While it might seem relaxing to watch TV over a meal or think over something else while washing up, where’s the sense of FOMO for the present moment? When not fully present, we’re actually missing out on being alive in that moment, and missing potential insights that will lead to greater freedom.
Well, the black hole image (or rather, the image of its halo since the “object” itself is out of sight) just became one of my new mindfulness tools.
Creative moments, whether they happen as an individual or working with a team, are some of the most rewarding and enjoyable parts of our work.
Yet, it can be hard to be consistently creative, especially if we feel we are always running to deadlines and juggling a thousand things. So how can mindfulness help us bring more creativity into our work?
We can forget to take a few moments to breathe, go for a mindful walk, or try out any other of the nurturing and supportive ways we’ve learnt to be more present.
One thing I’ve learnt from my own explorations teaching and practising mindfulness, is that small changes in our environment can help us be much more present.
A simple meditative activity, or a chore you love to hate?
Our daily activities offer great opportunities for mindfulness of the senses, the body, and for attention to details. You know, meditation…
How can we maintain our ability to stay aware throughout the day, when so many things take our attention and we mostly run on automatic pilot? The modern word for this is mindfulness.
Here are some tips from one of our recent creative weekends.
On our recent creative weekend, some of our team got together to come up with ideas on how you can best support your meditation practice.
We came up with some do’s and some dont’s that might be of help.
Dan O’Brien shares a little of his early story.
“For me…learning about meditation has been like being cooked in a slow cooker – in a good way…”
“Being open to the newness of the experience is often important, though it might be a challenge.”
Currently on the Karma Yoga program at Clear Sky, Richard shares a little about how he ended up on the meditative path, from learning about Buddhism to embracing multiple practice techniques.
If you meditate, what made you start? And if you’ve been trying to start, what’s motivating you? My depth knew that starting the path, of which meditation is part, would be life-changing (as indeed it has).
Community – I guess for some people this is easy, yet for me it’s an area that I have struggled with for many years. It feels like climbing Mount Everest.
So, for a month, I pretended that my teacher hadn’t said what he did.
“So often in my life, I’ve wanted to feel included, engaged, and to be relating with others, but I’ve found that there’s a true connection lacking.”
Board Member Dan O’Brien writes about one of the insights he has had being part of Clear Sky’s virtual and physical community.
Habit is the opposite of mindfulness.
Structure and routine are your friends.
If you accept either of these as true, take a moment to think about how they work together. Take meditation, for example – how do you find a balance between having a steady meditation routine and not letting your spiritual practice stagnate?
Even when I can stay focused, there’s often a background nervous energy vibration that distracts me…This all speaks to a big area of my life, because I seem to need to burn off a certain amount of energy every day.
Later, with some space and having heard the input of others, I was able to reflect more objectively. I saw some of my underlying fears and motivations, and the emotional states that had been triggered…
For five years I lived close to Clear Sky while I studied
When I had no energy to spare, it was so clear how draining any thoughts of worry or doubt were. So, as I watched the truck towing away my car,
Although I was in an incredible environment and doing work that aligned with my values, I still felt a sleepy, heavy fog around career direction. And then the clouds parted. How?..
One thing that can happen when you think there’s an unacknowledged stink in the room is that doubt can creep in. Nobody else is mentioning it, after all! Although I want to say something, I’m questioning whether it’s just my reaction and maybe there’s nothing going on at all.
I have a way of dealing with this.
Are you looking for a space to retreat alone, or to just unwind and reflect? We have three private cabins with valley views.
We can help you with a supportive balance of formal meditation time and optional mindful activities. Or, you can use the space for deep rest, journaling, or reflecting.
Locally sourced / organic meals provided. Optional daily meditation guidance is available.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive a link to our guided meditations page.
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