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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 7, 2015 18:41:15 GMT
I don't know how to explain other than in poetry so I would love for you to explain how you feel afterward if any different than before  The Practice: For thirty seconds, take in all the sights around you. As quickly as possible during that time, name every object you see along with its color-such as "Blue wall, brown chair, yellow grapefruit, red placemat, white door, green countertop, beige rug." When you're finished, take a deep breath and notice whether you're more centered and present. If not, move to a different room and repeat the practice. - "How Now" by Raphael Cushinr |
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,574
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Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Oct 7, 2015 20:07:19 GMT
I did one room and feel no different.
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Mary Kay Lady
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PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Oct 7, 2015 21:43:34 GMT
What is the point of doing this exercise?
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 7, 2015 22:06:26 GMT
It's a mindfulness exercise to bring you more in the present. Maybe you already are present if you didn't notice any difference I felt an instant difference but maybe for others it could be a gradual change, I've experienced that too with other practices. |
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Post by gar on Oct 7, 2015 22:10:18 GMT
What does being more in the present really mean? I see that phrase a lot lately.
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Dani-Mani
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Posts: 3,706
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Post by Dani-Mani on Oct 7, 2015 22:28:45 GMT
What does being more in the present really mean? I see that phrase a lot lately. Focusing on what you are doing/feeling/seeing right then and not anything else. It's a mindfulness exercise. |
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Post by gar on Oct 7, 2015 22:47:08 GMT
What does being more in the present really mean? I see that phrase a lot lately. Focusing on what you are doing/feeling/seeing right then and not anything else. It's a mindfulness exercise. Mmmmm, I sort of get it....I just don't know what that feels like I suppose....I always end up saying to myself "Am I doing it now? Is this it?" which probably means I'm not, and it isn't  |
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Post by myshelly on Oct 7, 2015 22:53:15 GMT
Focusing on what you are doing/feeling/seeing right then and not anything else. It's a mindfulness exercise. Mmmmm, I sort of get it....I just don't know what that feels like I suppose....I always end up saying to myself "Am I doing it now? Is this it?" which probably means I'm not, and it isn't It can be a coping mechanism for people with anxiety (or other problems such as stress, depression, OCD) because it forces your mind to focus on only the present moment and let go of worry about future events. |
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Post by gar on Oct 7, 2015 22:55:27 GMT
Mmmmm, I sort of get it....I just don't know what that feels like I suppose....I always end up saying to myself "Am I doing it now? Is this it?" which probably means I'm not, and it isn't It can be a coping mechanism for people with anxiety (or other problems such as stress, depression, OCD) because it forces your mind to focus on only the present moment and let go of worry about future events. Yes, that makes sense.....rein in racing thoughts. |
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Post by gar on Oct 7, 2015 22:57:17 GMT
I didn't feel amy different at all.
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 7, 2015 23:44:16 GMT
It can be a coping mechanism for people with anxiety (or other problems such as stress, depression, OCD) because it forces your mind to focus on only the present moment and let go of worry about future events. Yes, that makes sense.....rein in racing thoughts. The best way I can explain what the present really is (to me at least) is through personal experience of it. There was a quote I saw once that said: "Go 24 hours without complaining and see how your life changes" So I did live a day without resisting the moment I was in, which meant going with the flow. I didn't rush with anything cause I felt that was a resistance to the moment I was in. I didn't create friction with it in anyway ( yes it was hard cause I'm use to creating some ) but I felt because I allowed myself to be in the moment no matter what, I became more connected to it. The real present moment to me feels like it's actually alive in some way. Cause by late afternoon that day all this luck started coming and synchronicity after synchronicity was happening. And I said to myself "ok this is a little too much" And it all stopped  |
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Deleted
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May 6, 2024 9:36:48 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2015 1:53:17 GMT
I think one form of mindfulness may not fit all. If I sat in a room and named furniture it would act as a stimulus and make me consider what I need to clean or move or throw out. For me, I need to lay down and close my eyes so my thoughts are all I have to contend with.
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trollie
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by trollie on Oct 8, 2015 1:55:38 GMT
I feel euphoric |
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 8, 2015 2:16:24 GMT
I think one form of mindfulness may not fit all. If I sat in a room and named furniture it would act as a stimulus and make me consider what I need to clean or move or throw out. For me, I need to lay down and close my eyes so my thoughts are all I have to contend with. I posted this exercise cause it's been known to have instant results. But here it is the site I got it off of: www.trans4mind.com/counterpoint/index-happiness-wellbeing/cushnir2.shtml |
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MorningPerson
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Post by MorningPerson on Oct 8, 2015 2:17:28 GMT
I gave this SUCH an honest try (to the point of going a whole minute instead of 30 seconds), but I came up with nothing.  |
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Post by anonrefugee on Oct 8, 2015 2:28:30 GMT
Focusing on what you are doing/feeling/seeing right then and not anything else. It's a mindfulness exercise. Mmmmm, I sort of get it....I just don't know what that feels like I suppose....I always end up saying to myself "Am I doing it now? Is this it?" which probably means I'm not, and it isn't That's me, LOL. I understand the intent of exercises like this, but it's not the same for everyone. I'm in-tune with space and color so it does nothing to notice it. But if I make a conscious effort to focus on sounds, including sound of my breath, I can move toward what they're talking about. Or not----of I'm not doing it right |
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 8, 2015 6:04:37 GMT
For those of you not noticing any difference, just curious if you are doing it out loud. I think it's more focus doing it that way. And how many can you name in 30 seconds? I think I did 16 |
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 8, 2015 8:27:47 GMT
I recognized this as mindfulness right away while reading the OP. My husband has PTSD and has been taught mindful techniques to manage intrusive thoughts. When we went to marriage counseling last winter, we started each session off with mindfulness exercises. After decades of insomnia, I've finally been able to conquer it by using these exercises when I go to bed each night. I'm very very thankful to have learned this technique. My husband has also had a lot of success with it. We have never done the specific exercise described in the OP, but have learned several others. Can you share some? I can never get enough |
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Post by anonrefugee on Oct 8, 2015 11:42:51 GMT
For those of you not noticing any difference, just curious if you are doing it out loud. I think it's more focus doing it that way. And how many can you name in 30 seconds? I think I did 16 Hmm. I doubt keeping count and comparing it to others will get most of us to mindfulness. More like a way to turn it into another competition. Typical Americanization of a concept- the way Yoga has become a workout sport for many. |
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grinningcat
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Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Oct 8, 2015 12:11:35 GMT
What does being more in the present really mean? I see that phrase a lot lately. It's a whole lot of poppycock invented by the self-help community to get people to waste time on doing stupid exercises instead of actually living life. It's all part of the new wave movement to get people to spend (waste) money on seminars, books and other shit that people do not need to actually live their life. It's also popular to spout mindfullness BS in the yoga community where the whole spiritual side of yoga is bastardized by people who think they live the mindful life but are actually just living hypocritically. Do exercises like this work? I doubt it. All these exercises do for me is make me realize how ridiculous they are and how much of my life I've just wasted on observing stuff I already know is around me. |
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 9, 2015 6:27:11 GMT
For those of you not noticing any difference, just curious if you are doing it out loud. I think it's more focus doing it that way. And how many can you name in 30 seconds? I think I did 16 Hmm. I doubt keeping count and comparing it to others will get most of us to mindfulness. More like a way to turn it into another competition. Typical Americanization of a concept- the way Yoga has become a workout sport for many. Because this exercise hasn't seemed to do some any benefit I thought to add something for motivation. I do feel though that doing mindful exercises does make us feel more present if not on a conscious level then a subconscious one. I do understand that competition is supporting duality not spiritual harmony. I was just curious to how this exercise benefits others because of how much it benefited me, I was wondering if anyone else would get the same experience. If anyone read the exercise on the website it said how it required sensory awareness and intense concentration to do this exercise. To me that's like a break from your thoughts. I do agree mindfulness exercises aren't one size fits all, it's just with the bigger picture, I don't see how anyone who doesn't resist the present moment can't benefit from that. I'm sure we can all agree how much we are challenged when we do resist the present moment. ( for example: in a hurry to drive somewhere and it seems like there's more red lights, traffic, or other delays ) When I'm running late I don't look at the clock once when driving there. I don't get angry at any cars that are going slow or traffic lights that are taking forever to change. Once I get there then I look at the clock and I'm always right on time. |
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Oct 9, 2015 19:21:05 GMT
What does being more in the present really mean? I see that phrase a lot lately. It's a whole lot of poppycock invented by the self-help community to get people to waste time on doing stupid exercises instead of actually living life. It's all part of the new wave movement to get people to spend (waste) money on seminars, books and other shit that people do not need to actually live their life. It's also popular to spout mindfullness BS in the yoga community where the whole spiritual side of yoga is bastardized by people who think they live the mindful life but are actually just living hypocritically. Do exercises like this work? I doubt it. All these exercises do for me is make me realize how ridiculous they are and how much of my life I've just wasted on observing stuff I already know is around me. That phrase and that exercise instantly took me out of the darkest moment into the lightest one by the end of the day. Which I didn't have to pay a dime for cause it came from a library book. And there are so many sources that are free to learn mindfulness. I felt disconnected from life cause I thought way too much about it, and mindfulness brings me back to it. I see it as a way to embrace life, taking a break from the daily routine of linear life and just being in the stillness of the moment. When I observe stuff in the present moment I don't feel any judgement or ridicule towards it. It can even be a kitchen sink piled up with dishes. And I still won't complain. Doing the dishes is actually a good way to practice mindfulness. Instead of quickly getting them done clanking them around scrubbing them determinedly like the caked on crap will never come off ... a mindful way of doing them would be to pay attention to how the water feels, and the sounds, how the soap smells, and when washing each dish think about the life it has lived, how long it's been in your family, when it was bought...etc. I don't see that as a waste of life, I see that as a way to connect to life allowing yourself to experience it without hurrying through it or getting things over with. The key word is allowing. "What does being more in the present really mean?" I ask myself am I present? Well yes I'm here sitting in a room and can hear the birds outside, but I am really present? No I don't feel I am. I may be aware of where I am at this moment but I'm not completely allowing my whole self to be here. Just because I can hear the beautiful chirping outside doesn't mean I'm allowing myself to indulge in this sound and really listen. You can hear the sounds outside, feel the couch you are sitting on, notice the air you are breathing in, look at the things around you, and still your mind from thinking away from the present and still not be fully present. And it's a possibility that this could be why this exercise didn't have any effect on you. |
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