As part of my personal goal of taking my life from chaos to calm, I am kicking off a weekly series called “Meditation Mondays”. In this series I will share some of the ways that I am trying to slow down and enjoy the moment. Currently, I am working my way through Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices To Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long (Amazon Affiliate Link – That means if you click the link and purchase the book, Amakua Market gets a commission AND as always 10% of our profits are donated to social causes and charities). This book offers 100 morning meditations that are geared to help you stay calm and focused all day. Let me know in the comments section what you think about this series.

Practice number two had its hands full. With Bradyn getting sick, 8 days in the hospital and then finding out that he needs surgery, I needed all the self calming that I could get my freaked out hands on. I found myself using the wish myself safety technique from week 1, the five fingered peace technique from week 2 AND a new technique that the hospital Chaplain shared with me.

We will start with the Chaplains exercise: he told me that whenever I started feeling heavy with worry or that anxious feeling began to take over, I should visualize placing that worry and anxiety in the palm of my hand and lifting it up and giving it away. You can visualize giving it to God or the Universe or just watch it float away. The act of removing it from your mind and body and giving it away is tremendously helpful.

Now on to practice 2 from our Five Good Minutes: 100 Morning Practices To Help You Stay Calm & Focused All Day Long book.

The second practice involves using each finger on your hand to help you find your center and bring on a focused state of awareness.

Step one – touch your thumb to your index finger and think about a time when you felt a healthy exhaustion after physical exertion.

I thought about running the Nike Women’s ½ Marathon in San Francisco. When I finished I was so completely exhausted I wanted to cry but I was also so proud of myself for training for months to achieve my goal.

Step two – touch your thumb to your middle finger and think about a time when you have a loving exchange with someone special.

I thought about the last time Bradyn was in an affectionate mood and kept nuzzling my neck and giving me Eskimo kisses rubbing his nose on mine over and over.

Step three – touch your thumb to your ring finger and think about the most caring gesture you have ever received. Take a moment to receive this gift.

I thought about when Kyle and I decided that our marriage was over and 4 of my closest friends dropped everything to fly to San Antonio and spend the weekend with me.

Step four – touch your thumb to your little finger and think about the most beautiful place you have ever seen or dreamed about. Take a moment to absorb all the beauty that surrounds you.

I thought about Sunset Beach on North Shore Oahu. I remembered sitting there at sunset with one of my best friends and enjoying the sound of the waves and the calm beauty of the moment.

The book says that this relaxation is “your ticket to building inner strength, harmony and a sense of ease”. It is very powerful and very effective. This relaxation helped me keep everything in perspective and remember that even though we were sitting in a hospital room with a million unanswered questions we also have a billion things to be thankful for and appreciate.

Photo Credit: Carlos Porto – FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Category: Lovin Life