooth plates, slimy pots, wetness vs dryness, cold vs heat
- tastes - no, I don’t expect you to sip the dirty dish water, but how about running your finger through the leftover sauce?
- sights - colours, bubbles, flashing lights on dishwashers, wrinkly hands

The point is to not do this as a means to an end, but to really engage in every moment of the experience. Just because it’s become a boring old chore doesn’t mean that it has to remain that way. Forget the past and embrace this experience as if it was the first time you had ever done it and that you were never ever going to get the chance to do it again. Try to remember the first time one of your kids helped you to wash the dishes and the joy and excitement that they brought to the experience.

Notice also your mental and emotional activity throughout. As usual, if you do get lost in thought and move into auto pilot mode, simply notice this and gently bring yourself back into the present. Pay particular attention to the emotional baggage that may be associated with this task – any resentment, boredom, irritability, etc. Don’t add a second layer of judgement by judging your response to this. Notice it with interest, see it as a conditioned response based on the past, and let it go.

Most importantly, enjoy the experience. Every moment of every day counts. And someone has to do the dishes – wouldn’t it make an enormous difference to the general energy in the world if everyone did every task they were involved in with total acceptance and maybe even a little joy?!

BTW Don’t forget to continue brushing your teeth with awareness. The point of this series of exercises is to bring awareness into as many areas of your day as possible, but focusing on one at a time to make it more accessible.

Bring on the bubbles!

 I have come across so many different versions of this exercise – Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Osho – they all recommend the simple act of contemplating nature as an opportunity for transcendence.

This week, try every day to find a beautiful flower (yes, it can be the same one every day if you like) and spend five minutes just looking at it. Don’t label it or try to describe it mentally. Just look. Become one with the flower. Feel the inherent stillness present in it. Flowers are an easy access point for the stillness within all things, and in connecting with the stillness in the flower, you automatically connect to the stillness within yourself. My favourites for this one are orchids for their intense otherworldliness, but any flower will do. In fact, sometimes the simplest and smallest flowers hold the most wonder when really looked at without the interfering mind.

To continue this exercise throughout your life, buy yourself (or even better, grow yourself) a beautiful flowering pot plant for your desk. Then, every time you feel yourself getting sucked into the world, simply connect with your flower for a moment and feel the power of this simple meditation come to life (next thing I’ll have you hugging trees... Ha ha!).

Happy ogling!

I found this one on You Tube, posted by NetiNetiFilms from their DVD “I Am That I Am”, and it is based on the teachings of Sri Nisargaddata Maharaj.

All the spiritual teachings throughout the ages have taught that we are more than mere bodies, that we are the infinite, the ever present, the eternal. We are encouraged to somehow get in touch with this feeling, to draw our attention away from the physical and into this inner world. Eckhart Tolle calls this feeling Beingness, Michael Brown calls in Presence, Maharaj calls it the I Am. Whatever name you give to it, it helps to have a taste of what it is you’re trying to connect with. I believe this meditation is an excellent starting point.

This is the link to the video on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhYnrDBnQHc&feature=related

 Its quite nice to have someone talk you through it, as it needs to be done with your eyes closed . Otherwise, I’ve typed out the meditation below – read it through a couple of times and then talk yourself through it or get someone else to talk you through it.

“Close your eyes.
Without using your thoughts, your memory, your emotions, your associations or your perceptions, are you a man, a woman, or neither?
Without using your thoughts, your memory, your emotions, your associations or your perceptions, are you defined, undefined, or neither?
Without using your thoughts, your memory, your emotions, your associations or your perceptions, are you limited, unlimited, or neither?
Without using your thoughts, your memory, your emotions, your associations or your perceptions, are you in a body, out of a body, or neither?
Without using your thoughts, your memory, your emotions, your associations or your perceptions, notice the no-state state of the I Am - no thoughts, memory, emotions, associations or perceptions.
Open your eyes, but keep part of your awareness in the no-state state of the I Am”

Try to connect to this feeling as often as you can.

Wishing you a week of no-thingness.

This is an adaptation from one of Eckhart Tolle’s exercises.

This week, set a reminder on your phone or computer to go off every hour (if you can) or at least 5 times in your day. When it does, take one minute to connect with your inner body (explanation below). To put this in perspective, for those of you resisting the interruptions to your day, this will only take 5-10 minutes out of your entire day ie less than one smoke break!

How to connect with the inner body:

Close your eyes and hold up your right hand. Without any movement or wind etc, how do you know that your right hand is still there? Your brain will want to come up with all sorts of logical explanations – ignore it. FEEL that your hand is there. In this way you are connecting with the inner life within your body. Now, keeping your eyes closed, feel your left hand, then your feet, and eventually extending this feeling throughout your body.

To feel the whole body might take some time and practice, so don’t feel disappointed in yourself if all you can feel is the one hand for now. In feeling even the one hand you are drawing your attention away from the external world and into the internal. Ideally we want to feel this to some degree all the time. That way we will not get lost in the world of objects, or in the constant antics of the mind. The world and the mind will still be there, and you will still be able to function in your life and job, but you won’t have your full attention lost in it. That is the point.

If you are struggling to get the feeling and not sure if you are on the right track, you can try the following: Standing with your legs slightly apart and your arms hanging loosely at your sides, bounce gently on your heels, letting your whole body hang loose and move with the bouncing. Do this for a minute or two and then stop and close your eyes. You should feel a tingling throughout your body, and this is basically the feeling that you are looking for when connecting with the inner body.

Once you have the hang of connecting with the inner body as described above, you can start feeling it without closing your eyes and extend this more and more throughout your day. Other great times to practice are standing in queues at the bank, when you’re stuck in traffic (yes, only once you can do it with your eyes open!), while you’re watching tv, while chatting on the phone....

Try this every hour for the next week, and then try extending it throughout your day.