Mindful Clarity - Video 1 Transcript

 

Hello Jawai here, some of you know me as Gus, it is nice to see you here. In this video I am going to share with you how you can feel more calm, clear and productive in your daily life.

 

We all want to feel good and connected, have energy and a clear mind so we can achieve our goals and dreams.

 

But often, what tends to happen, you might feel anxiety arising, or you feel tense and overwhelmed with all that is going on in your life.  Sometimes we can begin to doubt ourself and feel like we are not good enough. Not capable or balanced enough.

 

And when we are stuck in these states can make us feel frustrated and sad. 

We can feel disconnected from our innate joy and potential, and those we love.

 

So that’s why I am here today sharing this video. I want to help you with this.

In this and in the next 2 videos we are going to explore these things, I am going to give you insights and tools to work wisely with these states, and to help you regain clarity and emotional balance.

 

In this video we will look at the mind and meditation and how mindfulness is incredibly helpful. I will also give you some tips for your meditation practice.

 

In the next video we will look at our emotions and mood swings and how you can navigate them and challenges with more skill and wisdom.

 

Then in the third video I will share with you tools and practices to have more energy daily life, and to feel more empowered and positive.

our innate joy and potential,

 

So first, lets look at what is happening in our mind when we lose our balance.

 

Maybe you had a disagreement with someone, or is feeling a lot of pressure from work, or you just find yourself anxious and stressed out with the million things you need to do, the business and craziness of life. Feeling drained and with no time to rest and look after yourself.

 

Whatever it is there are a few things that are happening in our mind in times like this, that is good for us to be aware of.

 

The mind, when we are stressed or reactive, is often involved in one of these things:

 

 

1. Our attention has moved away from the present moment. We are not fully present in the here and now.

2. Our mind is fixated on what is wrong and looking at things from a more negative perspective. It is stuck on negative thoughts and what thinking of all that can go wrong. Negativity bias.

3. Our mind is jumping randomly to other thoughts and associations. When we are in a negative mood we tend to think of all the other stuff that is not right in our life. Which is not a very nice space to be in.

4. The mind is on automatic pilot, we can go for hours thinking about so many useless things, and things that create sadness or anxiety. Without much awareness we can stay in these state for days or weeks. And for some people a lifetime.

 

What is interesting is that don’t even have to be under pressure to feel this way. The mind even on moments we are ok can drift into thoughts that can put us in a bad mood.

 

There are studies in Neuroscience that discovered that the mind, when not focusing on a particular task, operates on what has been called the Default Network. It is how the brain tends to function when say we are driving the car, waiting for an appointment, cooking, etc.

 

 In the default network the mind tends to:

 

1. Time travel and get lost in the past

2. Fantasize about the future and all different things that can happen.

3. Think about others, how they see us, how they are. It can go into judging others or ourselves in relation to others.

4. Thinking about yourself. Autobiographical processing. Thinking about how well or not you are doing in life. Your limitations, qualities, imperfections. It is kind of automatic ally describing you.

 

So whether you are stressing out or just chilling at home. The mind has these strong tendency to wander, be lost in stories and imagined dramas, to focus on the negative, be evaluative of self and others.

 

So if we are to have some peace in our lives, and feel more content, focus and connected we need to attend to our mind.

 

We need to put some love and care into it. In the same way we attend to a garden for it to flourish. If we want more peace and prosperity in our life, let’s look after it. We can train our mind to be more present, compassionate and wise.

 

And that is exactly what mindfulness and meditation does. To be mindful means that you are aware of what is arising within you in the present moment. You are aware of your emotions, your state of mind, and aware of your surroundings, in the present, right now. You are training yourself not to get lost in mind wandering and emotional reactivity. You are cultivating your ability to witness and be open and non-judgemental towards your experience.

 

A few things happen when you pay attention to your experience in this way.

 

1. You become aware of your thinking and learn to let go of negative thoughts.

2. You notice how you are feeling, and is better able to navigate your emotions wisely, to experience them and let them pass through you. 

3. Also at times, you can begin to feel calmer and more relaxed as this way of paying attention tend to active the relaxation response in your body.

4. You can guide your attention back to the simplicity of the present moment, and enjoy it.

5. You can feel more into your body. Listen to its signals and attend to what it needs now.

6. You can bring a more kindness and compassion to what you are experiencing.

7. You open yourself to new perspectives and insights

8. And you can then act with more awareness and intention

 

 

So you see there are so many benefits from being more present and mindful. There are a lot more too, but I will keep this video short and to the point.

 

My intention for this video is to remind you of the many blessings and benefits of living life with awareness and helping you to cultivate and actually experience that.

 

I am sharing with you a 21min and a 5 min guided mindfulness meditation. And am inviting you to listen to it everyday for the next 2 weeks. You can listen to the 21min as a formal practice, and use the 5min through the day when you need some help dropping in and grounding yourself a bit.

 

I know it’s it can be challenging to make the time for it, and know that some challenges also arise during the meditation. So I will give you a few tips for your practice:

 

 

   1. Schedule it.

 

Rather than just living lose and just try to fit in your meditation in you busy day, make time for it. Set aside some time daily during the next 2 weeks for it. Schedule it like you would an appointment; and commit to it. You know its good for you and it will help you a lot.

 

   2. Think of where you can do your meditation and visualize yourself doing it thorough the week.

 

Think of a time and space where you can sit in meditation. A space that you feel you won't be interrupted, but also don't get so worry about sounds or anything else that might arise during your meditation. It doesn't need to be perfect or totally quiet. We are learning to be in the present moment exactly as it is, with an open mind. So just think of possible spots for you to mediate, and spend some time seeing yourself there there and how good it feels to be actually putting time and energy into your wellbeing and peace of mind. Maybe it will be outside in the early morning or afternoon. In the car or at a park after lunch at work, wherever feels right. And once you are there meditating, embrace everything as it arises. All sounds and movements is life, naturally unfolding in this moment. Allow life to be life. Embrace it and keep bringing your attention on the breath.

 

   3. Embrace Thinking

 

An idea that is very common in world of mediation, is the idea that you should have no thoughts. Which really is unrealistic and not very helpful. The truth is your mind will think a lot, and it's ok. Even long term meditators experience thoughts when meditating. Rather than fighting with your mind because it is thinking or feeling you are not having a good meditation. Simply keep coming back to the breath, every time the mind wanders returning attention to the sensations of breathing over and over again. That is the training. That is the meditation.

 

   4. Let Go of Wanting to Feel Relaxed

 

The other thing is that common but also not helpful is the idea that meditation is about being relaxed. Well you might want to meditate because you feeling stressed and want to feel calm and relaxed. That’s fine. But remind yourself that when we meditate feelings do not simply disappear like magic. You are become more aware of your state and you can notice that you might be feeling a bit bored, or frustrated or anxious, and that is fine.

It does not mean that you are not having a good meditation. It is actually right when this things are happening that are you training yourself in mindfulness. The true gift of mediation is to learn to embrace all feelings and sensations that are present. To sit them with and breath with them without trying to push them away. But rather feel them and witness them as you breathe. You are cultivating this neutrality to your experience learning to navigate ups and downs in life with less reactivity and more witnessing awareness .

 

   5. Let Go of Trying to Feel Anything Special

 

We are not trying to get anywhere or achieve or feel anything special with this meditation.

 

We are simply training our mind to be present and notice what is already here. To cultivate peace and presence in the present moment. To be embodied and present to the simplicity of now.

 

Great, I hope you enjoyed this video. Thank you for taking the time for your health and wellbeing.  

 

Have fun with your practice and I will see you in the next video where we will explore emotions and tools and strategies to navigate them wisely.

 

Enjoy the practices and I have a wonderful week my friends.

 

Thank you. Be well,

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Jawai (Gus)

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