MPDR Archives Blog Post #419 - Oct 31, 2015

Pause for 3 mindful breaths

 

image by M. Lee Freedman

"What is more frightening than ghosts and goblins during Halloween? For many people who are trying to eat healthier, bags full of little Halloween candy bars brings up a lot of fear. If you are concerned about steering clear of trick-or-treat sweets in the next few weeks, don't worry.

This year try practicing a mindful chocolate meditation. For many people, it is okay to eat chocolate rather than completely avoid it. Not only would eliminating chocolate be no fun, but it also isn't realistic. Diet books want you to believe that you can eradicate chocolate and other treats from your life. Instead, learn to eat candy and other foods you crave in a new mindful way.

Why does slowing down and eating candy mindfully help? For people who eat chocolate, they are often thinking about the next piece of candy before they even finish the one they are enjoying. That is when they go for more. You can eat an entire candy bar and not really taste one bite. Eating chocolate mindfully is intended to help you to really get joy from it and to eat just enough to feel satisfied. This is such a challenge."

-Susan Albers

excerpt from post Trick or Eat: Mindfully Eating Chocolate During Halloween

To read the full post including instructions on how to eat chocolate mindfully, please click on this link:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/comfort-cravings/200910/mindfully-eating-chocolate

Wishing you and your families and friends 

a happy, healthy, mindful and safe day and evening

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #418 - Oct 30, 2015

Pause for 3 Mindful Breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; 

and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.

 -Victor Hugo

Warm wishes for a peaceful evening

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #417 - Oct 29, 2015

Bring curious attention

to the sensations of the breath

flowing in and out of your body

for the next 3 breaths

  

image by M. Lee Freedman

         “At its core, mindfulness embraces heartfulness, as it requires being kind and compassionate to yourself and your experiences. 

So often, we end up criticizing ourselves for how we are or what we feel, and that stops us from learning from our experiences. 

This judgmental or hypercritical perspective can leave us stuck, ashamed, or hypersensitive.  

It can also lead us to pretend nothing is wrong with our behavior, when we know full well that something is amiss. 

Mindfulness helps us accept ourselves as we are right now and, paradoxically, through acceptance, leads to possibilities for growth and change.”

-Lidia Zylowska, MD

 (excerpt from book “The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD”)

 Wishing you self-acceptance leading to growth and change

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #416 - Oct 28, 2015

PAUSE for 3 mindful breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

“While "stopping to smell the roses" may look different for all of us, the lesson is one with which we can all relate. 

Mindfulness means slowing down and allowing our mind and our body to be in the same place at the same time irrespective of where we are or what we are doing. 

Where in your life might you want to, metaphorically, stop and smell the roses? 

The practice is to slow down and mindfully call your mind back to your body and enjoy the moment. 

It's really the only moment you have, so why not be fully present in it?” 

-Dennis Merritt Jones

excerpt from post: So Many Roses, So Little Time: A Mindfulness Practice My Dog Taught Me:  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-merritt-jones/daily-mindfulness_b_3468893.html

 

 

 

Wishing you mindful moments in your day

 

 

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #415 - Oct 27, 2015

Pause

Direct your attention to the sensations of the flow of your next 3 breaths

 in the nostrils

in the chest,

in  the belly

or

 wherever in your body the sensations of breathing are most clear to you

Image by M. Lee Freedman

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”

–     Lily Tomlin

Wishing you some moments

of slowing down and being fully present 

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #414 - Oct 26, 2015

With an attitude of kindness and curiosity

Direct your attention

to feeling the sensations

of your next 3 breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

"The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen.

 Just listen.

Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention....

A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.".

       -Rachel Naomi Remen

Wishing you moments of connection through full attention

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #413 - Oct 25, 2015

Bring full attention to

the inhale

the exhale

and the spaces between

  

image by M. Lee Freedman

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own;

and from morning to night,

as from the cradle to the grave,

it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy

that we can scarcely mark their progress.” 

-Charles Dickens

Wishing you moments

to pause

and enjoy the beauty of this season

today

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #412 - Oct 24, 2015

Lovingly bring your attention

to the flowing sensations

of your following 3 breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous.”

-Aristotle

  

Warm wishes for a mindful evening 

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #411 - Oct 23, 2015

Enjoy the benefits of intentionally

 returning your attention

back to here and now 

by noticing your next 3 breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. 

The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

-Helen Keller

Wishing you a mindful day

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #410 - Oct 22, 2015

Pause for 3 Conscious Breaths

to anchor your attention into the present

image by M. Lee Freedman

Being Watchful   

by Wendell Berry

As soon as I felt a necessity to learn about the non-human world,

I wished to learn about it in a hurry. 

And then I began to learn perhaps

the most important lesson that nature had to reach me:

 that I could not learn about her in a hurry.

  The most important learning, that of experience,

 can be neither summoned nor sought out.

 The most worthy knowledge

cannot be acquired by what is known as study—

though that is necessary, and has its use.

  It comes in its own good time

 and in its own way to the man who will go where it lives,

 and wait, and be ready,

and watch.

  Hurry is beside the point, useless, an obstruction.

  The thing is to be attentively present. 

To sit and wait is as important as to move.

  Patience is as valuable as industry.

What is to be known is

always there.

  When it reveals itself to you, or when you come upon it,

it is by chance.

 The only condition is your being there and being watchful.

Wishing you moments of being patient, watchful and present this evening

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #409 - Oct 21, 2015

Pause for 3 Mindful Breaths

 image by M. Lee Freedman 

 “All the hype around mindfulness -- being aware of the present moment, on purpose and without judgment, has gotten many people interested in giving it a try. The big challenge for most has been how to sustain their practice past the initial excitement. Too many factors in our busy, task-oriented way of life conspire to deprive us from the time, energy and intention that are necessary to cultivate mindfulness. This is where modern behavioral psychology can be very helpful. After all, we are talking about how to facilitate adoption of new behaviors such as sitting still for a few minutes every day.”

-Marguerite Manteau-Rao

excerpt from post “3 Tiny Habits to Enhance Your Mindfulness Practice”

If you are finding it challenging to create or maintain a habit of daily mindfulness practice, you may find it helpful to read the full post

Here is the link:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marguerite-manteaurao/mindfulness_b_1337948.html

Warm wishes for a peaceful day

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #408 - Oct 20, 2015

PAUSE for 3 mindful breaths

image by M. Lee Freedman

 

"I spent a lot of years trying to outrun or outsmart vulnerability by making things certain and definite, black and white, good and bad. 

My inability to lean into the discomfort of vulnerability limited the fullness of those important experiences that are wrought with uncertainty: Love, belonging, trust, joy, and creativity to name a few."

-Brene Brown

Wishing you a mindful day

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/

MPDR Archives Blog Post #407 - Oct 19, 2015

Pause

Be aware of the sensations

of breathing in and breathing out

for the following three breaths

 image by M. Lee Freedman

"I try to be available for life to happen to me. We're in this life, and if you're not available, the sort of ordinary time goes past and you didn’t live it. But if you're available, life gets huge. You're really living it."

-Bill Murray

Wishing you a mindful evening

Lee

M. Lee Freedman, MD, CM, FRCP(C)

http://mpdrarchives.blogspot.ca/