Mindfulness can strike at any time and make the day better. Once I was walking up the street , discouraged about a writing project. Out of nowhere came the thought that I’m just a vulnerable human being doing my best. This brief meditation opened a pool of knowing that sent warmth through my body and comfort to my heart.
Rosie who led the Sunday Mindfulness Meditation for MAPLE this week would say I had tapped into self-compassion. It’s a habit supported by mindfulness practice. She cited a book by David Desteno , Emotional Success
– Here is what Rosie talked about.
There are 3 steps
Step 1 – practice gratitude
Step 2– practice compassion
Step 3– practice authentic pride
She guided me to straighten up through my spine and settle into my seat. The practice continued from there. Click below for a 4 minute audio practice.
Try This Practice
Breathe in and think about being thankful. Let the mind focus on gratitude for a different person or thing with each breath. Breathe out and generate a relaxed feeling in your body. Continue to breathe like this for several minutes and use the breathe and thinking to generate gratitude and feeling relaxation.
Then imagine compassion for yourself or someone else like a golden light (or any color) that infuses your body or their body. See the golden light for several minutes.
Lastly, bring to mind an image of an achievement from the week. Then feel the emotion generated by the image of that achievement. Happiness, comfort, pride.
Here is a 4 minute recording of the meditation
Evolve Your Brain
With mindfulness practice, we can guide ourselves into acts of gratitude, compassion, patience and forgiveness. We train the pre-frontal cortex, the rational, newer part of the brain, to work with the rewards –focused, older limbic system. This is a concept of how the human brain is evolving.
Practice gratitude and compassion during your practice at Hot Yoga BVT. Reserve your quiet time today.
MAPLE is a monastic academy in Lowell, VT www.monasticacademy.org.
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