8 Listen Activity 7
Activity #L7: Mindfulness training
Meditation and mindfulness tips are abundant; especially on social media. Which is somewhat ironic because a technology break is sometimes necessary to re-learn how to quiet the mind and regain focus. For most of us, it has taken years to learn how to be always “on” or distracted by our phones and social media. Learning how to be less distracted can take a good deal of un-learning. Whether you want to meditate or just quiet the mind from distraction, it is a good idea to learn how to sit with your thoughts.
Many newbies to any type of meditation put up barriers to their success. For example, they have big goals like totally quieting the mind or meditating for a long period of time. Trying to be still and completely quiet for 20 or even 10 minutes can be a nearly impossible task to start.
TRY IT OUT: Set a timer on your computer or phone for 2 minutes. Close your eyes if that is comfortable for you or just sit quietly. While you do, do a scan of your body and environment for other sensory information you may not have otherwise been focusing on.
Did you make it to 2 minutes? How did that feel?
Setting a short timer to be quiet with your thoughts or just focus on your breathing is a good start to learning how to be more mindful. The “Brain Yoga” activity described below is another good starting point for mindfulness.
Brain Yoga
One option is to train your brain to attend before jumping into a more strenuous meditation plan.
See if “Brain Yoga” would work for you.
Brain Yoga Pose 1: Make a fist with your left hand, extending your pinkie finger.
Brain Yoga Pose 2: Make a fist with your right hand, this time extending your thumb.
Brain Yoga Pose 3: Alternate by making a fist with your right hand, extending your pinkie finger, and making a fist with your left hand, extending your thumb.
Repeat this exercise approximately five times!
If this is too challenging, start by listening to some calming music and focus on your breath for about 2 minutes.
