DailyMeds: Recent Episodes
Katia Khomich
How can we generate a feeling of contentment, trust, connection? Can we? Using our thoughts? Science says that it is possible with this exercise. It may feel very unnatural at the beginning, but trust me – it works. I use it every time I am flying, or standing in line ;)
This tool is rooted in eastern philosophy and can be summarised in one short sentence: This Too Shall Pass.
Nothing is permanent. Everything changes, evolves and transforms.
We know about it on a macro level (vacation is over, winter is coming to an end etc).
But in this practice we learn to tap into the micro level and learn to see that change is happening in every second of our life. Not a single moment of our life is repeating itself.
Why is it important?
This tool will help us to strengthen our capacity to see a bigger picture, be more patient, wiser, content. We learn to see that things we love are not permanent - so we can truly appreciate them while we can. We can also start seeing that things which are challenging will evolve and ultimately be gone too, so we can stay hopeful and positive.
Everyone has experienced such emotions like anger, sadness, fear or anxiety. We dislike them and usually try to avoid them at all costs. In our session we will learn to be able to be with these emotions in a more sustainable way.
Traditional gratitude practice has been shown to deliver multiple benefits for emotional wellbeing. By 'traditional' – we mean a practice, where you write down all the things you are grateful for.
Yet, there is another way to achieve even more profound benefits for emotional and mental health. These benefits include lesser anxiety, decline in inflammation markers, improvement in prosocial behaviour.
This practice can be done just a few times a week, and it can take just a couple of minutes.
Check out the recording. Practice. And share with others.
We spend so much time being lost in thoughts. Completely.
Thoughts can define us. They define our actions, mood and behaviour.
There is nothing bad in thoughts, until they start to control us.
In today's session we are tapping into the mindfulness meditation practice. It has been proven that this practice helps to develop what's called – 'metacognition' – capacity to be aware of the thoughts.
Why it's important? Because when we are aware of certain thoughts, we can at least make an effort to let go of them, or we can learn to relate to them in a whole different way.
When you practice regularly you will develop a capacity to see how many thoughts are useless, distractive and repetitive. You will also learn to let go of 'sticky' repetitive thoughts more easily, gaining more freedom from them.
When we are overwhelmed with emotions like fear, anger, frustration it becomes very difficult to make wise decisions and choices. we find it hard to take a different perspective, to see longer term, to be open minded. When we make decisions in these states of being overwhelmed – it is likely that we can regret them later.
This tool is a wonderful way to pause and shift gears. This way you are creating conditions for informed decisions and actions.
First, create conditions for your mind to be calm and alert.
Second, prepare your work area.
Listen to this recording to learn and to practice.
"Our breath, like our heartbeat, is the most reliable rhythm in our lives. When we become attuned to this constant rhythm, our breath can gradually teach us to come back to the original silence of the mind."
Donna Farhi
This practice is all in one way to practice both internal and external perception. Both are important depending on the situation you are in.
In these 10 minutes you will train your capacity to shift your attention from internal sensing of body and breath to external perception of the world.
This practice also requires you to slow down, which is necessary for approaching the tasks and events in a more aware, calm, grounded way – on your terms.
In these 15 minutes practices you will learn to find your calm when you need it most: before an important presentation, meeting, or conversation.