Settle your shoulders away from your ears, slide your shoulder blades down your back, squeeze them together a little, opening your heart space. Take a deep breath in and feel a little more love.
BREATHE! BREATHE deeply! Feel your chest rise, your ribs expand…FREE your heart. Shed the coat of armor, soften and expand the space surrounding your heart. Invite deeper and more fulfilling breath into the body, and begin to heal, soften, and strengthen your heart space.
Opening the heart allows you to forgive, let go of resentment, release fear…experience more freedom, more love, more joy.
A room without a roof lets the rain in. A room without a roof lets the cold in. A room without a roof lets the sunshine in. A room without a roof lets the warmth in. A room without a roof lets it all in.
What if you were to allow yourself to be a room without a roof? To let it all in without judgment as to whether it is good or bad. Let it all simply flow in and out and perhaps you will find that there is a place and purpose for all of it, that without a roof there is no filter, no barrier, limiting what is there for you.
Never discount your contributions, your value…your YOU-ness. Share your gifts with the world, not out of vanity or to gain some return, but because they may make the difference in someone else’s life. But, you can’t be selective, sharing only some of your gifts, some of the time, as you never know for whom, when, or why your gifts will matter most.
“To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”
― Dr. Seuss
Our natural state is one of love. We are meant to make decisions, act, and behave from a space of love – love for ourselves and love for each other. Yet, as we go through life, sometimes experiences create in us a space of rustling, uneasiness, fear. We end up acting and moving from a state of fear, rather than one of love.
Fear is not a natural state – breath is shallow, muscles tense, the ego steps in, behaviors become defensive, and the mind, body, and breath are imbalanced.
Reclaim your balance. Steady yourself. Let go of expectations and pre-determined outcomes. Notice that decisions and actions from a space of fear can be hollow or unfulfilling in the end.
Return to your natural state. Connect with the true seat of your wisdom, your heart. Accept and like yourself, don’t be afraid of who you really are, and move from a place of love.
Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here.
Laughter is a strong medicine for mind and body. It is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. It also lightens burdens, inspires hopes, connects you with others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
There are many physiological and psychological benefits to laughter.
The Benefits of Laughter
Physical Health Benefits:
Boosts immunity
Lowers stress hormones
Decreases pain
Relaxes your muscles
Prevents heart disease
Mental Health Benefits:
Adds joy and zest to life
Eases anxiety and fear
Relieves stress
Improves mood
Enhances resilience
Social Benefits:
Strengthens relationships
Attracts others to us
Enhances teamwork
Helps defuse conflict
Promotes group bonding
Laughter is a catalyst for creativity, new discoveries, and enhanced relationships, with oneself and others. Laugh more and you will find that you become more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced.
Try this simple exercise: Take a full breath in and then draw your shoulders up towards your ears. Hold your shoulders up close to your ears. Count to two and then as you exhale, move your shoulders down and up quickly as you laugh, “ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha”, for six or eight times in a row. Repeat several times. Notice the release of tension in your upper body, notice your renewed energy and freer flow of breath.
Enjoy the benefits of laughter and know that, with every laugh…you open new possibilities for the Universe.
The world goes by so bustlingly fast, a blur of action, words, and feelings. As human beings, we work so hard to take it all in, to make it all part of that story that is us.
So often we miss the opportunity to witness without action, to pause and be in the moment, to look into the eyes of those around us as they experience their own defeat and triumph, their own fears, their own hurt, their love, their joy and to be with it all, but act on none of it. Animals do it, especially cats. They are wonderful at exercising the witness mind.
Let go of rational thought for a moment and step away from the need to do. Pause, tapping into your animal instincts, and just watch. Meditate on what you see. Look into the eyes of those around you. Look beyond the surface…and even those who, in your mind, may have brought hurt or pain may reveal to you an underlying softness, a love, that they just can’t figure out how to put into action because they’ve put so much other stuff out there.
Look into their eyes and connect with that love and you just may have more love to hold onto as you go bustlingly through the fast-paced action that is the story of you.
Monday Mindfulness 