Take Five...

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Take 5...or 10....0r 20. Just take 1 if you have to, but take it!

I went to a class yesterday in Plainview, "Mindfulness for Beginners" with Cory Muscara. So much of what I learned just reaffirmed messages I have been receiving lately and nudges that my intuition has been trying to get me to notice. Not just notice, but to pay attention to and put into practice. Cory calls Mindfulness, Shifting from Surviving to Thriving. He talked about how to "shift from living on “automatic pilot” to living with greater awareness, presence, and intentionality." And the route he teaches to get you there is Mindfulness and meditation. So many people think of meditation as something far-out-there or something they "can't do" (I was one of them - I wanted to learn to meditate but didn't know how or if I could quiet the mind long enough to). The class was a great start to the practice, and I really enjoyed it. As Cory validated, so often we live on "auto pilot" and are not really present. Our bodies are someplace, but we are elsewhere (our minds, with thoughts in the past or future). It's so healthy for us to stop and take a few moments, even just one minute, to become aware and present fully in the moment. Here and Now. The health benefits and scientific studies around the benefits are impressive. And so many companies, organizations and schools are adopting these principles because of the findings and evidence showing how important meditation or mindfulness is to productivity, reduction in stress and illness, and overall wellbeing and happiness. Taking Five! We all deserve to give ourselves the peace of mind that can come from Mindfulness Meditation. You can start with as little as one minute a day. Cory taught us an exercise that can be done in about 30 seconds called, "Take Five." Instructions: * You look at the palm of your left hand and trace your fingers, one at a time, up and down with your right pointer finger, beginning at the thumb. * Align your breath with the finger motions, as you go up, inhale... and as you draw down your finger, exhale. Continue to do this each finger. * Pay attention as the finger slides up and down, the sensations you feel, and really absorb that experience and moment. * If you catch yourself "thinking," simply say"oh, that's a thought" and let it go without judgment, bringing yourself back to the exercise and present moment. If you like, you can then move onto the next hand. Or do it, again, on both hands. Something as simple as this can bring your awareness to the present moment, shedding negative thoughts for long enough to ground you in peace and bring you back to yourself. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I am committing to meditating everyday until his level 2 course in April. I'll keep you posted on what comes up for me! And I'll be back to share with you an awesome exercise he did with a raisin! Sounds silly, but it was so powerful. Love and light to you, my friend. xo ---------- For inspi-pics, check out my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/camille_lucy_26/ Check out my blog posts at LiveFullyToday.Blogspot.com If there is anything I can do to support you on your journey to transformation, please do not hesitate to reach out. Check out my first book here: www.TheRealLoveExperiment.com In the interim, join me on Facebook for daily inspirations: www.facebook.com/LiveFullToday