Healthy Intentions Community

MINDFULNESS MONDAY

This week’s mindfulness activity is more centered on helping us to evolve. We all, at times, may feel that we are stuck in some way. It may be that we feel we have stopped progress towards a specific goal that we set for ourselves or for in our lives, or maybe we feel stuck in a bad situation.

Whatever the situation is, try to keep it in mind as you ask yourself the following questions, bring awareness to your feelings, physical sensations or thoughts as they arise concerning each question.

A suggestion for the week:

· Come to a comfortable seat in a quiet area in your home. Clear your mind and relax as you breathe normally for a few breath cycles.

· Focus your thoughts and attention on as aspect of your life where you are feeling that you want to (or need to) move forward. …

MINDFULNESS MONDAY

This week’s activity is learning to control our breathing to deepen its potential in nourishing us. Our breath embodies a force that guides it to nourish us without our conscious effort. But stress and anxiety can make us hold or decrease the breath, whereby decreasing its nourishing benefits.

A suggestion for the week:

· Come to a comfortable position either sitting or laying on your back. Place both hands on your belly to help guide the breath into this part of the body. Begin with taking 5 normal breaths to ground yourself.

· Begin moving through the 4-1-4-1 breathing rhythm:

Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 1 second

MINDFULNESS MONDAY

We are in the heart of the summer, our lives are very busy with work, the kids, keeping up the yard work, etcetera. This week we are going to look at the need to schedule something pleasant into our schedule- just for us.

When we are overwhelmed, feeling sad or depressed, many of us know that getting motivated to do almost anything can be difficult. Scheduling one or more pleasant experiences into our daily life is a way to increase our positive experiences, social engagement and activities- all of which can make us more energized and help improve our thoughts and mood.

A suggestion for the week:

· Let’s begin by brainstorming one or more activities that you enjoy doing. It is best to do this when you are in a good or neutral mood so that it is easier to think of ideas.

· Activities …

MINDFULNESS MONDAY

This week we are shifting our focus to the kids in our lives again. This activity can be of benefit for anyone with stress and anxiety, but can be a fun tool to help your kids to calm and relax.

A suggestion for the week:

· Find a comfortable seat in a quiet place with your child.

· Take a snow globe, wind the music at the bottom, shake it and place it on a table. Place your hand on your stomach and ask your child to place their hand on their stomach too.

· As you watch the snow fall to the bottom of the globe, instruct them to feel their breaths move up and down. When the snow has settled, shake to globe again.