Emotional Mindfulness!!

Leslie, John, Naomi & Brian

 We had a powerful weekend (Thanks to Leslie Eimas my Associate at The Polarity Center of Syracuse) with John Bruna.  He is a former Buddhist monk of the Tibetan tradition.  We spent the weekend discussing Emotional Mindfulness. With loving kindness John presented us with a informative ways to walk through life.  Meditation skills and a better understanding of how our inner emotional bodies work. It was a weekend spent looking within and sharing with old and new friends. We all learned how to Thrive with happiness as our focal point.

John Bruna

Ok.....here is the gist.  If you make a mistake in your life the world will still be around tomorrow. (Good God... who would have thought that) We tend to exaggerate the events of our lives and this causes our emotional stress.  The desire for a "particular outcome" creates an inner anxiety.  Genuine happiness comes from living a life of value.  How you and I respond to conflicts will effect our happiness.  Treat all people as human beings and practice living with a gentle heart.  Moments don't last (oops - another one just passed by)  So....what do we need to be happy?  We need time to do - time to be - time to let things play out!  

James & Brian

Emotional Mindfulness is a way for us to allow our bliss to rise to the surface.  Fear and anxiety is the element that covers the inner happiness that we all desire.  You are here now - in this moment invite your emotions to rise and fall.  "Be Mindful - Present.  For every minute of anger we lose one minute of happiness."  

Many times we attach to something that really isn't that important.  Those little monster patterns that we've acquired in our journey throughout our life.  You can have plans or goals but don't attached to the outcome.  Your genuine happiness will not come from that outcome.  Be open to the potential to change.  Transformation comes from how we live our lives and how we choose to put this into action.  Be Kind - Don't Beat Yourself Up Over It!!  "The only thing that separates you from the person you want to be is ~ how you live your life."

Leslie greeting our guests

Now comes the big question.....What do we do about this?  Meditate! (I can hear the groans- stop it!)  John instructed us to keep our meditations simple with a gentle focus of the breath.  If your mind wanders - smile, head bobble - and bring your attention back to the breath. Breathe in - Breathe out - Repeat.
It's that simple and that complicated.   Meditation isn't something to be afraid of.  You can meditate sitting, standing, walking or laying on a mat.  Pick one and start.  Start out with 10 minutes a day.  It's more important to do a small daily meditation than a large meditation inconsistently.  Creating a practice is the goal.  This is a chance for you to spend some quality time with YOU.  End your day with a reflection of how you might have responded to differently to a certain situation.  You pick the situation - you know your own demons.  

Feasting

Sharing Reflections

 




Part of your daily practice will be paying attention to all those little emotional triggers that pop up in your day.  When you find yourself slipping into a moment of anger, frustration, sadness etc, stop and breathe. (It makes me think of STOP - DROP- AND ROLL) Allowing this pause to bring greater clarity about what is really important in that moment.  Do you really want to expend that energy on anger when you could be living a moment of true happiness?  Our perceptions of the world we view are the key......we just need to tweak our vision, clean our lens.  Acknowledge the emotion (quickly before it takes over) and then look for the trigger.  Recognizing your triggers will help you to see yourself and others in a clear light. This will take some practice.  "Mindfulness is easy ~ Remembering to be Mindful is the hard part."  This has been a weekend of working with a process that will enhance the Bonus Days of everyone. If your interested in reading more about John Bruna and his teachings you can find him at http://www.wayofcompassion.org/

Emotional Mindfulness 2013

Beans & Avocado

This weeks recipe is one of my summer quickies!
Great for picnics and potluck parties.

Beans & Avocado with Balsamic Dressing

1 can organic butter beans
1 can organic chickpeas
2 stalks celery
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Avocado

Balsamic Dressing
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon pure organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 clove garlic chopped
I usually make this in my Ninja Chopper.  You could use a blender or  immersion blender.  You want the final product to be emulsified until creamy.
**This recipe can also be doubled or tripled as needed.

Drain and rinse beans - put in bowl
Chop celery and apple - add to bowl
Dice Avocado- add to bowl
Spoon over dressing and toss gently.
Enjoy!!

Blessings to all!
Sweet Apple kisses!
Namaste`
Naomi