From the course: Mindfulness Practices
Practice: Grow self-awareness
- This practice is to help you notice your habitual thoughts so you become more self-aware and emotionally intelligent. Find a quiet space. Shut off any distractions. Sit comfortably, relaxing your shoulders, feet on the floor. You can close your eyes or soften your gaze. Inhale through your nose and then exhale. Start to become aware of the sensation of your breath as it goes in. Notice where you feel it. Now start to deepen and slow down your breath. Breathe in. Two, three, four. Breathe out, two, three, four. Breathe in. Two, three, four. Breathe out, two, three, four. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Now breathe normally. Continue to pay attention to the feeling of your breath. If you're like most of us, you will soon find your mind wandering. In this practice, we notice the thought that happens, gently label it, and then return to our breath. For example, you may say, "To-do list," or, "Worry," or, "Judging myself," or, "Judging others," or it might even be a thought about the future. As you become aware of a thought, just label it, let it go, and return to breath. You may notice whether certain thoughts trigger certain emotions. Just label them. You might say, "Anxiety," or, "Boredom." See if you can locate the emotion in your body. Breathe into that space. Notice feelings of discomfort or any desire to stop the practice. It's part of the habit of the mind to be restless. Notice the restlessness. Accept it completely. And then return to your breath. If there's no emotion, that's okay too. In this mindfulness practice, we're noticing without any judgment or expectation. Notice thought. Label it. Return to breath. Notice any emotion. Gently label. Return to breath. If you'd like to practice longer, you can pause this video here. (tone chiming) When you're ready, you may open your eyes. Finish your practice with a deep breath of gratitude for this time and space to grow your self-awareness. If you have time, you may want to jot down any habitual thoughts and emotions you noticed. I always give myself a nice pat on the back to celebrate any new insight about myself, no matter how hard it is for me to see. Until the next time, my friends.
Practice while you learn with exercise files
Download the files the instructor uses to teach the course. Follow along and learn by watching, listening and practicing.
Contents
-
-
-
Calm the mind and release stress1m 59s
-
Practice: Calm the mind4m 57s
-
Improve focus1m 53s
-
Practice: Improve focus3m 21s
-
Grow self-awareness2m 5s
-
Practice: Grow self-awareness3m 45s
-
Find meaning at work1m 43s
-
Practice: Find meaning at work3m 29s
-
Manage your inner critic1m 40s
-
Practice: Manage your inner critic3m 44s
-
Grow self-confidence1m 43s
-
Practice: Grow self-confidence4m 22s
-
Cultivate joy1m 38s
-
Practice: Cultivate joy3m 42s
-
Practice: Morning mindfulness4m 23s
-
Practice: Evening mindfulness4m 51s
-
-
-
-