MPDR Archives Blog Post #761 - Oct 30, 2016

PAUSE for 3 Mindful Breaths

images witnessed by M. Lee Freedman

"The primary focus of this path of choosing wisely...is learning to stay present. Pausing very briefly, frequently throughout the day, is an almost effortless way to do this. For just a few seconds we can be right here. Meditation is another way to train in learning to stay or...learning to come back, to return to the present over and over again." ~ Pema Chödrön from Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears Wishing you many moments of returning your attention to the present moment Please feel free to share. To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #760 - Oct 29, 2016

With an attitude of kindness and curiosity Direct your attention to feeling the sensations of your next 3 breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman

"When you pay close attention to each moment, you can start to see the small wonders of life. Maybe the sky is a fabulous shade of blue today. Maybe your best friend’s smile warms your heart. There are wonders in every moment, just waiting for you to be present and recognize them. Maybe if you pay close attention, it feels good just to breathe. The cool air entering your lungs—how wonderful that can feel, like a glass of cool water on a hot day! Even when things are stressful in your life, this very breath can be a small moment of joy. Just by paying attention to your breath, you might feel grateful to be alive, grateful that your lungs are working and that you have air to breathe. Be careful, however, to not get too attached to whatever it is you’re enjoying. Perhaps you have a tendency to want to hold on to happy moments, wishing every moment could be like that. But every moment can’t be happy, and, in hard times, wishing for things to be different than the way they are will only increase your suffering. With mindfulness, you can breathe in and enjoy, then breathe out and let go. You don’t need to hold on to anything. Each breath heralds a new moment—and, perhaps, something new to enjoy. You can practice mindfulness in this way anytime, no matter where you are." Dr, Dzung Vo Excerpt from The Mindful Teen Book Wishing you moments to notice the wonders of life today To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #759 - Oct 28, 2016

Pause to be in this present moment by bringing attention to your next three breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman

“We begin to learn wisely when we're willing to see the world from other people's perspective.”    -Toba Beta Wishing you the wisdom and compassion that may arise from seeing from other’s perspectives To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #758 - Oct 27, 2016

Enjoy 3 Mindful Breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman Being There by Michele Chaban The rains that fell, Begin The change. Distinguishing tree tops From their seasoned green . Brown to yellow. Orange to burgundy. Reds. And then, yet another rain will unteather those leaves, helping them fall. They will cloak the earth Protecting it against winter’s cold and white. Those leaves become the earth, covering tree roots and grass. Until another bloom of green bursts forth, to begin anew. Wishing you moments of compassionate awareness amidst changing conditions.   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #757 - Oct 26, 2016

Pause Be aware of the sensations of breathing in and breathing out for the following three breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “No difference, good or bad. Thoughts like birds in mind. Some fly in. Some fly out. Some stay at water hole to drink. Beware of birds that linger.”  ― Natalie Wright, Emily's House   Wishing you a mindful day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #756 - Oct 25, 2016

Pause for 3 Mindful Breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” -Henry David Thoreau   Have a Mindful Day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #755 - Oct 24, 2016

Direct your attention to the sensations of the flow of your next three 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 witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “Mindfulness doesn’t take time, it gives it. Attention and awareness are all that are required.”  -Stephen Rechtschaffen  Wishing you a mindful day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #754 - Oct 23, 2016

Connect with the Rhythm of your next 3 breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “Breathing involves a continual oscillation between exhaling and inhaling, offering ourselves to the world at one moment and drawing the world into ourselves at the next...”  ― David Abram Wishing you a peaceful day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #754 - Oct 22, 2016

PAUSE for 3 Mindful Breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman "Eating mindfully can help you reclaim the pleasure of food. So many of us have become out of touch with this, one of life’s most simple and wonderful pleasures. When you sit for your meal, turn off all distractions and focus on your immediate experience. Before you begin to eat, pause. Look at your food, take notice of the scent. When you eat take small bites and chew slowly. Only pick up your fork after you’ve fully chewed and swallowed the last mouthful. Be fully present in the moment with your experience savoring the tastes and textures one yummy morsel at a time. By eating mindfully eating you aid healthy digestion and avoid overeating." - Melli O’Brien (excerpt from post 7 Ways to Bring More Mindfulness into Your Life Today): http://www.everyday-mindfulness.org/7-ways-to-bring-more-mindfulness-into-your-life-today/  Wishing you a mindful rest of the day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #753 - Oct 21, 2016

Pause for 3 Mindful Breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “We live in a world that exalts thinking—education systems prioritize academic learning, and most people are trained when they’re young to identify with thought. Even the English word mindfulness makes our subject sound like an activity that only happens from the neck up. Whereas actually, by training us to pay attention to sensations in the body, mindfulness brings us down from our heads and into our whole being.” -Ed Halliwell excerpt from 5 Reasons to Bring Mindfulness to the Body http://www.mindful.org/mindful-voices/the-examined-life/5-reasons-to-bring-mindfulness-to-the-body Consider turning off electronic devices and tuning into your body before going to sleep tonight  Wishing you a peaceful and restorative sleep tonight   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #752 - Oct 20, 2016

Be here now Bring your attention to the sensations of breathing for the following 3 breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “These days we often do many things while walking - we listen to ipods, text message, speak on our phones. Try using walking as a mindful practice. Feel your feet making contact with the ground. Notice what it feels like to walk a little slower if you’re not actually in a rush.  Take in your surroundings, the smells, the colours, the sounds. Use mindful walking between meetings to create a moment of mindfulness in your day.” -Dr Elise Bialylew (excerpt from post : 10 Ways to Bring Mindfulness into Everyday Life)  http://www.lifestyle.com.au/health/10-ways-to-bring-mindfulness-into-everyday-life.aspx#    Wishing you mindful moments in your day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #751 - Oct 19, 2016

Step out of auto-pilot mode and into this present moment by enjoying 3 mindful breaths

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “The way to live in the present is to remember that "This too shall pass."  When you experience joy, remembering that "This too shall pass" helps you savor the here and now.  When you experience pain and sorrow, remembering that "This too shall pass" reminds you that grief, like joy, is only temporary.” -Joey Green Wishing you many moments to pause and be fully conscious throughout the day   To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #750 - Oct 18, 2016

Pause to FEEL the next 3 breaths  flowing in and out of your body

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman "Where is your mind? Most of us point to our head. The word mindfulness can suggest cognition—something to do with thinking and the brain. But mindfulness means bringing awareness to our whole experience, not just from the neck up. By acknowledging our bodies in meditation, we synchronize mind and body and experience ourselves as an integrated whole. When we experience an emotion, we notice how it feels in different parts of our body. That helps when it comes to acting on our feelings. Dismissing our feelings leads us to live out of step with our hearts, and by increasing our body awareness, we have a chance to redress this imbalance." -Ed Halliwell excerpt from post "How Mindfulness Helps You Find Your Way Through Difficulty" http://www.mindful.org/how-mindfulness-helps-you-find-your-way-through-difficulty/ Wishing you many moments of mindful awareness today     To view the MPDR archives, click here.

MPDR Archives Blog Post #749 - Oct 17, 2016

With an attitude of kindness and curiosity Direct your attention to feeling the sensations of your next 3 breaths flowing in and out of your body

image witnessed by M. Lee Freedman “Being heard  is so close to being loved  that for the average person,  they are almost indistinguishable.” ― David Augsburger Wishing you moments of fully hearing and being heard by someone today   To view the MPDR archives, click here.