Developing Mindfulness <To & All>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dearest , for sharing this insightful article, with us.

If not for this, i would not have know that i am on "automatic pilot" or in other words, a "zombie".

Regarding your "Mindfulness" on how the beginning on how to make a coffee, to till the end, what i do is to put the electric water boiler one <it is not a kettle>, then go to do other jobs, <which do not require my immediate attention>, and wait till i hear the automatic "power off' button to go off on its own and then only do i tend to it...in the meantime, many different thoughts would have invaded my brain by then, and if not for all those automatic gadgets/technology, i think i would have boiled the water till its dry & the water boiler is spoilt, as my problem is Impatience....there is no iota of Patience inside me at all, as i feel so "stressed" every minute of my life, to get things done all at once & once all the "jobs/chores" have been finished, then thereafter only will i be "relaxed"..sigh.

i think my problem is that, i can't seem to "Focus" nor "Concentrate" on anything at all...does anybody have a solution to this problem?

Much Lurve to you too, ,

Alice

----- Original Message -----

From:

Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:49 AM

Subject: [] Developing Mindfulness

Developing Mindfulness

by Sutton

In order to gain more insight into what we are doing and why, it is important to develop a quality of mindfulness. Increased awareness brings greater equanimity into our lives.

Mindfulness is about developing a continuous awareness of all the tasks we do and the thoughts we have during the course of a normal day. We should pay the most attention to what we do automatically — like drinking a cup of tea, going to the lavatory, washing the dishes, running up and down stairs. So often we do not have our minds on what we are doing — our bodies are doing one thing and our minds are on a totally different tack, which creates disharmony. In order to turn off our "automatic pilot", we need to develop more awareness of what we are doing, to do things more slowly, so that we can see each part of the routine action more clearly. Try doing tasks as though for the first time, so that they require your full concentration.

How often do you get to the top of the stairs and do not remember why you went up there in the first place? Have you ever overslept for ten minutes, got up in a rush, and spent the rest of the day catching up? If we become conscious of each change and reaction that takes place in the body, we can see things as they arise rather than after they have happened.

Exercise in Mindfulness

Choose something you do without thinking regularly during the day — such as making a cup of coffee. Start by making a resolution that you are going to follow through this exercise without interruptions. Do it with careful attention, very slowly, and notice each part of the task as you do it. See how easy it is to speed up again as you forget that you are trying to do it slowly!

Take the kettle and fill it with water, turning the tap on slowly, turning it off with great caution. Place the kettle back on the stove without a bump; wait for it to boil. Don't go off and do ten jobs while it comes to the boil. Take out your cup and place the coffee filter into it and very carefully pour the water onto it. Wait for it to drip for the required amount of time, and then put the filter in the trash can. Walk slowly over to the refrigerator, open the door carefully, take out the milk and close the door. Walk back to the cup and pour in the milk as slowly as you can, and then return it to the refrigerator.

Sit down. Wait. Pick up the cup carefully, as though it would break if you touched it forcefully. Bring the cup to your mouth very slowly. Sip the coffee and really taste it, feel the texture of it, notice the temperature of it. Place the cup down, wait, pause, pick it up again and continue like this until you have finished. Notice how often during this simple routine your mind wanders on to something else.

Be aware of:

• your impatience at the slow speed,

• what it feels like to be attentive to this task,

• how often your mind wanders off elsewhere.

If you do this a number of times, you will recognize that we spend very little time in the present. So much of the day is spent doing things physically, while the mind is somewhere else, leading to confusion, forgetfulness, and a feeling of not being in control.

Other ways of developing mindfulness are to listen to ourselves and to ask:

• what am I doing?

• why am I doing it?

• do I listen well to others?

Reflect inward more frequently and check in to what is going on inside. Try to make space between tasks that you do, consciously completing one before you start the next. Finish the day by recapping what you have done during the day.

This article was excerpted with permission from:

"Discover Shiatsu" by Sutton, published by Ulysses Press.

Ulysses Press/Seastone Books are available at bookstores throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, or can be ordered directly from Ulysses Press by calling 800-377-2542, faxing 510-601-8307, or writing to Ulysses Press, PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703, email ulyssesulyssespress This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Their website is http://www.ulyssespress.com

Info/Order this book (on Amazon)

About The Author

Sutton runs a private shiatsu clinic in Dublin, Ireland. This article was excerpted with permission from "Discover Shiatsu" published by Ulysses Press. Ulysses Press/Seastone Books are available at bookstores throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, or can be ordered directly from Ulysses Press by calling 800-377-2542, faxing 510-601-8307, or writing to Ulysses Press, PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703, email ulyssesulyssespress This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Their website is http://www.ulyssespress.com

Much love to you, Please visit me at:http://www.myspace.com/rarebreezehttp://www.myspace.com/asundayinjunehttp://www.myspace.com/dnjazz & - Intentional Community site:http://www.intentionalone.com & - Intentional Community forum:http://intentionalone.com/yabb/YaBB.pl*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love, for the sun is setting and it will be over so fast." -- Ken Pierpont

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.32/1032 - Release Date: 9/26/2007 8:20 PM

[Guest guest]

Like a musician that is silently keeping time to the beat so he will

know where to come in and play, so to is the way to keep focus on a

task. But instead of a count between notes, this would be a good place

to use the word " love " . Simply, " love...love...love...love " .

Of course, you could use anything here, but why not use the extra

bonus and positive re-enforcement of " love " . It's replacing all other

thoughts on one level, and reminding us to be aware on another. It is

also teaching to pay attention to one thing, even if repetitiously. It

is the paying attention to the " heartbeat "

.... " love...love...love...love... "

And before it's said, " that won't work for me " , try it for a day, a

week, a month...the very least you may notice is that your " noticing " ,

which is to say, focusing, which is to say... " hey, I'm getting

this " ....lol

Love D~

>

> Thanks Dearest , for sharing this insightful article, with us.

>

> If not for this, i would not have know that i am on " automatic

pilot " or in other words, a " zombie " .

>

> Regarding your " Mindfulness " on how the beginning on how to make a

coffee, to till the end, what i do is to put the electric water boiler

one <it is not a kettle>, then go to do other jobs, <which do not

require my immediate attention>, and wait till i hear the automatic

" power off' button to go off on its own and then only do i tend to

it...in the meantime, many different thoughts would have invaded my

brain by then, and if not for all those automatic gadgets/technology,

i think i would have boiled the water till its dry & the water boiler

is spoilt, as my problem is Impatience....there is no iota of Patience

inside me at all, as i feel so " stressed " every minute of my life, to

get things done all at once & once all the " jobs/chores " have been

finished, then thereafter only will i be " relaxed " ..sigh.

>

> i think my problem is that, i can't seem to " Focus " nor

" Concentrate " on anything at all...does anybody have a solution to

this problem?

>

> Much Lurve to you too, ,

> Alice

>

> ----- Original Message -----

> From:

>

> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:49 AM

> Subject: [] Developing Mindfulness

>

>

>

> Developing Mindfulness

> by Sutton

> In order to gain more insight into what we are doing and why, it

is important to develop a quality of mindfulness. Increased awareness

brings greater equanimity into our lives.

>

> Mindfulness is about developing a continuous awareness of all the

tasks we do and the thoughts we have during the course of a normal

day. We should pay the most attention to what we do automatically -

like drinking a cup of tea, going to the lavatory, washing the dishes,

running up and down stairs. So often we do not have our minds on what

we are doing - our bodies are doing one thing and our minds are on a

totally different tack, which creates disharmony. In order to turn off

our " automatic pilot " , we need to develop more awareness of what we

are doing, to do things more slowly, so that we can see each part of

the routine action more clearly. Try doing tasks as though for the

first time, so that they require your full concentration.

>

> How often do you get to the top of the stairs and do not remember

why you went up there in the first place? Have you ever overslept for

ten minutes, got up in a rush, and spent the rest of the day catching

up? If we become conscious of each change and reaction that takes

place in the body, we can see things as they arise rather than after

they have happened.

>

> Exercise in Mindfulness

> Choose something you do without thinking regularly during the

day - such as making a cup of coffee. Start by making a resolution

that you are going to follow through this exercise without

interruptions. Do it with careful attention, very slowly, and notice

each part of the task as you do it. See how easy it is to speed up

again as you forget that you are trying to do it slowly!

>

> Take the kettle and fill it with water, turning the tap on

slowly, turning it off with great caution. Place the kettle back on

the stove without a bump; wait for it to boil. Don't go off and do ten

jobs while it comes to the boil. Take out your cup and place the

coffee filter into it and very carefully pour the water onto it. Wait

for it to drip for the required amount of time, and then put the

filter in the trash can. Walk slowly over to the refrigerator, open

the door carefully, take out the milk and close the door. Walk back to

the cup and pour in the milk as slowly as you can, and then return it

to the refrigerator.

>

> Sit down. Wait. Pick up the cup carefully, as though it would

break if you touched it forcefully. Bring the cup to your mouth very

slowly. Sip the coffee and really taste it, feel the texture of it,

notice the temperature of it. Place the cup down, wait, pause, pick it

up again and continue like this until you have finished. Notice how

often during this simple routine your mind wanders on to something else.

>

> Be aware of:

>

> . your impatience at the slow speed,

>

> . what it feels like to be attentive to this task,

>

> . how often your mind wanders off elsewhere.

>

> If you do this a number of times, you will recognize that we spend

very little time in the present. So much of the day is spent doing

things physically, while the mind is somewhere else, leading to

confusion, forgetfulness, and a feeling of not being in control.

>

> Other ways of developing mindfulness are to listen to ourselves

and to ask:

>

> . what am I doing?

>

> . why am I doing it?

>

> . do I listen well to others?

>

> Reflect inward more frequently and check in to what is going on

inside. Try to make space between tasks that you do, consciously

completing one before you start the next. Finish the day by recapping

what you have done during the day.

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> This article was excerpted with permission from:

>

> " Discover Shiatsu " by Sutton, published by Ulysses Press.

>

> Ulysses Press/Seastone Books are available at bookstores

throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, or can be ordered directly from

Ulysses Press by calling 800-377-2542, faxing 510-601-8307, or writing

to Ulysses Press, PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA 94703, email ulysses@...

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need

JavaScript enabled to view it Their website is

http://www.ulyssespress.com

>

> Info/Order this book (on Amazon)

>

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> About The Author

> Sutton runs a private shiatsu clinic in Dublin, Ireland.

This article was excerpted with permission from " Discover Shiatsu "

published by Ulysses Press. Ulysses Press/Seastone Books are available

at bookstores throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, or can be ordered

directly from Ulysses Press by calling 800-377-2542, faxing

510-601-8307, or writing to Ulysses Press, PO Box 3440, Berkeley, CA

94703, email ulysses@... This e-mail address is being protected from

spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Their website is

http://www.ulyssespress.com

>

>

>

>

> Much love to you,

>

>

> Please visit me at:

> http://www.myspace.com/rarebreeze

> http://www.myspace.com/asundayinjune

> http://www.myspace.com/dnjazz

>

> & - Intentional Community site:

> http://www.intentionalone.com

>

> & - Intentional Community forum:

> http://intentionalone.com/yabb/YaBB.pl

>

> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

> " Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love,

> for the sun is setting and it will be over so fast. "

> -- Ken Pierpont

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> No virus found in this incoming message.

> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.32/1032 - Release Date:

9/26/2007 8:20 PM

>