mindfulness

Progressive Breathing – Guided Meditation

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(2:02) Quick Stress Reduction.

This guided meditation is a quick way to relax the mind and body that is perfect way to calm down in the midst of stressful situations, noisy, chaotic environments.

It is very fast and done with the eyes open, so you can do it in meetings, in restaurants, at social gatherings, etc.

You simply redirect your focus to your breath and deepen it gently. This allows you to shift your attention away from stress for a few moments, calming your mind and body, so that you can return to the situation in a better state.

Enjoy!

Progressive Breathing Instructions:

  1.  Start by looking down a comfortable distance in front of you at the floor, desk or table.
  2. With your eyes gazing down (open), shift your attention to your breath. Notice your breath as it is moving in and out of your body.
  3. Take a few breaths where each breath is a little bit longer and a little bit deeper than the breath before.
  4. When you are feeling a bit calmer and more relaxed in your body end the practice by looking up.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and use it for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).

 

Runners: Mindfulness on Foot!

Want to take mindfulness on your next run, walk or hike?

Here are a few tips for how to take mindfulness on the go!

I’ve used these practices on the uber crowded streets of Causeway Bay, the trails of Sai Kung country park, and the kilometers of the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon… take them where ever you go!

Enjoy!,

Elena

Weaving Presence Into Your Practice

Sometimes we lose sight of the role of presence in our practice. Maybe we were never really clear about how our meditation practice helps us be more present. Here’s one way to consciously weave presence into our practice.

In those moments when we realize that we’ve been thinking and have stopped noticing our breath (either we were lost in thought or naming our thoughts), before coming back to the breath, take a moment to feel deeply into the present… And then return to the breath.

How to feel deeply into the present? Many ways. You can look around at what you can see in this moment, really noticing the colors and shapes around you in this moment. You could do the same with sounds or with your physical sensations. You can pick any one or two of these or all 3 as you feel it. Whatever helps you really notice what’s in and/or around you in the moment.

Enjoy!,
Elena

Is Mindfulness Helping You Think Too Much?

A colleague shared recently that she has to help her clients stop obsessing over their thoughts because they meditate on them so much they’re obsessed with them!

As someone who was addicted to thinking I totally understand!

I imagine this can happen when we lose sight of the point of meditating, which is to focus on the present, and instead use it as an excuse to focus on our thoughts. This could be easy to do, especially since most of us are addicted to thinking to begin with.

Two Nice Meditation Apps

2 Nice Meditation Apps

I just looked at several meditation apps and I’d like to share two that I liked. Both of these allow you to track your practice, which I think is a really good way to establish any habit. One lets you take notes and the other lets you track how you’re feeling mentally and physically.

Zen Friend lets you set reminders so you remember to meditate and tracks how many meditations you do overtime. It includes instructional videos for learning Zen meditation, nice quotes, images and meditation bells. It also allow you to take notes & share your activity with friends via Facebook and twitter.

Stop, Breathe & Think includes instructions about various aspects of meditation and offers a variety of guided meditations. It allows you to input how you are feeling, so you can track your emotional state overtime.

Enjoy!,
Elena

How Can Sitting (Meditation) Be Easy?

Having a hard time meditating while sitting on the floor with your legs crossed? How can you make it easier?

Simple. Either don’t do it or sit for short amounts of time & build.

Remember that you can meditate in any position, so sitting isn’t necessary. You can do your ‘sitting’ practice while standing, sitting in a chair, lying down, in downward dog, etc.

If you really want to sit on the floor with your legs crossed, start sitting for an amount of time that is comfortable, like 1 or 2 or 5 minutes, do that for awhile to let your body get used to it and then add a bit more time when you feel ready.