Mindfulness Challenge Day #4
Welcome to Day 4 of the 5 Days to Mindfulness challenge!
Meditation didn’t initially come easily for me. One of the biggest challenges I had was dealing with boredom and restlessness. As a driven and ambitious person, I sometimes felt that meditating was a waste of time, and wondered if anything was actually happening.
Happily, I discovered that these obstacles to meditating were described by meditators for thousands of years in the ancient texts!
I have found that having a community to meditate with is key to doing it more easily and consistently – which is why I love running online programs like this mindfulness challenge!
Don’t miss the live online guided meditation tonight at 8:30pm AEST.
To join, just come to the Facebook group here a little before 8:30pm and you’ll find it. Join in live and feel the power of meditating in community!
If you’re not on Facebook and want to join in, or you’d like to be able to ask your questions or share your observations live on the call you can join in here (just make sure you log in well before the call to download the Zoom software – it’s really simple and will take about 2 minutes).
What also strengthened my practice was discovering the neuroscience of mindfulness which really helped me stick with it because I knew that if I kept doing it, I was literally going to change my brain circuits for the better.
It takes a while to feel the benefits of the practice, and on some days you’re going to face thoughts that seem like major obstacles: one’s that try to convince you, ‘I’m too tired for this today,’ or, ‘I don’t think this is really helping me,’ or, ‘I’ll just do it tomorrow,’ or, ‘I’ve got some work I really need to get done.’ Be aware of these sabotaging thoughts, and commit to the practice in spite of them.
One strategy I’ve found that’s been particularly helpful on days like these is to sit for just two minutes of practice. When I do this I often end up completing a full practice, because committing to that first, manageable step helps me overcome the initial resistance.
Here’s a two-minute guided mindful practice. Why not take a moment to pause and do it right now.
Mindful Daily Tip:
Wake up mindfully: when you first wake up tomorrow take a moment to consciously sense how you are feeling: Rested? Tired? Lazy? Energetic? Bring awareness to your body, and more specifically to the feeling of your breath. Before you do anything else (like check your phone!), count ten breaths as they move in and out of the body and make sure that as you are counting, you actually feel the sensations of the breath in your body, allowing your mind to be free from any concerns about the day to come. If you lose count and get distracted, simply begin again when you notice you’ve lost count. After counting the breaths, drop the counting and bring to mind three things you are grateful for in your life. Get out of bed and start your day with a positive attitude.
See you tomorrow for our final day of the 5 days to mindfulness challenge,
Elise
Founder of Mindful in May
"If we wish to be healthy, happy and clear-minded, we need to upgrade our “inner technology”of attention to meet the demands of our increasingly complex world. That's where mindfulness comes in.."
- DR ELISE BIALYLEW
about the HOST AND FOUNDER OF
MINDFUL IN MAY:
DR ELISE BIALYLEW
Elise Bialylew is the author of the bestselling book, The Happiness Plan, and founder of Mindful in May, the world’s largest online global mindfulness fundraising campaign.
A doctor trained in psychiatry, turned social entrepreneur and mindfulness expert, she’s passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to develop inner tools for greater wellbeing and flourishing, and offers workshops and training at The Mind Life Project.
Her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, New York Times and on Australian Television. She was recently recognised by the Australian Financial Review as a 2019 AFR Women of Influence.
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