Category: Mindfulness Challenge for the Week

My mindfulness challenge for you this week is to smile each and every time you see a reflection of yourself in a mirror or perhaps even in a windowpane. Invite yourself to smile if the image that you see of yourself shows a person who is sad or neutral in their expression.

You may say to yourself,

“What just a minute Rodgers, you’re telling me that if I’m feeling really low and down in the dumps I’m supposed to pretend as though I’m happy, I have to put a happy face on?  That’s not genuine and I’m a person who thinks it’s important to be truthful about who we are and how we are feeling.” 

I say to you that is all well and good. I honor you for that authenticity. However, what we have discovered is that forcing smiles transforms moods.

There is a technology known as Laughter Yoga which really consists of people sitting around a circle who are laughing.  Jokes are not even a part of this therapy. People  literally just force themselves to laugh.  When they start the exercise I can assure you everyone is not feeling in a positive mood.  When they finish, everyone is elated with how good they actually feel.  Forcing smiles through forced laughter does transform moods.

When I walk down the sidewalks in downtown Olympia, I pass many people.  I can assure you that when I pass by an individual who has a smile on their face, I feel yummy inside.  It really transforms whatever mood state I might currently be in.  I also know that when I walk in downtown Olympia, Washington with a smile on my face, each person that I pass by also has a transformation and they begin smiling as well.  I affect others and I also have a profound impact on myself.

So again, to repeat, each time you see an image of yourself, whether in a mirror or a reflection in a window or any reflection – even if it is in water – look at yourself and smile.  You’ll be amazed at what difference it can make with how you are feeling in the moment.  Become mindful of your smiling acuity. It will make a difference on how you get through each and every day.

May you have a fun filled week with a smiling grim on your face.

Robert

© Parkinsons Recovery

The mindfulness invitation this week is to focus your attention on the primary source of life which turns out to be water.  The challenge involves two steps.  In the first step, please acquire a source of natural spring water. In the second step, locate a bottle you can use to hold the fresh spring water.  Distilled water doesn’t qualify. Water from your faucet doesn’t satisfy this condition. The water in your bottle needs to be water that literally springs from a natural source.

Once you have acquired the source (and that might be readily available to you anyway) pour the spring water into your bottle and make sure that you have it accessible at all times.

The second part of the challenge is to notice throughout the week all sources of water.  When you notice a new source of water (whether by sound, sight or touch) the challenge is to take a sip from your bottle of spring water.  What possible new sources of water might you notice throughout the day and evening as you make a routine pass at living your life this week?  Any possible source of water qualifies.

For example,

• The sound of ocean waves as you first might encounter them.
• The sound of water trickling down water fountains that you might pass as you are walking downtown.
• The sound of water as it trickles down streams.
• Raindrops as they might flutter upon your rooftop.
• Puddles of water from rain that you might pass while walking down a sidewalk.
• The sound of water as it swishes about washing your clothes in your washing machine.
• The sound of water as it runs through the pipes in your house.
• The sound of water as it pours out of your water faucet when it has been turned on.
• The sound of water coming from the outside faucets.
• The sound of water in your toilet as your toilet is flushed.

As you begin to become mindful of all of these many sources of water, you will likely spot many.  Once a source of water is newly spotted, retrieve your bottle of spring water and take a sip.  Of course if you are near the ocean and the waves keep coming crashing through, there is no need to keep drinking water over and over and over again.  When you identify a source of water whether through sight, through sound or actually the sensation of feeling the water – take a sip from your bottle of spring water.  Allow your body to become better hydrated.  May you enjoy the challenge of spotting all sources of water as you become a certified water detective this week.

Robert

P.S. the Aquas were designed to hydrate the body: https://www.aquas.us

© Parkinsons Recovery