Mindful Happiness

Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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Using Mindful Movement as Part of Practice

Mindful Movement as Part of Practice

Mindful movement is an accepted part of regular practice. Such practices as walking meditation, more vigorous yoga asanas, qi gong, and tail chi are all part of this respected mindfulness tradition. Here I will introduce you to a very simple pre-meditation movement sequence.  Hope you practice it very soon.

  1. Stand in horse posture, with your body erect, back straight, and your feet shoulders’ width apart. Just remain still and quiet for a moment. Be soft in your muscles.
  2. Fold your hands together with fingers interlocking, and raise your arms up over your head. Stand quietly for a moment.
  3. Begin to breathe in and out at a slower, deeper rate. SMILE!
  4. As you breathe in bend your body so your arms/folded hands sway to the right – stretch a bit; then breathe out and bring your arms/folded hands to center again over your head.
  5. Breathing in again, bend to the left as above – stretch a bit; breathing out come to center again.
  6. Repeat this breathing movement in to the right, out center, in to the left, out center for ten times. Remember to continue smiling.
  7. After ten times, slowly bring your arms to your sides, and allow your body to sway gently in any direction you wish.
  8. Now stop swaying, and be in full awareness with your still, quiet body and mind.
  9. Notice your current state of mind-body being.

For more information refer to Bradley, C. Try this movement practice before you meditation. www.mindful.org/mindful-moveent-practice…Retrieved January 10, 2017. This post is a modified version of the noted instructions.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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Choice-Making Skills

Using Meditation, Yoga and Breathing…

You can Anchor your Choice Making

A key outcome of serious practice is  that you now reduce auto-pilot reactivity to people, places, things, emotions, sensations, craving, and memories and at the same time notice your mind CAN BE in charge of your brain-body reactions.  Yes, regular daily mindfulness practice allows you more mind-power to make decisions on how to respond to unhelpful events in life.   You notice that you are less apt to react impulsively (with habits of anger, anxiety, depression, avoidance, aggression, self-medication, etc.) and more apt to respond thoughtfully, even compassionately.  To enhance these changes in HOW you live your life, how your mindful-mind helps you to respond constructively to challenges, I will suggest several regular practices below.mindfulhappiness_Choices-anthonyquintiliani

In 1995 T. K. V. Desikachar noted that having the capacity to intentionally direct one’s mind is a fundamentally important core mindfulness skill.  I have often reminded my own secular meditation students that “You are not your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, sensations, or memories.  You are beyond, more than, these random firings of brain cells.”  True, all these experiences may shape us in both positive and negative ways, and if unhelpful they may cause higher levels of stress, angst, and despair.  However, mind training via regular meditation or yoga practice allows your mind to slow the impulsive reactions and to THINK about (contemplate) what an appropriate response might be.  As you become more wise-mind skilled, your repeated and improved responses eventually compete with habitual impulsive reactions – thereby creating helpful brain plasticity for a calmer and happier life.  These changes take time to normalize in our mind and body.  It is very wise to use selective attention – paying more attention to neutral and positive/helpful experiences than to negative/unhelpful experiences.  Do not avoid corrective changes you may need to make, but do not focus attention on unhelpful events and realities.

Samatha-Meditation-Mindful-HappinessThe practice of Samatha or calm abiding meditation, in which your single pointed concentration is on more positive/helpful thoughts, emotions, and memories may be helpful here.  Likewise practicing various meditation and yoga breathing patterns will help calm your reactive body and center you mind’s attention.  Often an effective mantra can be helpful: when I notice the arising of unhelpful energy in my mind or body I often say to myself “be calm, be kind.”  What mantra self-talk might be helpful to you?  Sometimes bringing your focus of attention to your soft heart energy can help.  Many major spiritual traditions practice contemplating/imagining white or golden-white light coming from the heart area.  It may help to gently place both hands over your heart.  Try this, and allow the healing light to soothe you.  Other helpful practices that reduce your suffering and may increase your joy are: thinking radical acceptance regarding things you cannot change; finding more personal meaning in your life; being more self-compassionate; practicing slow, full-body body scans; doing spiritual rituals; and, resting in shavasana (lying resting pose) or yoga nidra may comfort you.

Try some of these practices. on a regular basis.  

See what improvements you notice.

By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness

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For more information refer to Nurries Stearns, M. and Nurries Stearns, R. (2013).  Yoga for Emotional Trauma: Meditations and Practices for Healing Pain and Suffering. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, pp. 170-191.  See also Miller, R. (2005). Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep relaxation and Healing. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.