This month it’s all about MINDFULNESS. You got it, it’s March Mindfulness! Kinda like MARCH MADNESS ~ think not so much about basketballs flying at your face, but more about playing with the TRUTHS ABOUT YOURSELF!!!
Some of you are like whoa …. hold on to your drum and crystals I thought this was a fitness blog.
No dude seriously, this stuff works. I have been friends with Jennifer Robinson for over a year now (pssst… she’s our Editor-In-Chief here at Peaceful Living Wellness), and she, along with a lot of other folks have really educated me about Mindfulness and WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS!!!
RELATED: Join Me on a Journey of Being Empowered Through Peace
MYTHS ABOUT MINDFULNESS
So let’s knock out some myths about Mindfulness and then I am going to explain how it can benefit you in a way that will transform your thinking.
Mindfulness isn’t all about lathering up in essential oils, weaving dream catchers and half-drowning yourself in lavender infused salt bath. These things can be mindful, but they are not Mindfulness in-and-of-itself.
It’s not getting highlights, lash extensions, contouring or facials. Girl “beating that face” ain’t gonna beat out those emotions of fear, shame and guilt.
RELATED: Self-Care May Not Be What You Think It Is.
It’s not just doing the MOTIONS of yoga, or drinking tea, and having a chakra poster hung up in your “SCARED SPACE.”
Because at the end of the day, when you strip all that away, you will be left with the same insecurities, baggage and fears that you tried to cover up with all that stuff in the first place.
Its great to take care of yourself and if it makes you feel good: Awesome!
TRUTH BOMB!!!!!
But how about if working on the actual issues helped heal you??? Then you wouldn’t have to use all that other stuff to mask what is really going on!
HOW MINDFULNESS WORKS FOR ME
Mindfulness is about scraping back the layers of your life, all the stuff that shaped you, and learning how to use it in a positive way.
Most IMPORTANTLY, it’s about doing that with kindness and grace and absolutely no criticism of yourself!
So how do you go about doing something like that?
Learning Mindfulness can take many different routes. Therapists, life coaches, personal development and self-help books are all great avenues.
HOWEVER, you also have to do the ACTUAL WORK!!!! And it can be uncomfortable sometimes. Growth can be uncomfortable. But, when you combine the discomfort with self-compassion, and you ditch the self-criticism, it’s a lot easier!
For instance, let’s take something that I overcame during the past several years. This is something a lot of women do. We say, “sorry,” even when we didn’t do anything to apologize for. LITERALLY, it could be because we breathed into someone’s air space.
Lol – but for real though 🙂
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU SORRY FOR GIRL????
MINDFULNESS INSTEAD OF FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT
Another example from yours truly:
I have a fear that everything good I get is going to magically disappear. So I end up self-sabotaging. And, you guessed it, I do this to protect myself when things do go POOF!!!
I have done this all my life. With everything. For instance, my awesome husband is truly, unbelievably, really a God-send. I used to think to myself this is too good to be true. And I would self-sabotage by picking fights or acting distanced because I wanted to prepare myself for the worst.
I DON’T LIFE BEING BLINDSIDED (AKA FEAR)
RELATED: FEAR PART 1: HOW TO CONQUER PAPER TIGERS
So, where did that fear come from? Probably childhood and other relationships (family friends, you name it). Because of this fear I created a protection mechanism in order to hide and to keep myself safe. This is a result of the fight-or-flight response the human brain has to stress.
CHANGE IS A GOOD THING
Two years ago I took a hard look at myself and realized something had to change. I needed to change how I was thinking if I was ever going to be happy and not live in a constant war zone with myself.
So, I got help. I started seeing a counselor. I had homework. We uncovered old wounds and changed patterns of behavior. And it works if you do the work. I have good days, but sometimes my brain wants to go back to old patterns of behavior. That’s where mindfulness plays an important role.
MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES help me stay aware and to control those emotions. They help me to stop my negative emotions from driving the bus.
RELATED: 6 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Try Today
The awareness practice of mindfulness allows me to get to the root of the problem. It helps me to understand when weeds have overgrown my mental garden.
When you become aware of those things, you can start working through them. That’s when you can take your life back.
Is it time for you to use Mindfulness to take your life back?
Lyndsey
Lyndsey Bobola understands the struggles of losing weight and getting healthy. She has lost over 65 pounds through her fitness journey. Breaking through the fad diets and exercise routines and giving up excuses, Lyndsey created goals and developed nutrition plans that worked! She gained a healthy lifestyle and now feels better than ever before. As her life improved, Lyndsey developed a passion to help others discover the path to a healthier life.
Now, Lyndsey is here to help clients cut through the noise of Instagram fitness models and fad diets to find real, lasting change. She is here to help people who are ready to improve their life through fitness, health, and life goals.
Scrolling through Instagram accounts of so-called fitness models, Pinterest meal prep ideas, and online workout programs with no scientific backing, Lyndsey realized a majority of fitness ideas online are wrong. They are designed for quick but not lasting results, to make you feel inadequate, or to get your money and leave you hanging. Lyndsey wants to change that through education and hands-on training. Taking no excuses, she provides honest and effective guidance for people who are ready for change.
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