WEEK 10
Meditation Practice
Now you’ve had a couple of weeks to settle into the combination of Breath Awareness and Body Awareness practices, we’re going to increase the time spent in Body Awareness Meditation very slightly. If you find yourself skipping the odd day, don’t worry too much about it (life happens!), but try not to let yourself skip two days in a row because then it’s much more difficult to come back to the practice.
If you are struggling to stay motivated or keep forgetting to practise, think of meditation as your mental hygiene and see if you can make it part of your daily routine in the same way as you do for oral hygiene by brushing your teeth every day. Meditation keeps your mind free from impurities so you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply.
Monday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Tuesday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Wednesday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Thursday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Friday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Saturday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Sunday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 10 minutes Body Awareness + 5 minutes Loving-Kindness
If you are struggling to stay motivated or keep forgetting to practise, think of meditation as your mental hygiene and see if you can make it part of your daily routine in the same way as you do for oral hygiene by brushing your teeth every day. Meditation keeps your mind free from impurities so you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply.
Monday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Tuesday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Wednesday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Thursday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Friday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Saturday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 8 minutes Body Awareness
Sunday — 5 minutes Breath Awareness + 10 minutes Body Awareness + 5 minutes Loving-Kindness
Mindful Living Practice — Wash Up
One of the reasons we struggle so much to stay in the present moment is because we are always chasing some future goal. It may be a big goal like getting a book published or a small goal like getting the washing up done. Whilst having goals isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself, excessive focus on them means we are not living in the present moment — the only place we will ever find happiness.
This week, instead of being goal-orientated, focus on being process-orientated. When you do the washing up, focus on doing the washing up — not getting the washing up done. When you’re cooking dinner, focus on cooking — not having the dinner cooked. When you’re listening to someone, listen instead of waiting to reply or have your turn to talk. It’s a very subtle shift in mindset but it can transform your whole experience of life.
When we stop living in the future and root ourselves firmly in the present, no matter how magnificent or messy or mundane, we can give 100% of ourselves to whatever it is we are doing — meaning not only will the quality of what we’re doing improve, but the quality of our lives does too.
This week, instead of being goal-orientated, focus on being process-orientated. When you do the washing up, focus on doing the washing up — not getting the washing up done. When you’re cooking dinner, focus on cooking — not having the dinner cooked. When you’re listening to someone, listen instead of waiting to reply or have your turn to talk. It’s a very subtle shift in mindset but it can transform your whole experience of life.
When we stop living in the future and root ourselves firmly in the present, no matter how magnificent or messy or mundane, we can give 100% of ourselves to whatever it is we are doing — meaning not only will the quality of what we’re doing improve, but the quality of our lives does too.
If you can, see if you can keep up the mindful living practices from the last few weeks too. If you need a reminder, I’ve popped them below.
Week 1 -- Don’t Scratch the Itch
Week 2 — Non-Harm
Week 3 — Non-Stealing
Week 4 — Speak Only Kindness
Week 5 — Take a Break From Intoxicants
Week 6 — Conscious Relationships
Week 7 — R.A.I.N
Week 8 — Send Happiness
Week 9 — Let Someone Else Be Right
Week 1 -- Don’t Scratch the Itch
Week 2 — Non-Harm
Week 3 — Non-Stealing
Week 4 — Speak Only Kindness
Week 5 — Take a Break From Intoxicants
Week 6 — Conscious Relationships
Week 7 — R.A.I.N
Week 8 — Send Happiness
Week 9 — Let Someone Else Be Right