Mindfulness Based Counseling

“…a cozy and welcoming place.  I attended a group meditation lesson.  The instruction was clear and calm.  I left feeling relaxed and connected to my breath and with a guide to try it out on my own.  I recommend it to anyone interested in meditation but not sure how to start.”   

Mindfulness Based Therapy and Coaching

Do you feel overwhelmed by your thoughts, emotions, or sensations?  Would you like to feel more at ease and energized? Here is a short meditation to get you started:

Note: while simple mindfulness practices can be very helpful, it is best to consult a teacher or group as you begin a new practice in your life.

We all experience many forms of negativity each day. For some reason, we often create another layer of  pain for ourselves by pushing against the negativity, denying it’s existence, or deciding something that something is bad about ourselves when bad things happen to us.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present with whatever arises in our mind, whether it is thought, emotion, or sensation.  By bringing our awareness to our experience rather than avoiding it, we save all the energy we would have lost in fighting against our experience.

This doesn’t mean we become a doormat, but that we pick our battles, and respond with more wisdom. In the end, we have more energy for achieving success.
Here is another basic practice you can use to calm your mind.

By cultivating the skill of mindfulness, we are doing the counter-intuitive action of staying with whatever is bugging us, and creating space to hold it with less suffering. With this focused effort we develop concentration, capacity, compassion, and awareness. If we can sit with a simple focus, bringing attention back when it naturally wanders, we notice our discomfort dissipates and changes. Once we are no longer stuck in the mental habits of prolonging pain, there is more energy available for the things we enjoy.

If you would like to experience more capacity for experiencing life, and resilience in the face of challenges, call 206.877.3188 to schedule your free phone consult.

Also, consider joining one of our Mindful Therapy Groups! Click the link for details.