Dr. Peter Zafirides- Mindfullness

http://www.thehealthymind.com/2012/09/27/mindfulness-how-to-reduce-stress-and-feel-happy-again/

I wanted to post the link to Dr. Peter Zafirides Mindfulness teaching
Its simple and direct, it taught me to understand mindfulness very well.
After this I checked out some books on Mindfulness at the library and I had it in the bag.

This is a good way to be in the now and soothe

 

I remember you wrote about Mindfulness, Herbie, and summed it up real well:


Another TMS fighting weapon is Awareness -- The ability to be able to perceive the right from wrong thoughts, and choosing on purpose to have the good thought. The act of catching the bad thought in mid-thought is a great part of Mindfulness, which is a form of Awareness. It’s taking control of our stressors, thus eliminating the negative vibrations caused from adrenaline and toxin overload into our systems through worry, hurt, pain, weakness, etc. Awareness is in control of state.

 

Mindfulness Means to Live in the Present Moment​

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The American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau (Walden) (1817-1862) wrote: “You can never ignore the future, because it is the place that we are all heading, but the point is… don’t live your life constantly looking forward and ignoring the present. You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. There is no other life but this.”
Buddha said, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
Jesus said it best: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for today is its own troubles.”
Living in the present is a very important part of learning to dance on the meat counter.
Herbie says, “Living in the present to me is enjoying every second we have. It’s about love and peace and how we learn to forgive.
“When I live in the now I totally get freed up of any distractions and can become anything I want to be. This is how I think right before preaching or a gathering or praying for someone real sick. I always enter into the now at those times, but I’m also behind the cloud of glory. Living in the present is like an instant fog cleaner for the brain.”
Since I’m still learning to live in the present myself, I surfed the web looking for ways to do that.
Joshua Becker says, “Choosing to live in the past or the future not only robs you of enjoyment today, it robs you of truly living. The only important moment is the present moment.”
With that goal in mind, Becker suggests considering his list of steps to start living your life in the present. I’ve modified the list, but it’s basically his, and Herbie and I thank him for it:
1. Smile. Each day is full of endless possibilities. Start it with a smile. You are in control of your attitude every morning. Keep it optimistic and expectant.
2. Fully appreciate the moments of today. Soak in as much of today as you possibly can – the sights, sounds, smells, emotions, the triumph and the sorrow.
3. Forgive past hurts. If you are harboring resentment towards another person because of past hurts, choose to forgive and move on.
4. Love your job. If you just “survive” the work week constantly waiting for the next weekend to get there, you are wasting 71 per cent of your life (5 out of 7 days). There are two solutions: 1) find a new job that you actually enjoy, or 2) find something that you appreciate about your current occupation and focus on that rather than the negatives.
5. Dream about the future, but work hard today. Set goals and plans for the future, but working hard today is always the first step towards realizing your dreams tomorrow. But don’t allow dreaming about tomorrow to replace living in today.
6. Don’t dwell on past accomplishment. If you are still thinking about what you did yesterday, you won’t have done much today.
7. Stop worrying. You can’t fully appreciate today if you worry too much about tomorrow.
What does it mean to live fully in the present moment? It means that your awareness is completely centered on the here and now. You are not worrying about the future or thinking about the past. When you live in the present, you are living where life is happening. The past and future are illusions, they don’t exist.
Becker echoes TMS philosophy although he doesn’t mention it specifically when he says, “Not only will living in the present have a dramatic effect on your emotional well-being, but it can also impact your physical health. It’s long been known that the amount of mental stress you carry can have a detrimental impact on your health.
“If you’re living in the present, you’re living in acceptance. You’re accepting life as it is now, not as how you wish it would have been. When you’re living in acceptance, you realize everything is complete as it is. You can forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made, and you can have peace in your heart knowing that everything that should happen will.
“If you’re living in the past, you can’t do anything about it, it’s gone. If you’re worrying about the future, you’re living somewhere that doesn’t exist. It hasn’t happened yet. If you want to change your life, the only place you can do it is in the present. But first you need to accept life as it is. When it comes down to it, your mind is the only thing keeping you from living in the present.”
Look at Joshua Becker’s web site for more of his thoughts on living in the present and living a more simple life he calls “minimalistic.”
How do we live in the present moment? Here are a few examples. They may sound simple and basic, but they do work:
When washing the dishes, the old way by hand not in a dish washing machine, say to yourself,. “This is me washing dishes.” Repeat it calmly, focusing on the very act of hand-washing the dishes. Pay attention to the steps involved, the sound and feel of warm water running in the sink and down the dish, the smell of the soap, etc.
As you repeat to yourself, “This is me doing (something),” you begin to feel relaxed. Other concerns loose importance. You’re ordering your mind to actively focus on what you are doing, and only that. Then do the same with the next thing you might be doing.

Going upstairs to the bedroom, tell yourself what you are doing. “This is me, walking upstairs.”
Playing with a child by tossing a ball: “This is me playing with Betsy. I’m tossing a ball to her.”
Playing with a dog by tossing a Frisbee in the back yard: “This is me playing with Annie. I’m tossing a Frisbee to her and she’s catching and returning it for me to toss again. The sunshine feels good. The gentle breeze feels good.”
When brushing your teeth, say “This is me brushing my teeth. I am calm and experiencing the present. I feel good and relaxed.”
After a few minutes of keeping focused and repeating to yourself what you are doing, you will experience a feeling of well-being and peace. Awareness of the immediate reality increases. No room is left for thoughts about anything but the present.
Eckhart Tolle has an excellent book that explains the importance of living in the present and how to do it:
Practicing the Power of Now. Another is Richard Templar’s The Rules of Life. He suggests “Live here, live now, live in this moment.”
I found more good advice on how to live in the present from Remez Sasson, author and founder of the web site and blog SuccessConsciousness.com.
Sasson says, “Living in the present means focusing on what is happening right now, enjoying it, and making the most of it. Wake up to the present moment and live in it. By being aware of your thoughts and feelings, it becomes easier to be a little more detached. When you are detached you become able to choose how to react to people, events and circumstances, which can save yourself a lot of inconvenience, trouble and embarrassment.” I add, worries and pain.