So I am reminded on a daily basis working where I work and planning to lead a Yoga/Mindfulness Retreat of the importance of mindfulness but today I became acutely aware of how powerful #TRIGGERS are in pulling us away from our true selves when we least expect it like a rogue wave that knocks you off your feet and takes your breath away.
This morning I was having a normal morning getting ready for work and my partner started talking about normal day to day household stuff one needs to take care of and I found that I got really annoyed... REALLY annoyed. This time I actually apparently at that moment had enough awareness to watch from behind the scenes and notice how I was feeling, knowing that a trigger was pushed. I was not able to identify where the trigger came from but I at least could share with him that it wasn't about him. Since then I have been becoming conscious of what my triggers are, small and big, throughout the day. I realized that #FOOD is a big trigger for me... when there is free food I eat too much or less healthy than I normally would; #CONTROL is another one - when I feel someone is trying in any way to control what I do I have a knight with a sword come out and immediately defend my independence... and so on.
So I wanted to share today a short practice to become mindful of what your triggers are and begin taking away their hold over you, thus allowing you to be more present in the NOW and flow with the stream of the Universe as it comes rather than reacting to things, people and ideas that are simply a result of past experiences and very likely actually have no substance in the present circumstances.
First pick one day this week and set the intention to be mindful all day of any situations, phrases, actions, etc that make you react in a strong way or more emotionally than the situation would normally cause to surge. At the end of the day or in the afternoon set aside 5-20 minutes to sit in a quiet and comfortable spot. Start by noticing your breath, take a minute or two to settle into the breath and become totally present. Then begin to bring into your mind the first thing that triggered you in your day. Start to notice where you feel sensations in your physical body. Focus on the sensation and breath into it, paying attention to the contraction or expansion that it creates in you. Take a few breaths and move on to the next trigger you identified feeling it fully in the body. If there was a trigger that was particularly strong you may choose to take a few extra minutes to sit with it and see if anything comes to your mind of past experiences that may have started the neural connection between that action, thought, word, behavior with a negative reaction. Once you do this 2-3 times you may start to notice that you start doing this process automatically when a something triggers you. And keep in mind EVERY EMOTION IS PROCEEDED BY A THOUGHT!
This morning I was having a normal morning getting ready for work and my partner started talking about normal day to day household stuff one needs to take care of and I found that I got really annoyed... REALLY annoyed. This time I actually apparently at that moment had enough awareness to watch from behind the scenes and notice how I was feeling, knowing that a trigger was pushed. I was not able to identify where the trigger came from but I at least could share with him that it wasn't about him. Since then I have been becoming conscious of what my triggers are, small and big, throughout the day. I realized that #FOOD is a big trigger for me... when there is free food I eat too much or less healthy than I normally would; #CONTROL is another one - when I feel someone is trying in any way to control what I do I have a knight with a sword come out and immediately defend my independence... and so on.
So I wanted to share today a short practice to become mindful of what your triggers are and begin taking away their hold over you, thus allowing you to be more present in the NOW and flow with the stream of the Universe as it comes rather than reacting to things, people and ideas that are simply a result of past experiences and very likely actually have no substance in the present circumstances.
First pick one day this week and set the intention to be mindful all day of any situations, phrases, actions, etc that make you react in a strong way or more emotionally than the situation would normally cause to surge. At the end of the day or in the afternoon set aside 5-20 minutes to sit in a quiet and comfortable spot. Start by noticing your breath, take a minute or two to settle into the breath and become totally present. Then begin to bring into your mind the first thing that triggered you in your day. Start to notice where you feel sensations in your physical body. Focus on the sensation and breath into it, paying attention to the contraction or expansion that it creates in you. Take a few breaths and move on to the next trigger you identified feeling it fully in the body. If there was a trigger that was particularly strong you may choose to take a few extra minutes to sit with it and see if anything comes to your mind of past experiences that may have started the neural connection between that action, thought, word, behavior with a negative reaction. Once you do this 2-3 times you may start to notice that you start doing this process automatically when a something triggers you. And keep in mind EVERY EMOTION IS PROCEEDED BY A THOUGHT!
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