I had this therapist in college when I was just diagnosed with anxiety and depression. And he was big on mindfulness. We did all these horrible exercises that I despised so much. I wrote off mindfulness for the rest of my life.

Fast forward to now. Were learning about it in my outpatient program and two nights ago I downloaded Calm. app but never thought I'd actually use it. Last night I was so anxious and depressed I couldnt sleep so I figured fuck it. I turned on Ocean noises and it immediately calmed me. After a bit I fell asleep. Than middle of the night I had a nightmare. And I was all riled up about it at 2am never thinking I'd sleep. I went back to the app and put on guided meditation. And after the 10 minute session I passed out.

When we are feeling anxious we are unable to access the part of our brain that allows us to be reasonable and use logic, because we are in a heightened state of being, called flight or fight mode. So we should’nt expect oursleves to immediately talk ourselves down from it. We have to give our brain and body some peerspective to relax. So here is one that will hopefully be useful to you. Its a grounding exercise that you can try at any time when you find yourself in a hieghtened state of being or also at anytime if u want to be mindful/aware of yourself and into the present moment.....

5...4...3...2..1 

EXERCISE

1. Notice 5 things that you see.

2. 4 things you feel (physically) ex: toes,arm,nose,hair,wind,cloth etc.

3. 3 things you can hear. ex: cars passing by, fan, your neighbors talking etc.

4. 2 things you can smell or two deep breaths if you cant smell anything

5. 1 thing you are grateful for. It can be simple or complex ex: my mom, ice cream, my mouth so i can eat the ice cream, the sun etc. 

Noodle on This: Live Mindfully

Noodle* on this…

Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness… It means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and without judgement.

~ Jon Kabat-Zinn, M.D

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response, lies our growth and our freedom. ~Viktor Frankl, M.D.

Mindfulness resides in…

Are you someone who has tried to start a meditation practice and haven't been able to figure out how to clear your mind and just BREATH!  If so, you should know that there is no wrong way to meditate and that you can never completely stop your mind from having thoughts.  You cannot be a meditation failure...ever, and it's not too late to start!

Spending just five minutes out of every day can make a difference, because you are doing something positive for yourself.  You can use tools like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation to create more positive thoughts and emotions in your life and to become more present.  Our bodies do a great job of telling us when we need to rest, but our minds continue to race on unless we consciously take time to slow down.

It is just as important to take care of our minds as it is to take care of our bodies (possibly more important).  Our happiness depends on our ability to live in the present moment.  So many times, all we think about is the past - living moments over and over again, or the future (when will I get to the place I want to be in my career, when will I get to take a vacation, etc.  True happiness comes when we can be grateful for what we have and live in the here and now.  Meditation helps us to realize that we find happiness within ourselves.

You don't need a dimly lit room, or special candles or music (although these things are nice) to get started and you don't have to do anything special to meditate, but here are a few tips to get you started.

The most important thing is to have a focus because this gives you something to come back to when your mind starts to wander.  I usually like to focus on my breath.  When a thought comes into my mind, I gently release the thought and remind myself to come back to my breath.  I try to breath in though my nose and out through my nose the same way that I would if I were doing yoga.  This is very helpful to me.  

Another technique is to have a mantra that you repeat over and over in your mind.  Your mantra could be anything from "I am love, or I am peace, to a Sanskrit mantra such as So Hum which simply means "I am".  

There are also many meditation apps that you can download for free on your phone.  I find these helpful when my mind is so busy that I can't seem to sit still.  Most of the time, there is calming music which can be helpful.  Two that I especially like are Headspace and Simple Habit.

I encourage you to take five minutes, or more, out of your day to do something for you and your mental health!  You will be happier and healthier as a result!

I hope that you will try meditation and it will become a part of your daily life! 

  the running treatment From a heartfelt chat on a long walk to Dynamic Running Therapy, motion moves minds

Anyone who has found themselves opening up to a friend on a long walk or road trip will be familiar with the sense of ease that comes from talking and moving at the same time. The words seem to flow, tumbling from story to story. Secrets, seldom shared before, can fall into the conversation with surprising ease. When silence comes it seems to be a natural part of the experience, too.

(via Quick steps to mindfulness | William Pullen | Life and style | The Guardian)