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Who do you share your shower with? (mindfulness)

by Lorraine Murray

I was teaching one of my students meditation the other day and they mentioned that another meditation teacher had asked them the question - who do you share your shower with?

I thought this was a wonderful question as it highlighted how we are often somewhere else when doing day to day things such as having a shower.

And whilst we are 'somewhere else' we are usually thinking about people in our lives. We maybe worrying about them, upset with them, feeling guilty, anxious and so the list goes on. What we are not doing is paying attention to the here and now and to the moment - which is mindfulness.

Monkey Chatter

When students come on our courses to learn meditation for the first time, they often witness their many thoughts and seem unable to control them or quieten their mind. This is normal. Often there are thousands of thoughts we think each day but we are unaware of how many and what they are about. We are even oblivious to how we think or 'speak' to ourselves. Often the monkey chatter of the mind can be very negative yet we are unaware of this.

Day to Day meditation

Often people think meditation is too difficult for them or they have an impression it is a spiritual cause. Whilst it can have a spiritual aspect, meditation mindfulness is simply being aware in the present moment. If you are in the shower and thinking about others, in that moment they are in the shower with you (whether you like that thought or not!) It is your choice to acknowledge and let go of those thoughts.

Letting Go of Thoughts

So how do you let go of thoughts? First of all by being truly aware of them - each one as it passes through (like clouds passing through in the sky). To do this, you have to be in the moment and (as I teach my students) the best way to start is with the breath.

The Breath is your Anchor

Think of your breath like an anchor. Your breath is with you in every moment and you take it with you wherever you go (the shower included). So as you do day to day 'stuff', just notice your breath. If it's for 1 breath, 3 breaths or even 25 breaths, in that moment will be a space in time where you are with your breath and not in your thoughts.

Persistence

It takes regular practise to be with your breath and not with your thoughts; when you wake up, when you shower, when you walk, when you drive, when you talk to others, when you are on the computer, when you are eating. There are many opportunities to notice the breath and when we do we give our thoughts a rest and our mind a moment of peace.

For more information:

• Learning Meditation >>>
• Learning Reiki >>>

Please note that these courses are listed on the 'learning and teaching Scotland' website. Reiki courses qualify for ILA funding. Contact us for details.

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