Its Going To Be Great
  • Home
  • Life Coach

It's Going to be Great

Some simple stories on life - about happiness, mindfulness and feeling great . . .

Life coaching

Mindfulness and a single raisin

1/31/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
There is certainly a lot going on and being talked about on the subject of mindfulness. I have to admit when I first heard the term it didn’t quite make sense Like isn’t everyone “mindful” on the basis we all have a mind? And so is this just some new fad based on something entirely obvious and everyday?

Wikipedia, in their dry but admittedly learned way, defines mindfulness as the intentional, accepting and non-judgemental focus of one's attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.

And there you have it, in those last three Wikipedia generated words. “In the present moment”. That, to me, is mindfulness explained.
Picture
​Here’s a question. What are you thinking about right now? Maybe something you have planned next, tomorrow, next week? Something someone said to you yesterday? A new item for the shopping list, or the lyrics of a song that is playing on the radio? Mindfulness says what you should actually be focusing in is the “right here, right now”. The words on the screen, their texture, their meaning, their flow and their effect on you . . . in other words, being in the present moment.

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for patients suffering from pain. He came up with an incredibly simple but effective exercise, which anyone can try to experience mindfulness. If you have five minutes right now – all you need is a raisin and a quiet space to sit.

The idea is that you place a raisin in your hand. The thing most of us would do next is to pop into our mouths and move onto the next thing. But no, not this time. Your job is to observe it. Juts look and see the texture, the bumps, the colour, and the glossiness. Bring it to your nose and smell it. How does it feel in your hand? Now place it into your mouth and swirl it around. Can you feel the texture with your tongue? Chew just once, and observe the very first taste. Take your time and eventually chew some more before swallowing. Keep sitting and think about how your body feels with the raisin now ingested. 

​Well done. You have now experienced mindfulness. And now imagine what your life would be like if you employed this behaviour more often? At work when listening to a colleague, experience observing their face, their lips, and their body movements. At home, sit on the couch without turning the television or radio on and just observe for five minutes. Listen to the sound of the world around you, the feel of the couch, the smells in the air and the cadence of your own breath. 
Picture
My personal favourite is my mindfulness walk. The idea is that you are totally silent (and so if you have a walking partner you both need to abide by the rules!). Instead of taking steps to get somewhere, feel each step as you place your feet on the ground (bare feet is great if the weather and terrain permit). Look at the environment you pass. Each branch, each tree leaf, the clouds, grass asphalt . . . Feel your breathing and empty your thoughts of everything expect where you are and what you are doing right now.
Picture

Mindfulness has had a major effect on my life. I feel more grounded, calmer and more aware of the world around me. I have a sense of accomplishing more meaningful and worthwhile things in my life. My sense of mindfulness doesn’t slow me down; instead it creates focus and direction.
​
So wherever you are or whatever your situation in life, I am wondering if you can commit to an act of mindfulness. Each day for a week. And then observe how you feel.

I am betting you will never look at a raisin the same way again . . .
2 Comments
Showbox link
9/14/2022 08:05:27 pm

The first house is your ascendent or AC. It represents how you carry yourself and how other people see you.

Reply
Kodi link
9/14/2022 08:05:51 pm

The fourth house deals with your early life and how it shaped you.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2022
    May 2021
    April 2021
    April 2020
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Author

    https://www.lifekindness.org/Hi I'm Richard Norris. I live in Wellington, New Zealand, with my wife Jolanda.

    After many years or working and observing human nature I decided to launch www.itsgoingtobegreat.org - all about happiness, mindfulness and feeling great. 
    ​

    Much of the material is taken from everyday life experiences. My motivation is to give something back to a world that has given me so much - and the hope is that someone, somewhere reading this just might realise some of their dreams.

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from Miles.Wolstenholme, torbakhopper, fabbio, KSpyroglou, Matthew Paul Argall, wuestenigel, symphony of love, darraghoconnor12, mikecogh, Fibonacci Blue, susivinh, www.tiket2.com, symphony of love, samsaundersleeds, @bastique, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", Tabsinthe, Christopher.Michel, lorenkerns, CJS*64 A man with a camera, Rorals, symphony of love, Nano Taboada, Anne Worner