You want to meditate, but you're not sure how to start?

I have three ways I’ll share that will be different than what you think.

I love meditating. I always feel better and it calms my mind and gives me perspective.

Meditation brings your mind to an alpha state of the brain, however, you go into and out of this all the time.

If you find yourself daydreaming or focusing deeply on something you enjoy- this is the alpha state.

1. Ritualize your practice.

Your brain likes habits. It creates habits out of everything because, well, it’s lazy and it’s easier to create a habit than do it fresh over and over again.

You can start simple by taking two deep breaths, closing your eyes, and then it’s time to meditate. Whatever puts your mind in the ready state is good.

Your ritual can be simple or elaborate, just make sure you use it every day to start.

It takes around 66 days to put a solid habit in place.

2. simple technique before you meditate to help to calm the mind.

Expand your peripheral vision. this technique is exactly as it sounds. Purposefully expand your peripheral vision out to the side as far as you can go. Relax, close your eyes and do it again. This time, imagine or visualize expanding it all the way around your head.

This technique brings you into an alpha state before you even begin meditating.

Now, take a deep breath in and close your eyes to begin meditating.

3. Consider a different type of meditation

Not good at sitting on the couch?

Maybe you need a meditation that is more active.

Meditation can be anything that gets you into the“zone”, where time flies and you feel connected to your heart and headspace.

This activity may not be meditative in the usual sense, but it changes the brain the same way. Those relaxation alpha waves can put you in the moment and that is right where you want to be.

I have provided a few guided meditations on this podcast, the most recent one was when we took a relaxing walk down the ocean’s edge.

Do tell me? What is your favorite kind of meditation?

Post at the webpage shot notes or send me an e-mail

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE one thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl

Sponsors & Links Mentioned:

• One Minute of Mindfulness Podcast webpage
• Cheryl J Reynolds Coaching
• Have a busy mind? Grab this PDF "Mindfulness for a busy mind
• Calming Meditation at the ocean's shore

YOU have a badass superpower and it’s in your overthinking mind

I have 5 reasons to support this!

Superpower, overthinking, and mindfulness?

Really Cheryl? Have you had too much eggnog?

Before I get into this talk, let me clarify a few things.

First off, I'm not talking about overthinking which is debilitating. That's a whole other cup of tea.

I also know that our approach to overthinking makes a huge difference in how we feel about it.

So, start appreciating this amazing gift that is really trying to support us.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

Here’s why...

When you appreciate something, you take care of it.

Us overthinking are always trying to not overthink. But what happens, we end up overthinking the overthinking.

I have 5 reasons to support your badass brain.

1. Creativity
2. Problem Solving
3. Observation skills
4. Intuition
5. Self-evaluation

Reframe your overthinking mind

Now it’s your job to reframe how you view your overthinking mind.

Appreciate the benefits, be in gratitude for your creativity, your intuition, your ability to see things others can’t.

And while you are enjoying being a badass overthinker remember that you still need to take breaks.

This is where mindfulness comes in.

You can’t dance or sing without resting. Or read a book without resting our eyes. No different from thinking.

The mind needs time to rest, rejuvenate and process information.

Use the OMOM to give your mind a reprieve. Put some space between your thoughts so you’re not overthinking ALL The time.

It’s like taking a mini-vacation from overthinking.

Recap:

5 reasons you are a badass Overthinker

1. Creativity
2. Decision making
3. Observation skills
4. Intuition
5. Self -evaluation

Now...the next time someone tells you, you're overthinking too much.

Remember how amazing you are. Stand tall, be proud, and tell them.

That’s right. It’s my superpower and I’m a badass overthinker.

Be proud! You got this!

Tell me what is your overthinking superpower? What is your gift?

Take a deep breath in and exhale

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE one thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl

Sponsors & Links Mentioned

• Coaching -Do you want to work with Cheryl
• One Minute of Mindfulness

A simple way to start a mindfulness practice

It will take you no time, but the little time you do take will be invaluable to your life.

This is less about learning and more about not thinking.

You can see the previous where I talk about why I don’t care for new years resolutions here.

So when it comes to creating a “new” practice around the new year, I do appreciate that there are many people who want to start over fresh and get new practices and old ways of thinking pushed behind them.

So, if you're not aware, Mindfulness is...

Present Moment. Being in the now. Awareness without judgment.

They're all the same. So, if you want to become more mindful, I have one simple way to start your mindfulness practice. You’ll feel so much better if you do.

How do you start a mindfulness practice that you can do easily?

I am going to give you one suggestion, but first I want to tell you how I view Mindfulness.

Go on this Mindfulness Journey with me

• I share a story of going for a long walk

We need to remember our intentions.

Pick ‘one’ area in your life that you want to become more mindful or deepen your mindfulness.

But before you begin, you need to know where or what this area is.

Start with your reasons

What is your ‘why’ you want to become mindful of?

Are you becoming mindful to decrease overthinking? Be happier? Become more present? Be more engaged with life and the people around you?

Just start with ONE simple daily practice using the OMOM (One Minute of Mindfulness) technique.

Consistency is more important than time.

I want to ask a favor? What is the one practice you are going to start? Share with me, I would love to hear it.

Take a deep breath in and exhale

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE one thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl

Sponsors & Links Mentioned

• Coaching
• Episode 10-Choose a word of the year instead of a new years resolution

28-Did you know that it’s good to feel sad?

THE EMOTIONS OF SADNESS ARE NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING.

Feeling sad? Down? Gloomy? Melancholy?

Some of us have these days and if they don’t last, then they are not bad.

Disclaimer... if you are really sad, depressed, or suicidal please seek help.

We all have days, when we just feel melancholy, under the weather, sad, miserable, we just want to be left alone, we don’t want to do anything, be around anybody, see anybody.

I had one of those days a couple of weeks ago when I just fell out of sorts.

I stayed in bed, I read a book, I hung out with my cats, and the following day I was fine.

We’re always trying to run away from the bad things that are happening in our lives and run towards the good things. We never just allow ourselves to feel the tapestry of emotions that we have.

We don’t always have to be happy people.

Sometimes it is acceptable and good to be a bit sad.

It allows us a reprieve, the downtime of sorts.

It also gives us perspective as we can see the good things clearer.

We appreciate things easier. It’s the yin to our yang, the day to our night. The up to our down.

It is natural that we have those days of melancholy. And it is normal. And it is perfectly okay to allow yourself to feel that way.

Sometimes we don’t know why we’re sad. We have no answer.

We just feel off like something is missing or not right or not connecting or clicking.

And there are times when we really don’t need the answers. We just need to feel it, be with it, and embrace it.

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW STORY
My suggestion is if you’re going to be sad, then do so mindfully.

Feel what you’re feeling. Recognize where this feeling is located or where in your body this sensation is coming from.

Are you so sad, you want to cry. Then cry.

Give yourself a deep hearty cry.

Don’t try to move it away or push it away or change it in any way.

This is not the time for evaluation of “why” you’re sad. Analyzing is for another day.

So the next time you’re having a miserable day, be grateful that you have the ability to feel all the tapestry of emotions in your life even if you can’t “see” the problem.

Acknowledge it and allow it to pass through so that we can go on to another day.

Take a deep breath in and exhale

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE one thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl

Sponsors & Links Mentioned:

• One Minute of Mindfulness.com -show notes (buss description only -remove on the blog post)
• Individualized Guided Meditations– Are you interested? More information coming soon!
• Do you have a busy mind that you want to calm down?

Episode Links:

• The Five myths of happiness

30-So how can being mindful for just a few minutes a day change your life?

Here are the four benefits of short, tiny minutes of mindfulness that you can do anytime or anywhere.

So the topic today is pretty obvious. One minute mindfulness is even in the title. I know I'm so subtle, right?

The initials for One Minute of Mindfulness are OMOM which I thought was just so cool. And no, I didn't plan it that way.

I came up with the title one minute of mindfulness back in 2012, when I was trying to become a little more spiritual and really mindful at the time, my attention span was crap. And I was overthinking everything. And I was also starting to get some more anxiety and worry.

I just felt like I was missing something, the simplicity of life, the joy of life, the ability to be mindful and be present.

As they say, as you get older life goes by faster.

And I really believe that it's so true.

Do you think so?

So how can being mindful for just one minute change your life?

Four benefits to one minute of mindfulness practice

1. Tiny is powerful

This all comes from tiny habits, and doing anything in small increments bypasses your critical overthinking mind. You become mindful almost by default because your brain is not getting in the way of what you're doing.

2. Mindfulness can help you be okay with where you are

Mindfulness does not remove difficulties in your life. You don't go around like a unicorn with rainbows shooting up your ass and all hippy happy.

It helps you to remove future worries and stop you from dwelling on your past issues and past concerns.

3. You gain a better perspective

You become more aware of how your mind works and how you process information. And when you can understand that, you'll laugh at how crazy your mind is.

(crazy not being a clinical term)

4. You actually slow down

You become more present and more aware, and more engaged and everything becomes more spacious. There is a deeper connection here.

How to start One Minute of Mindfulness

Give the one minute of mindfulness or try, start five seconds set up thirty seconds, then I suggest three times a day, morning, noon, and night.

There are 1440 minutes in the day, you can spare three...Yes three of them.

Take a deep breath in and exhale.

So, before I go, listen closely and remember this ONE one thing.

Your future is a thought, your past has passed, but your now is always here.

Be mindful-one minute at a time.

Hugs, Cheryl

Sponsors & Links Mentioned:

• One Minute of Mindfulness.com -shownotes
• Cheryl J Reynolds Individualized meditation services
• The Art of Breathing -Free Audio and Video Mini-Meditation

Episode Links:

• Tiny Buddha Article- How One Fleeting Mindful Minute Completely Changed My Life
• Fifty Suggestions for One Minute of Mindfulness_ PDF FREE
• Setting up a simple Mindfulness Practice - take a listen to this podcast episode