#anna black

sitting across the bar, staring right at her prey it’s going well so far -- she’s gonna get her way nocturnal creatures are not so prudent the moon’s my teacher and I’m her student to locate a single man I got on me a special radar and the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later not looking for cute little divas or rich city guys that just want to enjoy I'm having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy there’s a she wolf in your closet open up and set her free (  awoooo !  ) there’s a she wolf in your closet let it out so it can breathe

Anna Black - Hey Now Now (Epic)

Open to the wider world. Take mindfulness outdoors today. Sit quietly, be open and timeless.

We’re feeling pretty stress-free in the office as we reach the end of our #MindfulWeek after trying a range of exercises, from paying attention to the world around us and learning to live in the moment, to following the mindful eating principles, and a mindfulness meditation on our commute. This morning we wanted to turn our attention to the workplace in order to continue our calm and productive mentality throughout the following weeks. Here is a mindfulness exercise for sitting tall at your desk – a great way to release tension and relax the mind at work.

sitting tall

My neck and shoulders are the areas that are the first to stiffen. When I pay attention to my posture at work I can see why. My shoulders are scrunched up and my chin is jutting out as I stretch my head towards the computer screen. When I notice how I am sitting, there is an instant softening and letting go. If we can check in with our posture at our desk or in a meeting, we can notice our own habitual patterns. Remember that it is only when we bring something into awareness that we have the capacity to do it differently.

All this week on the blog we are celebrating Mindfulness practices with #MindfulWeek. You can enter our competition to win a Mindfulness Book Bundle, and all week we’re sharing simple tips and exercises on Instagram and Twitter, so you can see what we’re up to! We’ll be sharing some longer exercises, as well as recipes over here on the blog. Here’s the first of these, taken from Living in the Moment by Anna Black. This activity is all about looking at things, really seeing and making a connection with the world around you. It’s the perfect introduction to mindful being. Relax into it, and simply be…

I love drawing portraits and when you draw someone’s face you have to really look at them and see them. You are not judging the length of a nose or the size of an ear, but noticing how a certain line aligns with this one, or a particular angle comes down from another, and so on. When you draw someone you need to get up close to them and you feel a connection.

The following practice does not involve any drawing, but it does require looking. Your subject could be another person, a pet, or an inanimate object, such as a flower or a stone, or even a view from a window.

Take a position where you can see your subject clearly, and settle into your seat.

Connect first to the breath and then the body.

Begin looking ahead at the subject. Just open your eyes to whatever comes into your field of vision.

Notice any urge to turn your head in search of something more interesting… but if you do, just bring your head back in the same way that you escort the attention back when the mind wanders. Notice any thoughts arising and let them go or label them as “judging,” “planning,” “past,” or whatever is appropriate.

Rest your eyes on the subject, perhaps letting them roam without turning your head… from time to time, becoming aware of the breath like a radio playing in the background… moving the attention backward and forward in a way that feels right for you. Finish by focusing on the breath.