One suggestion is to disconnect, even leave our mobile outside of the bedroom, so we can start to create a habit whereby we don’t feel the need to look at our phone last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
As we relax in our bed, we take the time to unwind naturally from the day, encourages us to process thoughts from the day and start to feel more relaxed physically and mentally.
In Week 7 of the Mindful beginner course and Chapter 7 of Guide to the Mindful Way of Life, we explore in detail this process leading up to sleep.
As time progresses, we monitor our development making slight adjustments and monitoring the beneficial effects.
It can be helpful as we are falling asleep to make the intention to rise in the morning with a positive, happy mind. Decision making can be powerful, and if we are focused enough, we can influence our future.
We take care of our sleep and respect the process as one of the most important parts of our life if we can invest time into ensuring that we have a quality nights sleep this will positively influence our waking day.
Written by Adam Dacey
Read more here.
A Peaceful Week
Breathing in: May I experience peace.
Breathing out: May others experience peace.
Setting our intention at the beginning of the month.
At the beginning of any action we engage in, it can be beneficial to establish and clarify our intention, if we can do this, it can help to direct the energy of our activities of body, speech, and mind.
A Way to Focus the Mind
Mindful Meditation practices, in general, help us to focus the mind; in particular, the training when we follow the journey of our breath around the body can be beneficial.
A Helpful Practice for Anxiety
This form of mindful movement allows us to slow down both our body and mind and let go of the tension that has built up in the upper half of our body.As we take each step, we allow the stress and anxiety to dissolve into the ground beneath us.
A Peaceful Breakfast
I encourage students who attend my classes to try and meditate as soon as they arise, giving them the best possible opportunity to be influenced by a peaceful mind throughout the day.
In this way we have a peaceful mental breakfast which we can then enjoy our physical breakfast with, making us empowered both mentally and physically for the day.
When there are one million things that we have the option of doing, but we choose to meditate.
There is no secret recipe for bringing peace into our life, simply, sitting down regularly and engaging in meditation, and then applying our experience into daily life.
Meditation to Improve Relationships
If there is a relationship in our life, whether it is a home or work and wish to improve it, try changing your mind towards the person in the quiet space of meditation and see what happens. There may be an instant result, or it may take time, either way, only good can come from establishing a positive mind towards those in our life.
Patient Rudeness
A Peaceful Companion
When we travel with a companion, they can influence and affect the way we relate to the world around us. With a peaceful mind as our companion, we can be confident that the way we relate to what arises in our life is influenced by peace. This peaceful approach will ensure that we have the foundation for an experience of happiness.
A Peaceful Intention
When we sit down to train in meditation it is beneficial for our practice to establish our intention for training.
We can practice without any intention, but this is like sitting in a car and not driving to any location.
Gratitude on Tap
The experience of gratitude is available for us continuously. The more we can remember and allow ourselves to be governed by this mind, the less emotionally dependent we will be on others. As a consequence, our relationships strengthen and improve.
Inner Face Meditation
In this short explanation, we are going to explore an effective method for reducing the pressure built up in our face. This method can initially be applied in sitting meditation and later introduced during the day in micro-meditations when we are engaged in our daily activities.
Insider
If we can establish the habit of turning inwards and checking our mind, the activity itself will begin to calm the movement of our thought. We can try to see beneath the flow of thought and recognise the peace that is present beneath it. Similarly to the ocean beneath the waves of the ocean.
A Compassionate Intention.
Thoughts aren’t the problem
Thoughts are not the problem; it is the way that we relate to them that will govern whether they are an issue. If we can take this approach to our thoughts in meditation, we will come to enjoy a far more expansive feeling when we sit down.
Speed vs Decision
It is helpful to appreciate that speed is limited in accomplishing our goals and what is more important is our intention and our ability to stay focused on our decision.
Seasoned Surfer
With a trained mind, adverse conditions help us to cultivate compassion, patience, wisdom, acceptance. We can strengthen our mind, so it becomes happy and peaceful, regardless of what is arising in our life.
Observing but not judging
Adjust Posture with Meditation
Zoom in, Zoom Out
Through training in Meditation, we can train ourselves so that we can ensure happiness continuously arises in our mind by zooming into that which produces it, and zooming out to be able to see everything that arises in our mind in perspective.
A Peaceful Mind
As we start to look at our mind in a non-judgmental way, our thoughts begin to calm. Our mind gathers, and peace begins to arise.
Equanimity
This state of mind is possible with a clear determination and an insight into the workings of our mind.
Assembled with Gratitude
Taking the process one step at a time, and as my dear Grandfather used to say, ‘always follow the instructions’.
Investment for the Mind
With a skilful strategy, we can increase the mental investment as well as enjoying the fruits of it; this requires continual daily practice and a decision to keep training our mind regardless of what is taking place in our life.
Umbrella Mind
The umbrella to anger is patience.
The umbrella to confusion in our mind is wisdom.
Uniting our Meditations with the Breath
The breath is our anchor to the present moment, and we can flavour it with whatever theme we wish to gain a deeper experience of.
Acclimatising to the Adversity.
We could see each week of the training as ascending 1000 metres up a mountain. If this is done gradually and carefully, by the time we reach chapter 7, the equivalent of 7000m, we can breathe are primed and ready to enjoy the experience, exhilaration, and view.