Stress Stuck

Mindfulness Talk:

When we are stressed, we often freeze up.  Like, literally.  It feels like our brain hardens and our thoughts become slow as molasses.  And when we’re in this rigid way of thinking, one little bump in the road becomes a ditch.  We get stuck.  We obsess on one thought or one idea or one problem, and we can’t see a different way out.  We are spin-my-wheels-but-get-nowhere stuck.

Yoga, with its focus on the mind-body connection, points out that a rigid mind results in a rigid body.  As our mind tenses up, so does our body.  Awesome. 

But wait for it…  This connection also means that if we can melt the body, we can melt the mind.  We can use the body to get our flexible thinking back! 

Flexible thinking means we can once again see from different points of view, see more than one way to solve a problem, see that this is a momentary thing not a forever thing.  Our thoughts can flow again.  

Stress Stuck is real.  But it’s also temporary. 

Until next time,
Laura 

Meditation:

Finding Present Meditation: Concentrate on a spot of light or holding something warm. You might be sitting, or maybe walking slowly. Begin to breathe, imagining it entering your lungs as a warm spring breeze.  Continue to breathe and focus on the warm in and outs.

Continue with this meditation or begin the mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation: Imagine that warm breeze of breath moving up, under and around your ribcage.  Let it stay here, warm and moving and fluid. If you notice a thought or feeling arise, just notice it until it floats away.

Now the warm breeze of breath moves to the hips, under and around warm and moving and fluid. If you notice a thought or feeling arise, just notice it until it floats away.

It moves to the shoulders and shoulder blades, under and around warm and moving and fluid. If you notice a thought or feeling arise, just notice it until it floats away.

It moves to the neck and head, under and around warm and moving and fluid. If you notice a thought or feeling arise, just notice it until it floats away.

The warm breeze of breath moves all the way down to feet, under and around warm and moving and fluid. If you notice a thought or feeling arise, just notice it until it floats away.

Closing Routine: As you are ready, begin to rub the fingers and take three cleansing breaths. Or find a closing routine that works for you.