30 Days of MindfulnessDays+of... · 2015-07-20 · Mindfulness improves the quality of our lives, strengthens our relationships and reminds us what a gift it is to be human. In the

30 Days of Mindfulness

Table of Contents

Welcome 4

Meet Carrie 5 Experience Freedom By Accepting Where You Are Without Judgment 7

Feel Inner Peace Regardless of External Circumstances 19

Live Life On Purpose By Shifting Out of Auto-pilot Mode 29

Use The Present Moment As An Anchor To Quiet amp Control The Mind 43

Cultivate A Healthy Balance Between Doing Versus Being 53

Approach Life With Reverance Adventure amp Curiosity 61

Witness The Beauty Grace Love amp Joy That Exists Within amp Around You Daily 69

Letrsquos Stay Connected 80

copyHealthy Lifestyle Consulting LLC 2014 All Rights Reserved

Welcome

Well hello there out-of-balance stress-busting inner-preace seekers

While mindfulness seems to be the latest buzz word research shows mindfulness based practices (meditation yoga tai chi chanting etc) help reduce stress improve immune function create an internal clarity and lasting peace In my own personal life mindfulness has been instrumental in carrying me through some of the most painful times of my life like the loss of my godson stepping away from a $70000 financial investment and supporting one of my best friends while she went through cancer treatment Mindfulness has also helped me awaken to the grace and beauty of the smaller more ordinary moments of life such as waking up to a dew filled tent in the wilderness daily conversations with my college-aged son and even my excursions to the grocercy store

Mindfulness improves the quality of our lives strengthens our relationships and reminds us what a gift it is to be human In the 30 Days of Mindfulness E-course you will learn to use the moments of your life big and small as catalysts for cracking your heart open and connecting you to the raw beauty and potential of living in the moment

Namastersquo

copyHealthy Lifestyle Consulting LLC 2014 All Rights Reserved4

Meet CarrieCompassionate Excavator of Truths I have always been a truth seeker My first mentor gifted me the book Living Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia at the tender age of 15 This simple gesture sparked a lifelong commitment to self-discovery and personal growth Over 25 years later I now teach others how to dig deep to sift through the layers of doubt fear judgment and shame I help them excavate and reclaim their intrinsic worth It is in this space that we con-nect to wholeness

Spirited Instigator of Curiosity In my own journey I learned to disconnect escape and numb out as a way to cope with childhood sexual abuse and drug amp alcohol addiction It was through the gift of yoga and mindfulness that I learned how to re-main present and become curious to sensations emotions feelings and thoughts Through humor playfulness and curiosity I invite students to remain equanimous non-reactive to life experiences on and off the mat It is in this space that we witness and connect to the grace sacredness and beauty that exists within and around us

Intuitive Heart Connector Connection is at the heart of everything I do it is the thread weaved into every blog post workshop and train-ing I create It is my deepest intention to witness and see you and mirror that love back to you It is through the art of relationships that we learn the most about ourselves It is in this space that we have the greatest capacity to heal ourselves and the world around us

Fostering Sacred Connections Inside Out My lifersquos path (dharma) is to help you connect to the truth of who you are to show you how to trust that whole-ness and inspire you to create the life yoursquove always imagined By connecting to our inner light we Source the unique gifts that we bring to the world


6copyHealthy Lifestyle Consulting LLC 2014 All Rights Reserved


Experience Freedom By Accepting Where You Are Without Judgment

ImpermanenceldquoNaturersquos first green is goldHer hardest hue to holdHer early leafrsquos a flower

But only so an hourThen leaf subsides to leaf

So Eden sank to griefSo dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stayrdquo ~Robert Frost

That nothing is static or fixed that all is fleeting and impermanent is the first mark of existencerdquo explains Pema Chodron an Amer-ican Buddhist nun She further shares ldquoWe know that all is impermanent we know that everything wears out Although we can buy this truth intellectually emotionally we have a deep-rooted aversion to it We want permanence we expect permanence Our natural tendency is to seek security we believe we can find it We experience impermanence at the everyday level as frustration We use our daily activity as a shield against the fundamental ambiguity of our situation expending tremendous energy trying to ward off impermanence and deathrdquo

At the heart of yoga is the message that despite the law of impermanence there is a place within each of us that is perfect whole complete and non-changing It is our inherent nature Through the process of everyday living however we lose this vital connection internally Thus begins the process of dis-connection dis-ease and suffering As we come to understand the law of impermanence and the roots of suffering we learn we have a choice We can choose to move through life ignorant to the cause of our suffering on auto pilot or we can awaken to savor each moment each experience as an opportunity to transcend the ordinary

The nature of impermanence invites us to experience each moment with a sense of newness and awe One of the ways we can embrace impermanence and be mindful of each moment is by observing Nature herself Through observation of the seasons and ritual we begin to approach life with reverence adventure and curiosity



SankalpaSetting a sankalpa is an opportunity to connect to our innate wisdom listen to our heartrsquos greatest desires and take action to fulfill our lifersquos purpose (dharma) Through the power of sankalpa we begin to release old conditioning and habits that keep us stuck in feeling separate disconnected and small We extend beyond the typical grasping of the ego and connect to our divine nature and highest purpose By setting an intention we are able to channel our energy and resources into a more focused direction We begin to answer the questions why am I here what is my purpose and how can I make a difference We are also less likely to become distracted and overwhelmed when we encounter obstacles along our path Yes those are part of the growth process

The Summer Solstice is the perfect time to set a sankalpa~ I like to celebrate by lighting a candle offering a blessing smudging playing my favorite music amp setting my sankalpa with yoga nidra (see below) Please join me

You will need (30-90 minutes)

bull Musicbull Candlebull Smudge stickbull Journalpaper

Record your observations in your journal For just a moment set aside your doubts and fears This is your heartrsquos greatest longings What areas of your life would you like to invoke change Your career path Your relationships Money What lights you up What could you do every day over and over again What is it that you really want Is there a lifersquos dream so big you are afraid to breathe it out into the world What would it feel like to shift from an auto pilot survival mode into one that you are consciously creating connected to your inner most authentic Self Take a moment to visualize your life from this new perspective What does it feel like to be in your body Spacious delicious light relaxed at homehellip Where are you Notice textures sounds and smellshellip Whorsquos with you Are you by yourself or with the love of your life Do you feel whole Do you feel at peace Look over your notes and look for patterns Which area is calling to you the most in this moment Try and understand the why behind your intention For example at the heart of wanting to meet the love of our life might be our heartrsquos desire for self-love appreciation and acceptance At the heart of losing weight might be a core desire for unconditional acceptance Notice the common thread within your answers Perhaps itrsquos a sense of freedom acceptance peace well-being wholeness or love From this awareness we will set our sankalpa

bull Create one specific intentionndash the more specific we can become in our intention the more clearly we can define our path and the action needed to get there (try and set your intention for 6 months)

bull Use the present tensendash we state the sankalpa in the present tense as a reminder that everything we need is already within usbull Be positivendash like energy attracts like energy

Combining Sankalpa with Yoga NidraSankalpa combined with yoga nidra (yoga sleep) offers a greater potential to release old conditioning and plant the seeds of our intentions Yoga nidra an ancient Tantric tra-dition helps promote deep relaxation improves concentration and helps quiet the mind In practicing yoga nidra we are able to fully witness our intention (sankalpa) and the possible subconscious counter beliefs carried over from our conditioning that prevent us from achieving our dreams In doing so we begin to explore our conditioning from a non-judgmental perspective and are able to let go and create space for our intention

Setting a sankalpa and combining it with yoga nidra offers an opportunity to connect to our heartrsquos greatest longings fulfill our lifersquos purpose and live life intentionally The power of intention is that it consciously guides our thoughts words and actions It plants the seeds to live our lives fully awake and present to the sacredness and beauty that exists within and around us

Once you create your sankalpa listen to the accompanying yoga nidra mp4

We Are Spiritual Beings Having Human ExperiencesldquoYou donrsquot have a soul You are a soul You have a bodyrdquo ~CS Lewis

It is relatively easy for us to be content when all our ducks are in a row money is in the bank and life is as we think it should be What happens however when we lose everything in the stock market we suffer the loss of a loved one or we experience chronic health issues It is relatively easy for us to be content when we feel we are at our ideal weight land the perfect job do-ing what we love and the universe is working with us to meet and fulfill every last desire What happens however when we are 40 pounds over our ideal weight we get cut in the last round of a company downsize or we see our friends achieving their dreams and somehow we grabbed the short end of the stick How do we source contentment during these most difficult of times

Yoga philosophy is a non-dualistic dualistic philosophy Lol no that is not a typo According to this philosophy the non-dualistic aspect is Purusha (Soul) that place that exists within each of us that is perfect whole complete non-changing The dualistic aspect of yoga is Prakriti (Material World) the external world that we come to identify with as our reality We see ourselves as separate from Purusha when we begin to identify with Prakriti This ultimately creates the false sense of duality

We cultivate unconditional contentment through our connection to Source

We are spiritual beings having human experiences not human beings having spiritual experiences Seen from this perspective each life experience becomes an opportunity to learn and grow We no longer engage in the role of victim Instead we are able to witness the gift present within each of these experiences Losing our lifersquos savings in the stock market becomes fertile ground to start enjoying our life here now Through loss our heart is stretched through compassion forgiveness and grace Chronic health conditions may offer an opportunity to switch roles from giver to receiver What a gift to allow ourselves to be supported Not be-ing at our ideal weight propels us towards self-acceptance and releasing old beliefs Losing our jobs just may give us the courage to start our own business now that the perceived safety net has been removed Instead of feeling like we received the short end of the stick we might begin to keep a gratitude journal and come to discover our life is more bountiful than we had imagined By staying present to what is we are reminded that while we may not be able to control our life experiences we always have the capacity to choose how we react to them This is where our freedom lies in our ability to choose

Through our identification with Prakriti (Material World) we forget our True Nature We seek pleasure through external sources We grasp for happiness in material things people and experiences It is in this grasping that we create suffering separation and judg-ment As we begin to recognize this clinging attachment (raga) to wanting reality to be other than it is we can relax a little soften We can settle in to appreciate the reality we are living



Raisin Meditation

The raisin meditation is a formal mindfulness practice Formal practice trains our body and mind for daily living It teaches us how to pay atten-tion while washing the dishes addressing our kids amp partners and even while on a trip to the grocery store It teaches how to live on purpose with intimate attention to whatrsquos happening here now We explore we inquire and we receive feedback from our own experience

We begin to ask ourselves

bull What do I notice about the quality of my body right nowbull What do I notice about the quality of my mind right now

Access your raisin meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day Two)

AwarenessldquoBe present in all things and thankful for all thingsrdquo ~ Maya Angelou

Jon Kabat-Zinn reminds us that ldquothe purpose of all practice is to purify the mind of obstructive unskillful states To abandon ill will and hatred and to abide with a mind compassionate for the welfare of all beingsrdquo When we are not aware we slip into old conditioning thought patterns reactivity and impulses that create suffering for ourselves and others We exist merely on auto-pilot disconnected from the miracle of being human and the power of the present moment We become chained to whatrsquos habitual and familiar stuck in a limited and narrow way of being and moving through the world We end up living in the past dwelling on what has already unravelled and cannot be changed or living in the future anticipating what has yet to come The problem is the past and future are not real only the present moment is real We can observe this phenomenon within ourselves How often are we phys-ically present to a conversation with our partner friends or children but mentally a million miles away

Through awareness we learn to live life intentionally on purpose by shifting out of auto-pilot We begin to observe reality as it is not as we think it should be or want it to be There is tremendous freedom in acknowledging reality as it is We no longer live with regret for a past that is already gone We also stop living with anticipation over a future that may never come Awareness invites us to observe the intention behind our thoughts words and actions Are our motives residue from past conditioning and experiences or are our motives serving our highest good Through awareness ordinary experiences such as eating breathing and walking become extraordinary as we experience them and life as if for the very first time



Breath MeditationAccording to Joseph Goldstein ldquomindfulness practie is ideal for cultivating greater awareness of the unity of mind and body as well as the ways the unconscious thoughts feelings and behav-iors can undermine physical emotional and spiritual healthrdquo

Throughout today and the rest of the week allow the breath to be an anchor to the present moment

bull Begin to observe if there are certain situations that make it easier to connect to the breath (ie being alone with fami-ly home versus being at work)

bull How are you feeling the breath (ie qualities of expansion versus contraction sensations in the belly)

bull Do you observe a connection between the breath your body your thoughts andor your emotions Explain

bull What happens when you are pulled away from observing the breath Is there judgment Are you able to simply re-turn to the breath and begin again

Access your breath meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day Three)

Non-judgmentldquoMindfulness means paying attention in a particular way On purpose in the present moment and nonjudgmentallyrdquo ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Non-judgment is an essential component to mindfulness because it is the natural tendency of the mind to judge and categorize As humans we are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain at all costs The mind is constantly assessing each situation and labeling the experience as good or bad My first yoga teacher Jonny would say ldquoitrsquos not that our life experiences are good or bad itrsquos our reaction to them that produces sufferingrdquo Our life experiences are neutral Itrsquos our labeling and past conditioning that creates additional pain and suffering As we approach our experiences with neutrality from a place of non-judgment we no longer identify as the emotion thought or sensation itself and are able to create space around the experience This ultimately allows us to expe-rience freedom as we stop taking things personally as if they are being done to us

Through non-judgment we can use our experiences as teachers we stop resisting and begin to ask ourselves what can I learn from this Perhaps we learn we are stronger than we thought by sitting with the pain Perhaps we learn we donrsquot have to cling so desparately to our children that it is safe for them to spread their wings and fly Perhaps we learn we hold more compassion in our hearts by being gentle with ourselves andor others Perhaps we learn we are more empathetic and can hold space for anotherrsquos pain as well as our own As we use our experiences as teachers we can also begin to use them as tools to observe our past conditioning and tendencieshellip Where do I shut down Where do I lash out Where do I become paralyzed What do I resist Where do I become attached

Through non-judgment we begin to understand that one way isnrsquot better than another that all experiences are necessary for growth As we give ourselves permission to experience all life the good the bad the happy the sad the triumphs the failures we stand in the center of the field of life We are no longer a bystander but take an active part in our own lives Standing in the field helps to stretch ourselves to our full capacity to touch the beauty and sacred and to witness the profound gift present within each moment of living



YogaYoga is a wonderful teacher of the present moment We learn to touch impermanence as we flow in and out of postures observe the various fluctuations of the breath and continue to guide our thoughts back to this moment here and now We learn to move into the heart of sensation breath and thought understanding that one experience is not better than another

One of the reasons that I love yoga so much is that we can take the teachings off the mat into our everyday life As we learn to sit in Warrior II with the front leg full of sensations arms tingling we smile knowing that ldquothis too shall passrdquo As we move into our favorite pose whatever that might be we smile knowing that ldquothis too shall passrdquo Through yoga we learn the skillful art of staying present of not clingingattaching or resistingpushing away We learn to dip into the sensation accessing our inner strength and courage not to give up We learn to let go by sink-ing into child pose and offering compassion to ourselves

Ultimately this helps prepare and train our body and mind to use the moments of our life as catalysts to crack our hearts open As we are no longer resist or cling we expose ourselves to the raw potential sacredness and beauty that is pregnant within each moment

Access your yoga practice here (Password Presence888 Under Day Four)

AcceptanceldquoBecause one believes in oneself one doesnrsquot try to convince others Because one is content with oneself one doesnrsquot need othersrsquo approval Because one accepts

oneself the whole world accepts him or herrdquo ~Lao Tzu

Acceptance is another important component of mindfulness Over the years many students have asked me about acceptance misunderstanding it for indifference Where students have become confused by acceptance versus indifference is by commingling with other concepts such as war world hunger or any other condition that produces suffering They ask ldquoam I just supposed to ac-cept and be okay with thisrdquo The key aspect about acceptance to remember is that we donrsquot have to like the immediate sensation thought or belief (Although we did just discuss non-judgment yesterday) Acceptance teaches us how to embrace our current reality without pushing away or clinging The reality is there is war there is hunger This doesnrsquot mean that we have to like it OR that we wonrsquot ldquoultimatelyrdquo do anything about it Acceptance simply means that we acknowledge its existence

My teacher Jonny would say ldquosuffering is wanting reality to be other than it isrdquo This is so true I am sure most of us can recount certain instances where we played out scenarios in our minds perhaps to the point of mild obsession) trying to create different outcomes How much energy was wasted on a reality that could or would never exist Our inability to accept our current reality keeps us stuck preventing us from moving forward

Accepting reality as it is in staying present to what is in this moment offers tremendous freedom in how we choose to re-spond Through acceptance we are no longer colored by our past conditioning Acceptance offers the opportunity to step back and create space between ourselves and our experience Within that space as opposed to moving from a place of reactivity we are able to take the right action at the right time

We can begin to play with the concept of acceptance through our every day life experiences By paying attention to our interactions and life experiences themselves we start to understand where we resist where we cling and where we fail to show up for ourselves and those around us As we begin to pay attention we recognize how many times we attempt to bargain our way through situations as opposed to allowing We start to understand that through the process of acceptance we ultimately create an unshakeable inner peace by allowing life to move through us We can meet whatever life brings to our door with presence



The Art of Paying AttentionFor todayrsquos prompt you will need

bull 30-60 minutesbull Journalpaperbull Musiccandle or anything else that helps you set the tone for your journey

Take time to journal about the following conceptsbull Impermanencebull Being a spiritual being having a human experience as opposed to being a human being having a spiritual experiencebull Awarenessbull Non-judgmentbull Acceptance

As you journal allow yourself to connect to your physical body your breath and your thoughts Notice if the journaling provokes any resistance attachment or if the concepts produce a neutral experience Observe bodily sensations (ie heaviness tension lightness spaciousness) rhythms of the breath (ie short shallow long smooth) and where the thoughts tend to move towards (ie past future present)

bull Did one concept tend to stimulate a greater response than the others Explainbull Do you find yourself judging one way as being better than anotherbull Any new insights regarding these concepts that you hadnrsquot thought about previouslybull How do you integrate these concepts into your daily life


Feel Inner Peace Regardless of External Circumstances


PerspectiveldquoWe can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have rosesrdquo ~Abraham Lincoln

Through mindfulness we come to embrace that being human is a gift Mindfulness invites us to look at each life experience each interaction each exchange of words as an opportunity to observe learn and grow We can certainly appreciate this when life is humming along smoothly when the stars align not a strand on our head is out of place our kids are behaving as they ldquoshouldrdquo our partner meets our ever need we get the job promotion we ldquodeserverdquo etc In other words when life delivers as we expect

How do we source this same type of appreciation for life when we are diagnosed with a life altering illness we lose our job our neighbors blair their music at 2am for the fourteenth time in a month our kids are acting like children and our partner might as well be speaking a foreign language In other words how do we see the gift when life throws us a curve ball

Through mindfulness we learn that being human is a gift by cultivating an equanimous non-reactive mind Through practice and discipline we continue to direct our awareness internally In doing so we are not affected by external factors as we remove the ego- the I factor- from the equation We stop identifying with the behavior or experience and realize that it is not personal it is not being done to me Since I no longer feel things are being done to me I am more capable of looking at them objectively

The illness may be an opportunity to put our needs first Losing our job may just set us on the path to follow our lifersquos purpose (dharma) Our neighbors may be teaching us tolerance or speaking up for what we believe in Our kids may teach us how to trust our own inner wisdom instead of being worried what others think of us The miscommunications with our partner might offer us the space to forgive or be forgiven

The other aspect of witnessing humanity as a gift is allowing ourselves to experience the full gamut of emotions and experi-ences It means whole-heartedly stepping into the full spectrum of the emotions of our experience- the anger sadness fear grief loss joy hope gratitude- without resisting or clinging It means surrendering any attachment to a specific outcome In doing so our life experiences crack us open exposing our vulnerability compassion and innate perfection In essence they expose us to our raw potential the gift of being human In allowing ourselves to experience the magnitude of all life we push through our limited conditioning and barriers We break free of our limitations and return home to that place of pure awareness



Nine Dot Puzzle

Connect the 9 dots using four straight lines without lifting the pencil from the paper Think outside of the box- from a different perspective

All-Inclusivity Nothing is Left OutldquoI believe I owe all the best parts of my adulthood to embracing my imperfections and showcasing themrdquo ~Beth Ditto

According to yoga and Ayurveda the material world Prakriti comes into existence through the three Gunas Yoga philoso-phy teaches us that sattva rajas amp tamas confine the soul in the body

bull Sattva Neutral balancing force harmonizing positive amp negative quality of love-light life higherspiritual force that allows us to evolve in consciousness faith honesty self-control modesty truthfulness

bull Rajas Active stimulating positive force that initiates change twilight passion agitationbull Tamas Passive obstructing negative force darkness non-feeling death draws us into attachment amp ignorance dullness

inertia heaviness emotional clinging stagnation

Yoga philosophy teaches us that suffering occurs because of our ignorance We mistakenly identify the material world (prakriti) as our reality This occurs through our ego (ahamkara) or ldquoI-processrdquo According to David Frawley ldquoego is a process of self-identification in which we associate our inner being with some outer object or qualityrdquo So for example ego will identify with our emotions and thoughts and experience them as our reality It is ego that labels our experiences as good or bad trying to jockey for a better position by comparing ourselves to others as either better or less than living completely disconnected from the truth of who we really are

It is ego that whispers one way is better than another For example as you read through the descriptions of the gunas did one sound or feel more appealing than the others Isnrsquot it fascinating how ingrained into our consciousness this desire to seek pleasure and avoid pain is Most of us think that sattva is the end result the goal to strive towards the quick fix to enlightenment However each of the gunas is necessary for growth

Although sattva is the quality of light and allows us to evolve consciously there are times when rajas taking action or tamas ground-ing in stability is more appropriate or necessary We must learn not to lean more into one way over another Mindfulness teaches us how to observe all experiences with curiosity humor (some days lots of humor) and awarenesshellip to observe without la-belinghellip to notice without judgmenthellip to explore with openness

Learning to encompass and embrace all life experiences is the secret to finding lasting inner peace and balance regardless of what unfolds around us As we learn to stay open to the pain and not push it away we tap into our inner strength As we enjoy our vacation to the fullest and let go of trying to hold on to every fleeting moment we settle in to truly savor the beauty of staying present As we send love to those in pain without turning our backs we tap into our shared humanity and interconnection



The Art of Paying Attention

For this exercise you will needbull Paper or a journalbull Full day (perhaps a week if you are really curious)

Begin to notice your habits and patterns around your life experiences Answer the following questions on your paper or in your journal

bull What is my attitude towards pleasurable experiences Do I tend to grasp at them or allow them to flow through mebull Have I always responded this waybull What is my attitude towards painful experiences Do I tend to shrink back or face them head onbull Have I always responded this waybull What types of experiences did I have this todaythis weekbull Did my relationship to them change after exploring the concept of all-inclusivity Am I more open to embracing all life expe-

riencesbull Do I believe there is a gift in every situation Why or why notbull What do I need to changeshift to be more open to all experiences

CuriosityldquoI think at a childrsquos birth if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift that gift would be curiosityrdquo ~Eleanor Roosevelt

In yoga philosophy our old conditioning is referred to as samskaras Our mind through our five senses- sight sound taste touch hearing- takes in sensory input and categorizes and labels this input according to our past memories behavior and experiences (samskaras) One extreme example (albeit effective) is to think about placing our hand on a hot stove The majority of us only have to experience this once to realize that it is painful Through this conditioning we learn not to put our hand on a hot stove in order to avoid pain Most of us move through life stuck on auto-pilot mode habitually fed from past experiences

Curiosity is essential to the unlearning process In terms of mindfulness curiosity helps us move through each thought sensa-tion breath and emotion without looking to control or change the outcome This ultimately invites us to embrace the new-ness of each moment helping us to stay present to whatever surfaces during our experiences Curiosity invites us to explore the underlying intentions motives for moving and being in this world In this sense curiosity helps shift and shape our perspective Through curiosity we keep the desire to learn and grow close to our heart

Through curiosity we maintain that childlike wonder as we move through the world We begin to see things as if for the first time no longer colored from our past experiences and conditioning On our mats we may have experienced a downdog before but we have never experienced a downdog on this day at this moment WOW Pretty amazing right The same can be said for anyone of our experiences can you imagine a trip to the grocery store with curiosity at the forefront of our experience- the colors the aromas the textures the opportunity to connect with another human being and share our common experiences No two apples are the same How is that even possible Yet how many times is the grocery store on the long list of many things we need to get done We tramp through irritated that the fourth person has left hisher cart in the middle of the aisle obviously oblivious to the fact that there are other shoppers Letrsquos now begin to judge their lack of compassion and awareness shall we

Curiosity stops us in our tracks and invites us to be gentle as we begin to witness our conditioning I also like to add a dash of humor as I explore It is quite comical is it not as we catch ourselves judging others for their lack of compassion and awareness Itrsquos almost an oxymororn LOL This is where remembering to be childlike helps us stay present Children are fantastic at being able to shake off and work through their emotions and feelings They donrsquot have the extra baggage we seem to accumulate over a lifetime of living As we keep curiosity as a priority we are reminded to awaken to the sacredness of each moment instead of existing through auto-pilot



Today move and witness your world as if through the eyes of a small child

Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender the Fruits of our Actions)ldquoAlways say ldquoyesrdquo to the present moment What could be more futile more insane than to create inner resistance to what already is what could be more insane than to oppose life itself which is now and always now Surrender to what is Say ldquoyesrdquo to life mdash and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against yourdquo

~Eckhart TolleIn the west there is a tendency to struggle against letting go of control and with the concept of God itself In relation to Ishvara Pranidhana God is any avenue that brings us closer to our True Nature This could be God Source Great Spirit the outdoors your dog Through Ishvara Pranidhana we begin to surrender our limited and narrow egoistic sense of ldquoIrdquo and connect to something larger than ourselves We realize that in stepping outside of ourselves we are able to witness and connect to our shared humanity

On the outer most tangible level Ishvara Pranidhana means that we surrender the fruits of our actions ldquoThy will be done not mine but Thinerdquo This means we let go of trying to control the desired outcome Practicing Ishvara Pranidhana at this level reminds us that we are not always able to see the big picture We are not always privy to the soul lesson at hand When we are able to surrender the fruits of our actions we tap into the possibilities for growth and freedom Through Ishvara Pranidhana we release the need to grasp andor cling to how we think things should unfold We cultivate an unshakeable inner peace as we begin to trust in something larger than ourselves We no longer operate from victim mode as if things are being done to us Instead we are empowered to stretch and grow as we begin to ask ourselves what can I learn where I am still grasping how am I engaging ego what do I need to do in order to surrender

On a more subtle level by practicing Ishvara Pranidhana we engage in one of the most beautiful opportunities for commun-ion by making everything we do an offering to the divine From the way we speak to the clerk at the grocery store to the way we put our dishes away every action word and thought becomes a direct pathway to the Beloved

Every life experience offers the seeds of awakening to our highest truth Our trip to the grocery store offers unending opportu-nities to practice compassion as we learn not to judge the person who blocks the aisle with hisher cart or the person who shows up with 18 items in the under 15 item express lane We practice tolerance at our childrsquos soccer game as other parents scream from the sidelines Wait wasnrsquot this the non-competitive league Let gohellip We hold in gratitude all those that helped bring food to our table from the farmer to the truck drivers to our local market by sharing a blessing before we put food to lips As we continue to witness the extraordinary in the ordinary we tap into the grace that exists within and around us

Ishvara Pranidhana brings the divine to the forefront of our lives It reminds us that we are spiritual beings having human experiences not human beings having spiritual experiences Ishvara Pranidhana invites us to dance with the sacred and see the Beloved within our fellow humanity We are invited to let go of the need to cling to certain outcomes and instead see the gift of self-discovery and Self-realization present within each experience



My Relationship with Source


Journal about the following questionsbull Do you believe in a higher powerbull How do you connect to this energy on a regular basisbull Do you consider yourself an intuitive personbull Do you have a hard time letting go of control Explainbull How do you give back to your community

Surrendering the Fruits of our Actionsbull Does your connection to your higher power guide your decisions and choices in lifebull How do you handle life experiences that donrsquot unfold in the manner in which you think they shouldbull Do you recognize that there is a gift in every life situation regardless of the triumphs andor tribulationsbull How can you invite the sacred into your life on a more consistent basisbull What is one action step you can take today to deepen your relationship to your higher powerbull What is one thing you can do today to give back to your community


Live Life on Purpose by Shifting Out of Auto-Pilot


Samskara (Conditioning)ldquoHow you look at it is pretty much how yoursquoll see itrdquo ~Rasheed Ogunlaru

Samskaras are the old negative habit patterns beliefs stories and conditioning that we carry over from our childhood and other lifetimes if you believe in reincarnation One of the best analogies for samskaras is that of a car wheel on a dirt road When you habitually make a right turn your wheel makes grooves within the dirt Over time the wheel naturally moves into the path of least resistance and will find the grooves It is the same with our mind Our mind will continually seek the path of least resistance Remember it is our human nature to seek pleasure and avoid pain Many of us learned how to adapt in our childhood to re-ceive the love and approval we needed to survive Perhaps we learned that love was dependent on being perfect performing a certain way in school or acting a certain way according to our gender

What once served to protect us in our childhood ends up keeping us stuck in our adulthood Through our conditioning we continue to attract certain types of people and life experiences that validate our belief system and conditioning Perhaps we find the partner that validates our sense of unworthiness by staying distant and cold We might continue to be the employee that everyone dumps their extra load on because we havenrsquot learned to create healthy boundaries Maybe we continue to buy into old generational patterns that life is hard or we will never have money We might have been taught that self-care is selfish and to put our needs first is egocentric

Mindfulness provides the fertile foundation to not only explore our habitual way of moving throughout the world but to chal-lenge and let go of patterns that no longer serve us Through mindfulness we learn to replace our anger doubt and fear with compassion joy and loving-kindness We learn to accept without judgment Through mindfulness we explore the root of our be-liefs perhaps finally understanding how they also served and controlled our parents As we become curious to our conditioning without adding the additional element of judgment we gain freedom by realizing it is our choice how to live move and show up in the world Through mindfulness we learn to wake up to the truth of who we are and are more capable of authentically connecting to our True Nature



Childhood Messagesbull What were the core messages you received as

a childbull Where did these messages come from culture

home church school andor friendsbull How did these messages make you feelbull How do you carry these messages into your life

todaybull How do these messages hold you back from

connecting to your inner most authentic Selfbull What would you have to let go of in order to

live more authentically as your True Self (ie fear of being rejected fear of failing)

bull What would you gain if you lived connected to this source of Truth

bull What is one action step you could take to get closer to this Truth

Sense Desire Lust or Greed (Clinging)ldquoDo not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped forrdquo ~Epicurus

Are you a grasper Do you have a hard time letting go What about control Do you need to control a project from the point of ori-gin to the point of execution Do you have a hard time trusting Trusting yourself others the process You are not alone As human beings we dance between the extremes of grasping or clinging and avoiding or escaping Mindfulness reminds us that these two polarities are the root cause of suffering as our reality settles in ignorance

Think about a situation in which grasping always seemed to be the foundation of your experiencehellipIt could be something as basic as a family vacation that was so delightful you didnrsquot want it to end (maybe there was even a little anxiety as the end came near) a relationship that was wonderful until you started worrying what if this isnrsquot the right one or what if I do something to jeopardize this or for many of us we feel grasping in our parenting (there can be many forms of grasping- not wanting our children to grow up grasping to keep them safe grasping to make sure they ldquorepresentrdquo us well)

Let this quality of grasping envelope your body How does it feel Is there a quality of constricting squeezing tightening What about physical symptoms- heaviness in shoulders difficulty with breath headache If you had to bring an emotional quality to grasping what would it be Fear of having everything you love slip through your fingers fear of failure fear of rejection sadness anger Does grasping make you feel small

The worst aspect of grasping is its futility We grasp to control situations and experiences that are impossible to control I can control my own behavior in a relationship but I cannot control my partnerrsquos or childrsquos behavior I can schedule out an itinerary on my vacation but I cannot control time itself at some point the vacation will end

We grasp as an attempt to control the impermanent I can stress and worry about the days when Drew will start driving oh wait thatrsquos our reality now) I can wish he was toddling around our first house where everything was baby proofed safe and controlled for him to explore his environment but that is not our current reality My current reality is that I need to let go and trust that Drew is an amazing responsible and intelligent driver (letrsquos be honest- hersquos probably a better driver than me) or I can manifest much suffering as I worry and stress every time he steps behind the wheel

Learning to stay in the present moment observe the physical sensations and emotional qualities is one way we lesson the grip of grasping This week begin to notice if the quality of grasping plays out in your daily life Where is it most prevalent What is one action step you can take to work to lesson the need to grasp



The Art of Paying AttentionFor this exercise you will need

bull Paper or a journalbull One experience (perhaps one a day for a week if you are really curious)

Begin to notice your habits and patterns around pleasant expe-riences Answer the following questions on your paper or in your journal

bull What was the experiencebull Were you aware of the pleasant feeling(s) while the event

was happeningbull How did your body feel in detail during the experiencebull What moods feelings and thoughts accompanied this

eventbull What thoughts are in your mind now as you write about

this event

Hatred Anger or Fear (Aversion)ldquoWe are motivated more by aversion to the unpleasant than by a will toward truth freedom or healing We are constantly attempting to escape our life to avoid rath-

er than enter our pain and we wonder why it is so difficult to be fully aliverdquo ~Stephen Levine

One of the common themes throughout yoga and mindfulness is the recognition that it is human nature to seek pleasure and avoid pain at all costs Aversion comes in many forms We may find ourselves judging ourselves andor others We may catch ourselves comparing our life situations or experiences to others We may feel physical agitation within the body We may lash out in anger to those closest to us We may become paralyzed by fear unable to move forward We may engage in ldquobusynessrdquo trying to keep ourselves distracted Each method creates separation and is used to distance ourselves from the pain The problem is that it continues to create suffering for ourselves and others Through our need to protect and deflect painful emotions and expe-riences we become stunted in our capacity for growth and authentic connection So much of our time and energy is spent building up our armor of protection that life passes us by

Mindfulness when combined with curiosity and non-judgment allows us to tap into the direct experience ultimately moving through it As we catch ourselves judging we simply label the experience and say ldquojudging Come back to the breathrdquo Instead of feeling less than or better than through comparison we acknowledge our shared existence as human beings As we tune into the physical sensations of the body we say ldquooh isnrsquot this interesting Anger Where do I feel this How is this affecting my breath here nowrdquo Instead of lashing out we allow the sadness of disappointment feelings of abandonment and fear of failure to wash over us We acknowledge the fear but come home to the present moment instead of choosing to worry about a future that has yet to unfold Instead of doing we give ourselves permission to simply be with what is

The first step in working with aversion is simply to meet it to allow it space Through mindfulness we come to understand that we have the possiblity to turn into our painful experiences with the flexibility to turn away if our experiences are too traumatic or overwhelming When we constrict and resist we limit ourselves and our possibilites Through mindfulness our behavior is informed with choice and awareness We stop operating from reactivity and begin to live awake on purpose





Begin to notice your habits and patterns around unpleasant experiences Answer the following questions on your paper or in your journal

bull What was the experiencebull Were you aware of the unpleasant feeling(s) while the event was happeningbull How did your body feel in detail during the experiencebull What moods feelings and thoughts accompanied this eventbull What thoughts are in your mind now as you write about this event

Sloth Torpor Sleepiness or SluggishnessldquoViolence is spiritual junk food and boredom is spiritual anorexiardquo~Peter Kreeft

Sloth and torpor are among the five hindrinces that affect our path Wersquove already discussed the first two through desire and aver-sion We are so used to the constant bombardment and over-stimulation here in the West so caught up in the drama of pushing away and clinging that when they become absent from our lives many of us become tired or disheartened Sloth and torpor drain energy vitality and effort Sloth refers to the physical sense of energy while torpor refers to the mental sense of energy In the body we may feel sloth as heavy lethargic weak andor drained Torpor in the mind is experienced as fogginess dull or weariness One is easily able to get lost in thought

Sloth and torpor manifest through discouragement frustration boredom indifference giving up hopelessness and resist-ance We are standing in the midst of sloth and torpor when we have the thoughts ldquoI canrsquot do thisrdquo ldquoI am not good enoughrdquo ldquoItrsquos never going to work outrdquo ldquoItrsquos too hard andor ldquoI canrsquot do anything rightrdquo Analysis paralysis the inability to make a decision is steeped in sloth and torpor Itrsquos that sense of feeling stuck of not being able to move forward of feeling choiceless

Take a moment to reflect on the qualities of sloth and torporbull Are there certain areas in my life that I feel stuck (ie family relationships career relationship to self spirituality)bull How does this affect the quality of my lifebull Am I quick or slow to make decisions

As with desire and aversion the first step in working with sloth and torpor is simply to acknowledge their presence As we be-gin to observe our thoughts emotions and sensations instead of identifying with them we help to conserve our energy instead of allowing it to dissapate Through mindfulness and our ability to step back and witness the big picture we recognize that we always have choices available to us Therein lies our freedom- always in our ability to choose our response



Walking MeditationIn formal meditation practice we shift our awareness to various objects such as the breath walking sensations or hearing to help us anchor to the present moment These are practical and simple activities that we engage in on a daily basis

As we infuse the quality of mindfulness into our observa-tions we begin to awaken to the direct experience of being in the moment This helps us touch the beauty grace love amp joy that exists within and around us

A walking meditation helps shift and change our energy which helps work with sloth and torpor

Access your breath meditation here (Password Pres-ence888 Under Day 13)

Restlessness or Worry in Mind amp BodyldquoSorrow looks back Worry looks around Faith looks uprdquo ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

In a culture guided by instant gratification restlessness is reaching epidemic proportions Many of us move through our days feel-ing off or not quite right but somehow we canrsquot quite put our finger on it Instead of sitting with the discomfort or investigating what might be underneath the surface we seek out the next distraction to keep our mind occupied Anything to avoid the discomfort or pain right The media does a brilliant job of reinforcing our fears and belief systems We are constantly bombarded with messages that remind us what is lacking from our lives and what we need to truly be happy

Restlessness is the foundation for worry busyness physical unrest self-judgment and anxiety Restlessness pulls us out of the present moment either by regretting a past that cannot be undone or anticipating a future that has not yet unfolded In the body we may experience restlessness as a sensation of being peeled out of our skin or fidgety Mental unrest can manifest as compulsive thinking or the inability to focus In yoga we sometimes refer to this as ldquomonkey mindrdquo

As with all hindrances the first step in working with restlessness is to recognize its existence bull Are we aware of the types of experiences that trigger a sense of restlessness withinbull Are we judgmental towards ourselves bull How do we react over our friends successes Are we happy for them or afraid there isnrsquot enough for us bull Is it financial worry that tends to draw us into the future

Remember it is with awareness that we can make informed choices One of the ways we can challenge our sense of restlestness is by incorporating santosha (contentment) the second niyama of yoga philosophy Pema Chodron in The Wisdom of No Escape reminds us that ldquoBeing satisfied with what we already have is a magical key to being alive in a full unrestricted and inspired wayrdquo Santosha guides us home connecting us to our innate peace and joy regardless of what is unraveling around us

As we turn inward for peace and joy we are more capable of staying present to the many moments large and small in our life We learn how to accept whole-heartedly whatever sensations thoughts and emotions surface Through mindfulness we notice the subtle ways we seek the next best thing trying to avoid this moment here Through mindfulness we are reminded that one way isnrsquot better than the other- that part of the miracle is learning how to lean in to the full experience of being human



Breath Meditation






Access your breath meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day Fourteen)

Doubt or UncertaintyldquoWe learn from failure not from successrdquo ~Bram Stoker

Doubt is the last of the five hindrances and the one hindrance that can really challenge our ability to stay with our path and practice Doubt drains our energy and disconnects us from our True Nature as we question the practice teachings and even ourselves Due to doubt many of us question our worth and lack the confidence to realize our dreams Doubt leads to paralysis and inactionDoubt robs us of our inner peace and joy as we are left questioning ldquois this the right path for merdquo ldquocan I do thisrdquo ldquoam I wasting my time or effortsrdquo

While questioning is a normal and natural part of the spiritual path as we seek direct experience doubt leaves us power-less and choice-less as we struggle to move forward This inability to move forward leaves us in a state of contraction of remaining small Doubt disconnects us from our intrinsic worth and innate perfection While uncertainty is a normal part of life our inability to focus can ultimately be the catalyst for stepping off our path and practice for good

As with all hindrances the first step in working with doubt is to recognize its existence bull When do we quit or give up on ourselvesbull Where does this settle into our bodies bull What emotions do we move through when we doubt our own experiences or abilitiesbull What thoughts play out in our mind when we brush up against doubt

Building our self-confidence muscles helps us challenge doubt when it surfaces Through mindfulness and awareness we learn where we shut down and quit on ourselves We are invited to challege the old beliefs that at one time helped protect us but now prevent us from living the life we deserve

Another aspect that helps us maneuver through doubt is to keep our lifersquos dharma (purpose) close to our heart Anything else that inspires us such as a mentor teaching or some other experience that helps us remember why we wake up each day can also be kept close to our heart Bringing this to mind may remind you of why you are doing the practice It becomes an invitation to use every life experience on our path as an opportunity to break free of our limitiations and experience freedom


copyHealthy Lifestyle Consulting LLC 2014 All Rights Reserved 41



Take time to journal about the following conceptsbull ClingingGraspingbull AversionResistancebull Sloth amp Torporbull Restlessnessbull Doubt

As you journal allow yourself to connect to your physical body your breath and your thoughts Notice if the journaling provokes any resistance attachment or if the concepts produce a neutral experience Observe bodily sensations (ie heaviness tension light-ness spaciousness) rhythms of the breath (ie short shallow long smooth) and where the thoughts tend to move towards (ie past future present)

bull Did one concept tend to stimulate a greater response than the others Explainbull Do these concepts affect your body emotions or thoughts more Explainbull Any new insights regarding these concepts that you hadnrsquot thought about previouslybull How do you these concepts prevent you from fully staying awake within your life


Use the Present Moment as an Anchor to Quiet and Control the Mind


ConcentrationldquoNormally we do not so much look at things as overlook themrdquo ~ Alan W Watts

In yoga philosophy concentration (dharana) is the sixth limb of yoga Dharana comes from the root dhri meaning ldquoto holdrdquo We hold our attention onto a fixed object whether external or internal to quiet the mind Dharana is also referred to as ekagrata eka meaning ldquoonerdquo or ldquosinglerdquo and agrata meaning ldquopointednessrdquo or ldquoone-pointednessrdquo By focusing on a single point of concentra-tion we do not get carried away by sense gratification which is ultimately needed for deeper levels of meditation

While there are many paths to reach the same goal through concentration we are reminded of the importance of harnessing our energy Many of us have heard the story of digging for water when it comes to our spiritual path We will not find water by digging many shallow holes We find water by digging deeply in one hole Through concentration and focus we begin to identify various patterns and conditioning that keep us stuck We use one object such as the breath to anchor into the present moment Focusing on the present moment invites us to lean in to what is We stop operating from reactivity and instead make informed choices grounded in our intuition and awareness This ultimately invites us to wake up and live on purpose

Through mindfulness not only can we still the fluctuations of the mind we can also overcome the 5 hindrances or causes of suf-fering Through mindfulness we learn to slow down and stop identifying with the many thoughts that crowd our mind We begin to peel back the layers of attachment and aversion and connect to that place of wholeness our True Nature As we begin to connect to our True Nature we approach life with reverence adventure and curiosity By leaning in and allowing our life experiences to flow through us we witness the gift present within each experience and the opportunity to open our hearts to the beauty grace love amp joy that exists within and around us on a daily basis



Body ScanThe purpose of the body scan is to touch direct experience Our natural reaction is to resist discomfort and pain by distracting ourselves Through the body scan we are invited to accept and observe with non-judgment and curisoity the body with all of its various sensations

While you may experience relaxation this is not the goal of the scan) The goal of the scan is simply to observe and connect with whatever comes up

Access your body scan meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day Sixteen)

Clear SeeingldquoWhen people will not weed their own minds they are apt to be overrun by nettlesrdquo ~ Horace Walpole

In yoga philosophy we explore the five kleshas or causes of affliction Ignorance egoism attachment hatred and clinging to bodily life Ignorance (avidya) is the root cause of all suffering The other four- ego attachment aversion and fear of death- are born from our ignorance The kleshas are also listed in a specific order When I am ignorant of my source (purusha-soul) I will identify with my ego I will view the world outside me (prakriti) as my reality Through ego I cultivate an attachment toward pleasure and avoid pain at all costs to preserve the needs of ego Through my ignorance I identify and cling to my body

Ignorance is regarding the non-self as the Self What exactly does this mean In yoga terms it means we identify with the thoughts labels and body We say things like I am hungry or I am tiredhellip I am sad or I am mad These are experiences that hap-pen through the body or through the modifications of the mind not through the Self They do not nor cannot define who we are at our core When we identify with the outer existence we create suffering separation ignorance

Mindfulness invites us to see clearly into the nature of the mind Through mindfulness we pause and check in We observe our intention- are we coming from love or fear- equanimity or reactivity Checking in allows us to minimize those impulses that create further suffering We begin to notice the many ways we shut down judge and disconnect We bear witness to the multiple ways we try and control certain outcomes escape certain truths and falsely identify with our labels beliefs and old conditioning By learning how to lean into our experiences without resistance or attachment we ultimately unhook the mind from these false identifications

Through clear seeing we stay present to what is we learn to wake up to our highest purpose and confront those old patterns and conditioning that keep us entranced with our egos We begin to stay present to all aspects of life realizing that the beau-ty messiness joy and pain are all avenues for growth and freedom As we begin to live our lives on purpose we experience tremendous authenticity harmony joy and inner peace





Begin to notice your habits and patterns around clear seeing Answer the following questions on your paper or in your journal

bull Do I believe in these two different levels of being a spiritual world (Purusha) and a material world (Prakriti)bull How does identifying with one way of being generate more pain and suffering than the otherbull How can realizing that I have been identifying with Prakriti as opposed to Purusha serve in my awakening processbull How can exploring life through my senses and the external world help me know my True Self betterbull Do my emotions rule mebull Is it easy for me to see that sometimes my perspective is limited that perhaps I donrsquot have all the answersbull How can I begin to see the value in all of my experiences even ones I might consider as mistakesbull Do I believe that it is not life experiences that are good or bad but my reactions to them that causes sufferingbull Do I grow as a person with each of my life experiencesbull How does understanding the impermanent nature of my life experiences give me a sense of freedombull Why do I think uninterrupted and discriminative discernment are necessary to remove ignorancebull How can I cultivate these qualities in my daily lifebull Is it easy or difficult for me to turn inwards to look for answers

Buddhi (Wisdom Seat of the Observer)ldquoKnowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdomrdquo ~ Aristotle

Yoga philosophy is a non-dualistic dualistic philosophy The purusha (Soul) the place that exists within each of us that is non-changing perfect and whole (which makes this a non-dualistic philosophy) begins to identify with prakriti (outer world- which makes it a dualistic philosophy- the illusion of two separate worlds) Through the study and practice of mindfulness we begin to peel back the layers of attachment to the outer world and return home to our true nature

Our mind (manas) gathers information through our five senses of perception (jnanendriyas) and the five organs of action (karmen-driyas) The job of Buddhi (Intelligence) is to interpret the information gathered through the five senses When the consciousness is quiet Buddhi is able to reflect Atman (Universal consciousnessSoul) At other times the Buddhi connects to the sense of I am (Ahamkara ego)

When we remember and connect through Purusha we feel the quality of expansion We operate through acceptance com-passion gratitude and love for ourselves and all humankind We see through the illusions of unworthiness anger doubt and fear We feel a need to create a better environment for all beings

When the Buddhi connects to the sense of I am we generate separation We begin to identify with our labels (man woman husband wife rich poor etc) experiences (good bad positive negative etc) and beliefs (I am a failure I am not good enough no one likes me I donrsquot deserve happiness etc) Over time through the layers habits and beliefs we become dis-connected from our core the very essence of who we are We identify ourselves with our successes and failures the ldquonotches on our beltsrdquo who we think we are supposed to be and who those in our lives expect us to be This in turn creates further disconnect dis-ease pain and suffering

The yogis say avidya (ignorance) is the root cause of all suffering and the foundation for all other afflictions It is through practice and detachment that we begin to challenge our beliefs and experience freedom from pain and suffering It is through mindfulness that we strengthen our witness our observer our intelligence It is through the Buddhi that we develop the strength and wisdom to differentiate between prakriti and purusha ultimately coming home to our True Nature



Seated MeditationIn formal meditation practice we shift our awareness to various objects such as the breath walking sensations or hearing to help us anchor to the present moment These are practical and simple activities that we engage in on a daily basis

As we infuse the quality of mindfulness into our observa-tions we begin to awaken to the direct experience of be-ing in the moment This helps us touch the beauty grace love amp joy that exists within and around us

Access your seated meditation here (Password Pres-ence888 Under Day 18)

RAINldquoNothing is wrongmdashwhatever is happening is just ldquoreal liferdquo ~ Tara Brach

When we are hooked or triggered in old beliefs and conditioning there are certain behaviors we engage in There is a tendency to take things personally we may be irritable we may seek to escape through overeating surfing social media watching tv drinking we may shut down and shrink back into ourselves at warp speed we may become forgetful we may project there may be an under-lying feeling that something is off or wrong but we canrsquot quite put our finger on it compassion and loving-kindness towards myself and others may feel more like a four letter word (and itrsquos not love) We may slip into obsessivecompulsive thinking

In my own experiences I have a tendency to live in my head I learned from childhood trauma like so many of us to disconnect from my body and play out endless fantasies and scenarios in my mind It is a default setting for me to escape into my thoughts One of the greatest challenges with this approach to living is that we tend to create a false sense of reality based on our own individual past experiences It is my perspective my idiosyncrasies fears and judgments that get played out repeatedly in my mind and then spill over into my many interactions

Tara Brach one of my favorite meditation teachers and authors points out that the above techniques and external objects are false refuges Ultimately this creates suffering because at some point our body will fail us our partner wonrsquot respond the way we want himher to and we eventually feel tremendous guilt as we come to terms with the amount of calories we consumed in an attempt to stuff the emotions further down

The only true refuge is presence It is our ability to stay present to the pain emotions underlying causes and triggers that we gain clarity and freedom The single most helpful technique that I have personally found that works to cultivate mindfulness is the RAIN technique With RAIN we learn to recognize allow and investigate so that ultimately we learn not-to-identify with the sensations emotions and thoughts As we stop identifying with external objects we ultimately cultivate an unshakeable inner peace regardless of what is unraveling around us



The RAIN TechniqueThe RAIN technique has become one of the most effective tools I use in uncovering exploring and working through some of my most deeply rooted patterns of reactivity This technique is the work of Tara Brach author of Radical Acceptance True Refuge and a weekly Mindfulness podcast series on Itunes With the help of RAIN we trace our habit patterns and emotional reactivity back to their roots

For this exercise you needbull Your journalbull 30 minutes of quiet time you can explore uninterrupted

Think of a situation or person that tends to trigger you into reactivity (Please note that you have recently suffered a trauma such as a loss of a loved one this technique may create more anxiety and suffering You may need to wait to practice RAIN)

bull The first step is simply to recognize that you are triggered or hooked in this moment You may not want to be reactive but the reality is you are

bull The second step is to allow where you are in this moment I am mad agitated irritated afraid overwhelmed sad hope-less etchellip Sometimes it is enough to simply recognize that we are hooked and as we allow our emotions space they lessen their hold on us Sometimes however we remain stuck or triggered or continue to get triggered and so investigation is necessary

bull Begin with the tangible Investigate your inner environment~ Is there heat in your body Where The belly neck along the arms chest Is there tension tightness numbness heaviness Where Upper body lower body Front of the body back of the body Hands feet Take it deeperhellip Check your breath Is it forced or smooth Heavy or light If you had to give this emotion a color what would it be Black red orange Continue to go deeperhellip What is this anger or sadness trying to teach me What is the belief I am holding onto right now As you investigate your inner experience can you get intimate with it My teacher Ana asks ldquoCan you snuggle up to the pain the discomfortrdquo More often than not when I be-come really reactive defensive or want to lash out against the world it is because I donrsquot want to feel the pain sadness loss hole of my own unworthiness When on the other hand I give myself the space to grieve move into the blackness of pain the ache of sadness an incredible thing happens They lessen their grip on me This brings us to the N of RAIN

bull Non-identification As you begin to witness for yourself the lessening of the grip of emotions beliefs or thoughts you understand their impermanence In turn because they come and go we recognize that we are more than our thoughts emotions and beliefs we no longer identify with little self (ego)

What freedom comes from this It is a reminder that in every moment we have a choice we can wake up or remain on auto pilot


Cultivate a Healthy Balance Between Doing amp Being


Right SpeechldquoYour worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughtsrdquo --The Buddha

Speech is one of those pathways that can either bring us freedom as in closer to our True Nature or further away from our path as in connected to ego entrenched in pain and suffering When unconscious disconnected from our truth our speech has the power to cause pain create enemies and begin wars We see this occur through social media and cyber bullying and trolling When mindful our speech has the potential to heal fellow human beings mend wounds and create peace We witness this type of grace while consoling or being consoled through the depths of loss

The root cause of negative speech comes from our conditioning towards aversion mainly in the form of anger It is through our re-sistance that we push away attack react and add to our suffering Right speech becomes a mindful technique a form of mental purification which allows us to move through life in a calm and balanced manner With continued effort and consistent practice right speech like all practices of mindfulness and staying present ldquoreleases the tensions developed in everyday life opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situationsrdquo

There are four practices to consider when practicing right speechbull Abstain from lyingbull Abstain from slanderbull Abstain abusive languagebull Abstain from gossip

When we lie spread false statements about others use abusive language and gossip ultimatly we are causing harm to our fellow human beings which adds to the suffering of others and ourselves Being truthful not speaking about others whether positive or negative if they are not present being mindful of the choice of words and refraining from gossip connects us to our highest truth Through right speech we begin to shift out of auto-pilot by becoming conscious mindful of our thoughts and words We begin to live on purpose as we experience more freedom through our choices and responses



Day of SilenceThrough our every day living with so much of our awareness pulled outside of ourselves we become disconnected from our True Nature A day of silence invites us to reflect internally achieving a greater clarity of mind

As we begin to observe as opposed to habitually reacting we become more attuned to our external and internal environment As we stop using our words as distractions and begin to listen we begin the process of purification

Through purification we begin to release what no longer serves us on our path Physically this might be releasing tension we didnrsquot know we were carrying Mentally this might be a releas-ing of limiting thoughts of self-doubt fear andor old beliefs that arenrsquot necessarily true Emotionally this might be working through anger andor sadness Spiritually this might be a coming home as we realize we are not separate from our True Nature As we purify we raise our vibrational level feel lighter and connect more au-thentically to our inner most authentic Self

Notice if there is resistance to practicing a day of silence You may think this is impossible as you have small children or are too busy with work etc Notice how much of our energy is pulled outside of us each day that we canrsquot spend a day in silence Can you be quiet for half a day a few hours

Right Action The Five Mindfulness TrainingsldquoBecause you are alive everything is possiblerdquo ~Thiacutech Nhat Hanh

ldquoTo practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings is to cultivate the insight of interbeing or Right View which can remove all discrimi-nation intolerance anger fear and despair If we live according to the Five Mindfulness Trainings we are already on the path of a bodhisattva Knowing we are on that path we are not lost in confusion about our life in the present or in fears about the future

Reverence For LifeAware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people animals plants and minerals I am determined not to kill not to let others kill and not to support any act of killing in the world in my thinking or in my way of life Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger fear greed and intolerance which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking I will cultivate openness non-discrimination and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence fanaticism and dogmatism in myself and in the world

True HappinessAware of the suffering caused by exploitation social injustice stealing and oppression I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking speaking and acting I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others and I will share my time energy and material resources with those who are in need I will practice looking deeply to see that the hap-piness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion and that running after wealth fame power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy I am committed to prac-ticing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and reverse the process of global warming

True LoveAware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals couples families and society Knowing that sexual desire is not love and that sexual activity mo-tivated by craving always harms myself as well as others I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without true love and a deep long-term commitment made known to my family and friends I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct Seeing that body and mind are one



I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and cultivating loving kindness compassion joy and inclusiveness ndash which are the four basic elements of true love ndash for my greater happiness and the greater happiness of others Practicing true love we know that we will continue beautifully into the future Loving Speech and Deep ListeningAware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people ethnic and religious groups and nations Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence joy and hope When anger is manifesting in me I am determined not to speak I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding love joy and inclusiveness and gradually trans-form anger violence and fear that lie deep in my consciousness Nourishment and HealingAware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption I am committed to cultivating good health both physical and mental for myself my family and my society by practicing mindful eating drinking and consuming I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments namely edible foods sense impressions volition and consciousness I am determined not to gamble or to use alcohol drugs or any other products which contain toxins such as certain websites electronic games TV programs films magazines books and conversations I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing healing and nourishing elements in me and around me not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties fear or craving pull me out of the present moment I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness anxiety or other suffering by losing myself in consumption I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace joy and well-being in my body and consciousness and in the collective body and consciousness of my family my society and the Earthrdquo

Shared from Thich Nhat Hahnrsquos website plumvillageorg

Right LivelihoodldquoTo practice Right Livelihood (samyag ajiva) you have to find a way to earn your living without transgressing your ideals of love and compassion The way you support yourself can be an expression of your deepest self or it can be a source of suffering for you and others ldquo Our vocation can nourish our understanding and compas-

sion or erode them We should be awake to the consequences far and near of the way we earn our livingrdquo ~The Heart of the Buddharsquos Teaching

What we are learning through the 30 Days of Mindfulness e-course is that this is a way of life Mindfulness is not a quick fix nor a technique to master or even something to cross off our check list of things to do Mindfulness is a way of being As we make the conscious choice to step on to our spiritual path we are constantly reminded through our life experiences that we have the potential to shut down and allow our life experiences to cut us off to the grace and beauty of being human or we can use our life experiences to crack our hearts wide open leaving us raw to touch our innate compassion courage and love

Mindfulness brings to light the fact that there is a delicate dance between suffering being pulled away from the truth of who we are and awakening to our our innate perfection potential instrinsic worth our True Nature Sarah Powers shares that ldquoin every moment we are either moving toward suffering resistance and struggle or towards openness insight and connec-tionrdquo In exploring the concept of right livelihood we are reminded of the first principle of yoga philosophy ahimsa (non-harming)In keeping this principle close to our heart right livelihood is less about what we are doing to make a living~ can we fully show up for our children can we fully show up to serve if we are waiting tables can we fully show up if we are attending classes can we fully show up with awareness attention compassion and kindness and fulfill our life purpose regardless of the title or label after our name Can we use our livelihood as another doorway into inquiry

Can we use our work to observe our limited beliefs and our habitual conditioning Do we digress and give in Do we shut down and check out Do we bully our way through our days Do we use our livelihood to reinforce the feelings of inferiority victimhood abandonment or do we use our livelihood to make a difference in the life of another human being to help serve and end world suffering to connect and make a difference in our own lives and the lives of everyone we touch From this perspective mindfulness can be used in every waking moment as a means to touch our humanity inviting us to ap-proach life with reverence adventure and curiosity




bull 30-60 minutesbull Journalpaperbull Musiccandle or anything else that helps you set the tone

for your journey

Begin to notice your beliefs and conditioning around your liveli-hood Answer the following questions on your paper or in your journal

bull Do I cause harm in my work (ie physical harm gossip etc)bull If I could do one thing every day and money wasnrsquot an ob-

ject what would I do bull How would this influence my choice for a career bull How would this choice help me fulfill my lifersquos purpose bull As a child where did I spend most of my time (ie Indoors

outdoors alone with people)bull What made me come alive get excited about as a child

(ie Science playing with your imagination) bull What types of activities did I excel in as a child (ie Learn-

ing reading sports art etc)bull What are my hobbies or passions bull What awards have I won for my talents (ie In business

other) bull In my off time what kind of books do I read or study bull What comes more naturally for me than others (ie Ability

to listen organize)bull What do most people seek my advice on or compliment me

on repeatedly


Approach Life with Reverance Adventure amp Curiosity


Moksha (Freedom)ldquoTrue freedom is knowing you will succeed and having the discipline to do it slowlyrdquo ~ Yogi Bhajan

When we are afraid or threatened the hypothalamus stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system thus triggering the fight or flight response When the sympathetic nervous system is engaged our heart rate and blood pressure increase our pupils dilate and our muscles tighten preparing us for survival- either to run from eminent danger or to fight to protect ourselves This short term survival technique fundamental to all animals would be extremely beneficial if we lived in the jungle where the threat to our life would be real Our mind cannot differentiate between a real threat like being chased by a tiger or a perceived threat like being stuck in rush hour traffic Both experiences activate the fight or flight response

The fight or flight response becomes toxic when we continue to identify with these perceived onslaughts of attacks- not enough money in the bank account fear of job loss missing deadlines trying to balance work family kids alone time Our body is satu-rated by hormones which continue to suppress our immune system potentially setting us up for sickness and illness Studies have shown there are numerous side effects with the excess build up of stress hormones including headaches stomach problems high blood pressure and even more severe auto immune disorders Psychologically when we are in the trance of flight or fight we close our hearts off to the world We begin to witness everything around us as a potential threat to our well being Our thought process becomes extremely narrowed as our focus becomes survival and protection

There is a space a window of opportunity nestled between fight and flight where we can challenge our fears Itrsquos the choice between action andor reaction We can shift out of our conditioning by stepping into this space with curiosity

Start by observing the physical repercussionshellip bull Do you feel your muscles tighten bull Do you feel your heart pounding bull What does your skin feel like bull Do you feel warm or cold all over or in certain areas bull Psychologically do you trust those around you bull Do you find yourself withdrawingbull Do you feel angry Scared bull Can you dig a little deeper



Start to dive into the Source of your fear bull Are you running because you are afraid of being rejectedbull Of failingbull Are you wanting to fight because you have been hurt and donrsquot want to feel the pain of loss bull Are you running because you are afraid of being a huge light being more powerful than you ever imagined

When we step into the space we are exposed to the raw potentiality of being human When we choose not to run not to fight but instead to sit with our overwhelmingly strong emotions fears that paralyze from the inside out conditioning picked up from our past they lessen their grip over us When we pause what once seemed to keep us stuck becomes the catalyst for realizing our in-nate potential What seems broken as in no longer whole is really broken as in open as in grace as in humility as in humanity as in beauty that brings tears to the eyes and a fullness to the heart that knows no bounds When we allow ourselves the freedom to choose the space between fight and flight we come home to our truest essence we are exposed to a compassion that holds the whole world in her heart we are bathed in a wisdom that permeates our deepest recesses

I believe this is why we are herehellip this is the ultimate gift of liberation -Moksha in Sanskrit- to break through the conditioning to confront our fears to destroy the walls of protection to find the space between running and fighting to stand tall on top of a mountain and declare THIS IS WHO I AM

May we all find that spacehellip



Access your body scan meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day Twenty Three)

GratitudeldquoIf the only prayer you said was thank you that would be enoughrdquo ~ Meister Eckhart

It is easy to find gratitude in our hearts when life is moving hiccup free is it not When the cosmos line up perfectly the hair lies gently across our foreheads the way it looks in magazines our kids say the ldquoright thingrdquo at the lsquoright timerdquo to make everyone around us chuckle and think warm fuzzies when we produce the perfect new e-course project and get the pats on the back our ego is desperately seeking to stay alive

How do we find gratitude when wersquove lost a job a loved one are diagnosed with an illness go through friendship growing pains failure or anything else that causes pain Krishna tells Arjuna in The Bhagavad Gita

ldquoNow Arjuna I will tell youthe times at which men of yoga

die and must be rebornor die never to return

Fire light day the moonrsquos brightnessthe six months of the north-turning sun

dying then men who are freego to absolute freedom

Smoke gloom night the moonrsquos darknessthe six months of the south-turning sun

dying then men of yogareach the moonrsquos light and return

These paths of light and of darknesshave always existed by one

a man will escape from rebirthby the other he is born againrdquo

Krishna also tells Arjuna ldquoWith no desire for success no anxiety about failure indifferent to results he burns up his actions in the fire of wisdomrdquo



One of the greatest gifts of gratitude is allowing it to reach your heart even in the midst of pain It is during these times of pain that our heart is stretched with the gift of compassion It is dur-ing these times that we are brought to our knees kissed with humility and grace It is during these times that our heart is held by the kind words of a friend or loved one It is during these times I have learned over the years (often with much resistance tears maybe a few tantrums epic two year old style) that there is a gift in every situation Seeing the gift helps shift our per-spective This in turn allows us to understand Krishnarsquos message When we see the gift in every situation we learn to shed our attachment to success our aversion towards failure being neutral to the results helps us see the bigger picture

Often we get carried away with the expectations and shoulds of how something should unfold This creates a constriction a tightening of the heart Gratitude is a gentle reminder to open up to the process of life to witness the sacredness present within each moment Gratitude shows us how interconnect-ed we are with each other with all life When we embrace life from this perspective we see what a miracle it is to be human to be alive

Gratitude JournalGratitude as a tool of mindfulness keeps us in the present moment It is a reminder of all that we are as opposed to all that we lack Gratitude invites us to approach life with reverence as we live with our hearts open allowing receiving

Begin to keep a gratitude journal Share 5 daily gratitudes each night before you go to sleep and watch how your heart can be stretched through grace and compassion

MaitrildquoYou are the sky Everything else ndash itrsquos just the weatherrdquo ~ Pema Choumldroumln

Maitri means unconditional friendliness towards our self Maitri means treating ourselves as our own best friend This is such a counter intuitive process for most of us We tend to be our own worst critics whispering things to ourselves that we would never repeat out-loud Maitri asks us to witness these thoughts with mindfulness and compassion Pema Chodron in her book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change invites us to interrupt our thoughts not suppress them ldquoInterrupting thoughts is some-where between clinging to them and pushing them awayrdquo It allows the thoughts to come up without our reacting to them or adding an additional layer of judgment to them

Through our conditioningmdashour up-bringing culture andor religionmdashwe were taught that to put ourselves first is selfish that to shine is inappropriate and to be anything less than perfect is unacceptable In order to win the love and approval of parents teach-ers and peers we learned to put the needs of others before our own to dim our lights in order to fit in and that failure meant re-jection disappointment and conditional love Through our conditioning we learned to compartmentalize our lives and experience life in either or termsmdashgood or bad black or white pass or fail

While these techniques served to protect and safeguard our survival in our childhood as adults they keep us stuck and closed off from the love we seek and deserve Maitri helps shift our perspective expose ourselves to our raw potential and join together the discarded aspects of ourselves that we worked so hard to deny Offering unconditional friendliness is fundamental to the accept-ance compassion and gratitude necessary to ultimately open our hearts to ourselves

Learning to treat ourselves with unconditional friendliness as if we were our own best friend helps shift the internal dialogue from criticism and ridicule to support and acceptance We begin to listen to the wisdom of intuition We acknowledge and put our needs first We recognize that in doing this we have a greater capacity to honor the needs of others coming from a place of joy and service versus resentment and obligation We appreciate that our ability to accept others unconditionally is directly proportional to our ability to accept ourselves unconditionally In other words we cannot do for others what we cannot do for ourselves

Loving Ourselves UnconditionallyAt the same time maitri beckons us to embrace the gifts and talents that are unique to us At our core we know we must break through our earlier conditioning and give our light permission to shine As we allow unconditional friendliness to envelope us we realize we need to access our gifts to fulfill our lifersquos path (Dharma) It doesnrsquot serve anyone to stay small In fact by giving ourselves permission to shine we inadvertently grant others permission to do the same

Maitri also creates the space to join together the disconnected aspects of ourselves needed to experience wholeness Experienc-



ing the world in either or terms tells us that there is something inherently wrong with us Our conditioning taught us that only the ldquogoodrdquo aspectsmdashonly the good girlboy is able to come out you are to be seen but not heard only express positive emotions etcmdashare acceptable Maitri delves deeper Through unconditional friendliness we open our hearts to all aspects of ourselves Through maitri we learn to unlock the door to the shame we have been hiding for years dip into the fear of not being worthy and access the anger at having to stifle our voice for so long We learn through the gift of maitri that each facet of ourselves is essential to being human for personal growth and for learning how to open whole-heartedly to ourselves

Accepting Ourselves UnconditionallyMaitri invites us to lean into ourselves even the shadow side Allowing the shame to wash over us lessens its grip on us This creates the space to challenge the beliefs entwined around the shame to begin with In accessing our unique gifts we embrace our worthi-ness and lifersquos purpose Instead of ignoring our suppressed anger we recognize it as a warning that boundaries are being crossed

Through unconditional friendliness towards ourselves we learn to shed the labels and conditioning that keep us stuck in stay-ing small We learn to accept ourselves unconditionally celebrate and share the gifts and talents that are unique to us and embrace every aspect of ourselves whole-heartedly The greatest gift of maitri is that we step more completely and fully into ourselves In letting go of what no longer serves us we come to realize our True potential and connect more whole-heartedly with our lifersquos path We open our hearts to ourselves and ultimately to all humanity by honoring our lifersquos Dharma through the gift of unconditional friendliness

Love LetterFor todayrsquos prompt you will need


Write a love letter as if writing it to a small child (the 8 year old in you)bull Remind yourself how amazing you are JUST AS YOU ARE right here right nowbull What do you need to hear most right now What do you need hear in order to move forward Acceptance Forgiveness Pa-

tience Love Someone to hear and validate you Wonderful Write this love letter to yourself


Witness the Beauty Grace Love amp Joy That Exists Within and Around Us Daily


Lovingkindness (Metta)ldquoWe all are so deeply interconnected we have no option but to love allrdquo ~ Amit Ray

Ahimsa sets the foundation for the path of peaceful living by establishing the rule for engagement with ourselves and the world around us It is the first principle and said to be the most important within the 8 limbs of yoga philosophy As wersquove been learning throughout this e-course we are each colored by our life experiences By colored I mean our sense of reality is distorted by our cultural conditioning the way we are brought up our religious affiliation where we fit into the birth order our gender our economic status etc Each of these concepts adds a layer over our True Nature (Purusha-soul) and we begin to configure our true es-sence from this contrived perception

Mindfulness teaches us how to shed this conditioning by staying present to reality as it is As we do this we cultivate a deep intimacy with ourselves and those around us Through mindfulness and the art of relationships we have the ability to peel back the layers of defense blame pride inability to trust shame and unworthiness We have the opportunity to expand connect love forgive and extend our hearts remembering that we belong to each other At some point through relationships you realize you have no where else to hide your deepest most vulnerable places are exposed your darkest secrets of shame and unworthiness are laid out on the table for those in your life to spit on or scoop up and hold tenderly At some point pride will win out and walk out the door or an emotional break down will unravel and those intimate with you will love you all the same for your humanness In the darkest hours when it feels like hell has come for you when you and those closest to you are stretched to grow these are the times when opportunity reveals itself

Opportunity comes through the gifts of courage compassion communication from the heart loving-kindness and seeing beyond the layers to our True Nature It is during these times that we are reminded that only through the Art of Relationships can we drop what no longer serves us It is through the Art of Connection that we can blossom and grow and give those in our lives the space to do the same It is in this space that we witness the fabric of grace weaved into the tapestry of each of our hearts our shared humanity our oneness



Metta MeditationIn formal meditation practice we shift our awareness to various objects such as the breath walking sensations or hearing to help us anchor to the present moment These are practical and simple activities that we engage in on a daily basis

As we infuse the quality of mindfulness into our observations we begin to awak-en to the direct experience of being in the moment This helps us touch the beauty grace love amp joy that exists within and around us

Access your metta meditation here (Pass-word Presence888 Under Day 26)

CompassionldquoIf we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each otherrdquo ~ Mother Teresa

Some of the definitions of compassion include

bull Princeton a deep awareness of and sympathy for anotherrsquos suffering the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it

bull Wikipedia Compassion is an understanding of the emotional state of another or oneself Not to be confused with empathy compassion is often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another or to show special kindness to those who suffer

bull Timolethinen Understanding without judgment

Compassion can be a difficult quality to experience because the very nature of our society encourages us not to feel Instant grati-fication has become the new black We strive desperately to feel pleasure and will go to extremes to avoid pain Doesnrsquot Excedrin tell us it can cure our headaches in 10 minutes When we have a difficult day at the office arenrsquot we encouraged to ldquomedicaterdquo at the bar One of the greatest gifts of mindfulness is its ability to teach us how to embrace impermanence (the very thing we work so hard to avoid on a daily basis) As we cultivate a more positive attitude towards impermanence compassion becomes a natural progression Recognizing that nothing is permanent allows us to move through challenging times without resistance and pilot peaceful and joyful times without attachment

Learning to fully embrace our own suffering opens our heart to the possibility of holding and feeling the suffering of others Com-passion allows us to witness our connection through humanity to see we are not so different At the end of the day we all want to feel loved validated and acknowledged



Compassion Meditation

In formal meditation practice we shift our awareness to various objects such as the breath walking sensations or hearing to help us anchor to the present moment These are practical and simple activities that we engage in on a daily basis


Access your compassion meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day 27)

JoyldquoSometimes your joy is the source of your smile but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joyrdquo ~ Thiacutech Nhat Hanh

Many of us spend most of our days weeks lives plotting planning and contriving We spend an exorbitant amount of energy thinking about outcomes that are out of our control We wish We scheme We cling We push away We suffer We want certainty We want confirmation We want to know without a doubt that what we are doing is right correct perfect and according to plan We are plotting against rejection We are planning to ward off failure We are contriving an illusion a fantasy world that does not exist We are trying to wrap ourselves in bubble wrap We are trying to protect ourselves from pain We are trying to secure happiness We are trying to override fear through certainty

Mindfulness teaches us how to lean into uncertainty Mindfulness teaches us how to live as humans through pleasure and pain sorrow and happiness by cultivating an equanimous non-reactive perspective Mindfulness prescribes the method for non-at-tachment Non-attachment does not mean indifference It means fully submerging ourselves into the pain of a relationship ending a business venture going awry the offer on the new house not being accepted or the 101 other reasons that remind us we are not in control It means fully embodying the joy of our first child being birthed into this world picking out the color of our new car part-nering with a friend for a new venture or the 101 other reasons that remind us life is a gift

Mindfulness teaches us how to lean into uncertainty by surrendering the fruits of our actions Learning to fully submerge into each and every life experience means we learn to let go of expectations and judgment because itrsquos out of our control That is part of lifersquos process Learning to embody each and every life experience means we learn to let go of the fear that it will slip through our fingers because it will That is part of lifersquos process In leaning into uncertainty we learn to shift our perspective away from right or wrong good or bad black or white from the dualities of nature In leaning into uncertainty we come to understand that each experience holds the seeds of awakening In leaning into uncertainty we rub up against the potential for growth and freedom

As we do this we cultivate an unshakeable joy We come to see the beauty grace love and joy that exists within and around us daily We come to witness life as it is sacred We come to truly understand that this being human is a gift Through mindfulness we come home to ourselves and each other We come home to our True Nature



Joy Excursion

Today do something that brings your heart and soul tremendous joy It could be

bull A hike in your local woodsbull Massagebull Spending time alonebull Tea time with a treasured friendbull Take a bubble bathbull Dance around your home with your favorite musicbull Read a bookbull Spend time in a museum or art gallerybull Watch a live bandbull Take a yoga classbull Volunteer your timebull Plant flowersbull That purchase on Etsy you donrsquot think you needbull Going on a picnic lunchbull Insert whatever else would bring you joy

EquanimityldquoThere is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personallyrdquo ~ Miguel Ruiz

The one constant in life is change Change helps us to understand that it is not our life experiences that are good or bad it is our reaction to them that produces suffering Equanimity means non-reaction Equanimity teaches us to remain calm whether a situation presents itself as pleasant or uncomfortable Through equanimity we learn that when a pose or life experience is uncom-fortable we smile knowing this will pass When a pose or life experience is pleasant we learn to also smile knowing this will pass A non-reactive mind helps us become a witness an observer to our daily experiences letting go of attachment and aversion

My first yoga teacher used to say the true yogi or yogini is not the one who is most flexible or strong The true yogi or yogini is the one who looks like they are having the most fun He was inviting us each to tap into the essence of equanimity Sutra II46 validates the need for both through the qualities of steadiness and ease sthira and sukha Steadiness establishes the foundation that is necessary to challenge old patterns and behavior Ease invites us to surrender and flow into the experience with openness and curiosity

As we begin to stretch through our stiffness breathe into the resistance and tenderness soften around tension and tightness we also begin to quiet the internal dialogue of the mind As we come home to silence we ultimately come home to our True Nature Through the practice of mindfulness we learn to move through the dualities of hot and cold pain and pleasure or gain or loss We are no longer affected by the external environment and instead plug into that place of unshakeable inner peace and stillness




As we infuse the quality of mindfulness into our observations we begin to awaken to the direct experience of being in the moment This helps us touch the beauty grace love amp joy that exists within and around us

Access your seated meditation here (Password Presence888 Under Day 29)

IntegrationldquoBeing ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learnrdquo ~Benjamin Franklin

By integrating formal and informal practice into our daily lives we embrace mindfulness as a way of life By staying present to what is we shift out of auto-pilot and awaken to the miracles present in daily living Mindfulness isnrsquot a technique to try out for a couple of weeks itrsquos an opportunity to sit with reality as it is in each moment of every day When we integrate mindfulness into our daily lives we come home to our deepest knowing our highest truth We come to understand that what we do to one we do to all your suffering becomes my suffering

According to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs we should practice at least 30 minutes each day of formal practice each day Formal practice includes

bull Yogabull Body Scanbull Walking Meditationbull Seated Meditation

Through formal practice we deepen our awareness discipline and understanding of some of our deepest rooted patterns and con-ditioning Through formal practice we build our mindfulness muscles and take these principles into our daily lives while we wash the dishes balance our check books interact with our family amp friends and make our way to the grocery store Mindfulness allows us to pause before we respond so that we minimize suffering our own and others It breeds connection through non-judgment and curiosity Through mindfulness life becomes an adventure Our perspective shifts as we come to understand that we are spiritual beings having human experiences and that each life experience holds the seeds to our growth and freedom

Mindulness reminds us that all moments are necessary to experience wholeness and that we must go through it to become it We must let the grief encompass our hearts the fear close our throats we must not push it away with resistance It is in those trenches of sadness that our heart is stretched to feel compassion our courage chooses another breath and that we learn our own dance of authenticity We must let the joy permeate our being the faith expand our heartrsquos capacity we must invite it in with grat-itude It is in those quiet moments of joy that we touch all of humanity our trust gives us the wings to soar and we realize what a precious gift it is to be human



Yoga amp MeditationIn formal meditation practice we shift our awareness to various objects such as the breath walking sensations or hearing to help us anchor to the present moment These are practical and simple activities that we engage in on a daily basis


Access your yoga amp meditation here (Password Pres-ence888 Under Day 30)

Letrsquos Stay ConnectedWant more

Me too Thatrsquos why I created my online yoga studio Sacred Sangha The Sanskrit word for community is sangha In this tradition we come together to support learn and grow We hold sacred space where each of us feels heard and respected We encourage each other to expand and become all we are meant to be We come together here to peel back the layers of conditioning that keep us stuck in limited beliefs fear amp self-doubt and to expose ourselves to the sacred beauty and innate perfection that exists within each of us If you are ready to let go of what no longer serves you and tap into your unlimited potential welcome home

Looking for more inspiration Sign up for my weekly newsletter filled with articles interviews and tips to help you connect to your inner guru and create the life you love Plus when you sign up yoursquoll receive two free yoga classes a 25 minute AM yoga

routine and a 20 minute PM yoga routine

You can also find me here

80

Table of Contents

Welcome 4

Meet Carrie 5 Experience Freedom By Accepting Where You Are Without Judgment 7

Feel Inner Peace Regardless of External Circumstances 19

Live Life On Purpose By Shifting Out of Auto-pilot Mode 29

Use The Present Moment As An Anchor To Quiet amp Control The Mind 43

Cultivate A Healthy Balance Between Doing Versus Being 53

Approach Life With Reverance Adventure amp Curiosity 61

Witness The Beauty Grace Love amp Joy That Exists Within amp Around You Daily 69

Letrsquos Stay Connected 80


Welcome




Namastersquo





































Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

Welcome




Namastersquo





































Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80




































Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80































Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80






























Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80




























Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80




















Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80









Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80


Raisin Meditation



















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80















































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80











































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80



































Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80






























Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

























Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80


















Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80












Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80











Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80









Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80


Nine Dot Puzzle






































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80





































































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80



























































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80





















































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80















































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80













































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80






































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80
































this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80






























this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

























this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80
















this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80








this event































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80































Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

























Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80




















Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80














Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80









Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80


Breath Meditation





































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80































































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80
























































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80


















































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80

















































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80















































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80






































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80
































































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80



























































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80




















































for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80













for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























80










for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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for your journey









on repeatedly




















































































Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Joy Excursion




























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Documents

30 Days of MindfulnessDays+of... · 2015-07-20 · Mindfulness improves the quality of our lives, strengthens our relationships and reminds us what a gift it is to be human. In the