When an old crown on a back molar disintegrated, I knew I’d have to get it fixed. What I hadn’t anticipated was a stress fracture in the tooth next to back molar. An infection followed. Then, after ten days of antibiotics, I was scheduled for a root canal. Stressed out doesn’t quite reflect my consternation. I felt like I was losing my mind.

 

 

Mindfulness practice on a nature walk will have you noticing small things like a bee on lavender

Mindfulness practice on a nature walk will have you noticing small things like a bee on lavender

 

 

Intending to be centered and calm, I took my seat in the dentist chair and waited for the pain medicine to kick  in. I focused on Buddha breathing (during inhalation, the belly rises; it falls during exhalation). Gazing inward and upward in relaxed awareness, I saw a circle of light. My attention flowed into its center.

 

 

While thus absorbed on that light and the patterns within it, I lost sense of time. The two and one-half hours in the dentist chair seemed to have happened in a single moment. And on the other side of that experience, I felt peaceful and upbeat.

 

 

Mindfulness practice will have you stopping to smell the roses

During a mindful walk, stop to smell the roses

 

 

Harvard researchers have further shown that mindfulness practice changes the brain’s structure. While stress contributes to a variety of illnesses, mindfulness practice counters stress and bestows numerous physical and mental benefits. Studies show that mindfulness lowers blood pressure and heart rate while fostering a happier mood, stronger immune system, and greater sense of well being and self-esteem.

 

 

Mindfulness is paying attention to what’s in the moment, rather than fretting about a tomorrow (which you are not promised) or stressing over the past (which you can do nothing about). Mindfulness means you can let go of negative self-talk, worry, and stress and, instead, explore your  interiority and inner silence. Or, outwardly focused, you can absorb what your senses are revealing about the environment around you–observing but not judging.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Learn more about living life with intention or engaging in  meaningful meditation practices with my wellness and spirituality books. All are available online and in bookstores everywhere.

 

 

More than 150 rituals for sound mind, strong body, and meaningful connections to the people around you

More than 150 rituals for sound mind, strong body, and meaningful connections to the people around you

 

 

 

Packed full of ideas for creating the life you want

Packed full of ideas for creating the life you want

 

Anyone can find peace, clarity, and focus...all it takes is a moment

Anyone can find peace, clarity, and focus…all it takes is a moment

 

 

 

read comments ( 0 )