Think Positive! Blog - official blog for ipopin.com

Self-awareness

We all have a steady flow of thoughts that stream through our minds. It is likely that you have thousands of thoughts per day. Some folks say that 50%-90% of those thoughts are negative! Woa! That’s a lot! We know that thoughts affect our attitude, mood, emotions, and behavior. We also know that positive thoughts lead to positive actions, and positive actions lead to positive outcomes. Therefore, it is important to be sure our thoughts are positive and focused on the things we want in life.

Many people go through life on “auto-pilot” and are not even aware of the negative thoughts that are ruling their experience. If you don’t know what your thoughts are, you can’t change them. The first step is to become aware of your self-talk. It is important to monitor your self-talk so that you can begin to substitute positive thoughts for negative ones. You have to start listening in on the mental chatter running through your mind.

The best way to increase your awareness of your own thoughts is to practice mindfulness or present moment focus. Mindfulness meditation simply means keeping your awareness in the present moment. Your mind will wander (that's natural) - simply bring your attention gently back into the present moment. As thoughts roll through your mind, observe them and let them go. Spend some time each day being the observer of your thoughts. Once you become familiar with your thoughts and mental chatter, you can begin to take steps to increase the positive and eliminate the negative.

Tips for meditation and review of the best book on meditation

I recently read the best book about meditation that I have ever read - The Joy of Living by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. (It is available online at iTunes or at Amazon.com.)  If you want to meditate, but have felt intimidated, then this is the book for you! This beautiful monk shares stories about how he struggled with meditation and anxiety. Reading his story is inspirational and will likely help you feel not so alone in your struggles with meditation.  The Rinpoche weaves Buddhist philosophy with neuroscience and quantum physics in a way that is easy to understand. 

Yongey Mingyur also explains many different types of meditation in a way that helps reduce the intimidation factor. I am certain that you can connect with one of the types of meditation he teaches to get you started. For me, it was validating to read a Buddhist monk saying some of the same things that I have said to clients over the years. I have taught meditation to many people over the years and I always tell people to start small and easy. I think it is better to do even a few minutes of meditation a day than to do none. I think many people believe that they must meditate for 30-60 minutes, and, so, they never find the time to start. The Rinpoche even talks about meditating for a few seconds at a time!

The other big factor that seems to intimidate people about meditation is they believe that they must learn to stop all thoughts to have a completely clear mind. This is a myth! I enjoyed Rinpoche’s explanation that we can no more stop the brain from thinking than we can stop the heart from beating. By nature, the brain thinks. Let me say this again… meditation is NOT about stopping your thoughts! Know that you will have thoughts while you meditate. Rather than getting upset or thinking that you have failed, simply bring your awareness back to the present moment. The key to meditating is being aware of your thoughts and gently bringing your awareness back to the present moment. Rather than getting carried away by the random flow of thoughts, you want to become the observer of those thoughts while you stay present in the moment. Eventually, with practice you can learn to rest your mind in the gaps between thoughts.

Bottom line tips: start meditating for a minute or two each day... even the busiest among us can manage to find that time.  Remember that having thoughts while you meditate is normal!  Simply bring your mind gently back to the present moment.

Mindful eating

I recently wrote about mindfulness meditation and the benefits.  Today I thought I would write about mindful eating as a way to practice mindfulness.  This is an easy and enjoyable way to begin or deepen a mindful practice. 

You can either try this when you have some quiet time to try this exercise or give it a try next time you eat.  Another good opportunity to try mindful eating is when you want to enjoy a special treat like chocolate.  The idea is to stay in the present and really experience the process of eating.  Let's use chocolate as an example.  Take a bite of the sweet treat and really allow yourself to experience the chocolate.  First smell the chocolate and allow yourself to really experience the aroma.  Notice the texture on your tongue... pay attention to the place on your tongue where you taste the sweetness... keep your attention on the muscles in your jaw as you chew the chocolate.  Notice how it feels as you swallow the bite of chocolate. 

So many times we are eating while we work, drive, talk, or watch TV and we don't really appreciate the experience of eating.  We are often in such a rush that we barely taste the food and risk overeating.  Mindful eating will help you slow down and enjoy your food.  When people try mindful eating they often find that they eat less because they are more satisfied with what they eat and they are more aware of their body's natural signals to stop eating.  In addition, you will be gaining the benefits of mindfulness!  How awesome is that?!  Why not give it a try next time you eat?

I'd love to hear about your experiences as you try mindful eating... you can either leave a comment here or email me.

Mindfulness meditation

Meditation has been found to have a positive influence on the body and mind. Successful management of chronic pain, increased ability to control blood pressure, and management of hormones associated with stress are a few of the physiological benefits associated with meditative practices. In addition to these physiological effects, meditation is also known to produce a variety of psychological benefits, including reduction of anxiety, enhanced sense of well-being, increased awareness of emotions and repressed material, and a greater sense of self-actualization.

There are two basic types of meditation: concentration and awareness.  Concentration meditation techniques involve focused attention on a single object, while awareness meditation seeks to widen the focus of attention to all current internal and external experiences.

Mindfulness meditation falls within the awareness meditation category.  Rather than disregarding your distracting thoughts, you simply observe your thoughts without judgment.  It is important to be an impartial observer of what is on your mind.  As you gain experience with this type of meditation, you will gain the understanding that your true essence - your essential spirit - is not the contents of your mind, but rather the observer of the contents.  Recognizing this will help you detach from intense emotions and allow them to flow freely and easily.  When practiced on a regular basis, mindfulness becomes a way of life and not just a technique.

If you want to give this type of meditation a try, I often suggest that people begin with a mindful walking practice.  This simply means that while you are walking you keep your awareness on the experience of walking.  Stay in the present moment and be aware of what your body feels like as you walk.  Noticing the sensations as you put one foot in front of the other.  When other thoughts come into your mind (and they will most definitely come) simply observe them and let them go. 

Breakfast with a bunny

This morning I received a precious gift from a little bunny.  I made my breakfast and was about to take it with me into my office (my office is in my home) so I could do a bit of work while I ate.  On my way from the kitchen I looked out and saw a bunny on my patio eating some grass.  It was so cute!  I decided to stop and sit down and eat my breakfast with the bunny.  So instead of working while I ate my breakfast, I had a nice quiet and peaceful breakfast with a bunny.  The bunny looked up and saw me through the sliding glass doors, but decided I was not a threat and went back to eating.  I have a beautiful view out my back door and sometimes I forget to sit and enjoy it... today the bunny reminded me!  What a gift! 

It's 10:00, do you know where your thoughts are?

Here's something for you to try.  Pick a few times a day and turn your attention inward and notice your thoughts.  This is not about changing them... just notice them.  Simply be aware of your own thoughts for a few minutes.  So many times we go on auto pilot and move through the course of our day without even realizing the nature of our thoughts or our inner self-talk.  People are often surprised at what they find when they take the time to explore their internal landscape in this way.  The self-awareness you gain from this exercise is valuable and powerful.