Was there ever a more comforting statement…
It reminds us to live in the present moment – not ruminating on the past or fretting about the future. Both are fruitless, energy-consuming activities.
During chaos, moving into a state of presence is a retreat for a frantic and disordered mind.
If you are not practised in mindfulness or meditation, try these simple steps:
Take one deep breath and then allow your breathing to return to where it wants to be, effortlessly.
Feel the ground under your feet. How would you describe it?
What date is this? What day of the week? What season? What is nature doing to signal the season? Can you hear birds? Is it brighter at this time of day? Are flowers growing?
This is not airy-fairy stuff. The science behind it is solid.
Mindfulness, meditation and just plain ‘slowing down’ works because of the relationship between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is the ‘fight or flight’ part of the brain that reacts very quickly with anxiety, fear or anger. The pre-frontal cortex (behind your forehead) makes us stop and think carefully. It inhibits the amygdala reaction and we can increase its effectiveness in doing this by regular mindfulness. This has been proven in studies that show this dampening effect lingers even after you’ve stopped meditating.
Now that you know what’s happening in your brain, try steps 1-3 above again. Can you feel the calming effect?
Until next week, stay safe*
*Isn’t it astonishing how quickly that has become our usual sign off in e-mails now? And isn’t it lovely that it is appreciated in every country? We are all one family really.
All the best,
Lisa.
P.S. If you would like one-to-one coaching support at this time, CLICK HERE TO VIEW the range of options I have put in place to make coaching and resilience development as accessible as possible for all and to suit all budgets.
