Many people discover “mindfulness” when they are in some sort of pain, be it physical or emotional.
Mindfulness has long been taught to cancer victims and those with chronic pain but it has also been a savior for those suffering from anxiety, depression, grief and trauma.

Several years ago I was broken, I had lost all self confidence and my self esteem was rock bottom. My heart was in pieces and I felt as worthless as a discarded card board box. I tried everything to distract myself from the pain and hurt I felt, but none of it worked.

I went to stay with my cousin Jade who was living in a kibbutz in Israel. She had discovered “mindfulness” after a terrible accident in India.
She told me to stop trying to run from the pain and to stop and be present, to really feel the hurt, acknowledge it , inquire about , get curious about it .
This didn’t make sense to me, why would I want to think about how bad I felt? But I tried it and I didn’t feel worse so I wanted to learn more.

Jade found me an 8 week Mindfulness course (MSBR) offered at home so I enrolled, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
The first few weeks of the course I could not speak without sobbing, but I did all the homework assigned and more, I practiced the body scan and breathing everyday and the more aware I became the better I felt.
The last day of the course I was a different person than the one who started.

Since completing the course I’ve gone to several silent retreats and I continue to practice every day. There isn’t a day go by that I don’t think back to that time in my life and wish things were different but when the memories and feelings take over I just stop and breathe and acknowledge whats happening.

My favorite “mindfulness” is about gratitude.These days I practice gratitude every day, it is so simple and so rewarding and it only takes a minute, a “mindful minute”.

So this minute Im grateful for the comfort of my bed as I type this, my new bed topper is sooo comfy. My cup of tea is yummy, the sun is streaming in my window, its going to be a lovely sunny day. I can hear magpies singing, and I can see the gold fish swimming in my pond.I am grateful

One minute of focusing on all that I have to be thankful for is all it takes, now I can get up and continue my day… with a smile on my face.

Try it, stop what you are doing right now and look at where you are, your surroundings and for one minute think of three things to be grateful for, I guarantee you will think of more… and you will feel good.

Have a Mindful Day. ~ Ally “The Mindful Flyer