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Meditation


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"Practicing mindfulness of gratitude consistently leads to a direct experience of being connected to life and the realization that there is a larger context in which your personal story is unfolding. Being relieved of the endless wants and worries of your life's drama, even temporarily, is liberating. Cultivating thankfulness for being part of life blossoms into a feeling of being blessed, not in the sense of winning the lottery, but in a more refined appreciation for the interdependent nature of life. It also elicits feelings of generosity, which create further joy. Gratitude can soften a heart that has become too guarded, and it builds the capacity for forgiveness, which creates the clarity of mind that is ideal for spiritual development." http://ow.ly/LkfFG 

~ Phillip Moffitt 

practicing mindfulness.jpg

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We had a time of prayer and meditation at church tonight.  Our speaker spoke on "praying the scriptures", it was interesting.

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Thanks, Kay, I really like Jack Cornfield even though he sometimes puts me to sleep. I really have increased my meditation time over the last two years. I miss Mary's links she used to find for us. I find myself on a quest to keep this thread alive because it has been so helpful to me. :wub:

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You are so good at finding things and sharing them with us.  I know it takes a great deal of time, all of the videos and pictures and quotes you find, and I really appreciate the time and effort you put in.  I feel kind of guilty, making you expend all of the effort for my benefit, but I do appreciate it!

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From our friend Belleruth Naparstek of Health Journeys:

 

Well, Huzzah! 

 

Two of our new mindfulness-based meditations are ready. Mindful Meditation Mix, a sampler of mindful awareness exercises by three of us: yours truly, Traci Stein and Steve Kohn; and Mindfulness Meditations: Finding Peace & Perspective in the Present Moment, a super-effective program by Traci Stein, are ready in their download iterations.

And so is Traci’s extraordinary Self-Compassion Meditations to Release Self-Criticism and Foster Self-Kindness.

 

Still to come in a few short weeks: Traci’s companion audio for that last title, Self-Compassion during Sleep where conscious listening to the Self-Compassion Meditations is reinforced by even deeper guided messaging during sleep.

Traci often does this double-whammy approach when the topic is likely to evoke some unconscious resistance or even self-sabotage in the normal waking state. So you may have noted that her programs for self-esteem, body image/weight loss and self-compassion have this “during sleep” meditation to use at night. 

 

And very soon we’ll also have Julie Lusk’s beautiful Yoga Nidra meditations, designed to work either as a dynamite, stand-alone set of guided meditations, or to accompany her latest book, Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief.

 

And, hey, on another note, want to join a community of guided imagery practitioners and diehard enthusiasts? Check out Imagery International, an organization committed to promoting the practice of guided imagery, meditation and related mind-body techniques. It’s a committed, fun community of high-test guided imagery talent, with a lot of experience and know-how.

 

They also produce a terrific practice journal called Imaginews,that offers practical tips, articles, art, poetry, general inspiration and many a clinical story yielding some cogent, best practice principles. Check it out!

Take care and be well,

br signature

Belleruth 

 

p.s. If you liked this post, you might enjoy getting our weekly e-news with other articles just like it. If so, sign up here!

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  • 2 weeks later...
DAILY MEDITATION
 
Holding the Cup
May 10 
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Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.com
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We all must hold the cups of our lives. As we grow older and become more fully aware of the many sorrows of life - personal failures, family conflicts, disappointments in work and social life, and the many pains surrounding us on the national and international scene - everything within and around us conspires to make us ignore, avoid, suppress, or simply deny these sorrows. "Look at the sunny side of life and make the best of it," we say to ourselves and hear others say to us. But when we want to drink the cups of our lives, we need first to hold them, to fully acknowledge what we are living, trusting that by not avoiding but befriending our sorrows we will discover the true joy we are looking for right in the midst of our sorrows.
Henri Nouwen
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I keep coming back to this meditation ~ there must be a reason. I think it was posted before a few years ago. Tara talks about this in the acronym RAIN  that helps us to be mindful.

The elements of R.A.I.N

R – to recognize it – notice what’s going on in the moment – to name it: fear, confusion, anger

A – allow it – don’t try to get rid of it – a pause to make space

I – investigate – what is going on here -explore the dimensions of  – be kind – offer a quality of gentleness -

N – fruit of the RAI – to recognize and allow it  - there is a quality of presence that ends up unfolding – just rest in the presence – caring, open, awake, tender – a shift in the sense of who you are. . .

 

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Sharing an important article from Health Journeys / Belleruth Naparstek: Is Meditation Always Relaxing?

This study represents a real advance in the way we think about meditation, away from our former, simplistic, stereotypic thinking about what it is and what it can do. It’s been a long time in coming.These researchers make it clear that, contrary to the notion that meditation is always relaxing, resulting in reduced stress and physiological arousal, the reality is sometimes yes, and sometimes no -  it depends on what kind of meditation we’re talking about. Read on here >>>

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Thank you, Marty. I am in a much different place than I was four years ago when Jim left this earth. I had lost others close to me but never experienced the deep pain that I did when Jim died. What I have learned over these past years is that each loss is significant. No two losses are the same, death does not happen for a reason, our loved ones are not in a better place, we don’t need to move on, staying busy does not help, I don’t ever want to hear that I will love again (I might but I don’t want someone to tell me), God had nothing to do with Jim’s death and He didn’t need an angel, it’s ok to cry in front of others (grief has been kept in a closet for too long), time has nothing to do with healing (it’s what we do with the time that counts), I might be OK but I don’t need people to tell me that I will, my Jim loved me and knew me ~ we were happy together and I didn’t need anyone to tell me that Jim would want me to be happy, and another thing I learned in early grief is that I didn’t know what I wanted so don’t tell the person who is grieving to call if you need something. 

It was only much later in my grief that I was able to start reading and reflecting about what helps me to heal. I now find many different ways to do it. I love my family and see them as often as I can since they are out of town, I meditate, garden, cook, spend time outdoors, listen to music, journal, read, work on my colored pencil art, volunteer, spend time on Pinterest, and even enjoy laughing with some friends.

I know that some days I will be fine and other days I won’t. It is ok. I accept my sadness and I allow the happy moments. 

I continue to check in here on the forum because I know how important it is to validate the pain of those who are grieving. Doing "grief work" is not easy but it can be done. One does not know when an article, a webinar, a significant quote, a kind word, a song, or even a funny picture will help someone who is grieving. I like all the different threads and am amazed at how very sensitive people are when they respond to a post of a fellow griever. 

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