​The past months I have discussed the health benefits that occur when we are able to quiet ourselves and live in the moment.
 
I hope that reading the wisdom the masters have shared, will resonate with you. Their insights should be read slowly and thoughtfully.
 
A single quote can quiet the mind and calm the body. Sometimes you just need to let go and let the wisdom of their words flow through you.

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.”
--Buddha
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!   HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

‘Tis the season of “Giving”! I offer these gift ideas to you to ponder, to take into your heart, and perhaps, give to others…
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The following are gift ideas for you to contemplate during the Christmas season. Although they have been mentioned before, they may resonate differently after reading the articles on Meditation and Mindfulness.
 
I hope you enjoy these gifts from the heart and share them with those on your holiday list.
 
When you give to yourself, you give to others! You share it in your heart! They feel it in theirs! That is what this season is about!
 
You may wonder what these gifts have to do with “Health and Wellness”, but isn’t that what we have been learning? —We are not just physical beings! “Wellness is achieved when body, mind, spirit are in harmony”. 

1. Love…
Most of us are searching for our purpose and meaning of life. It’s been said, "If you dedicate your life to love, you will be happy and everything will fall into place perfectly."
 
After years of life experiences, we realize love is our true nature, and no matter what else we do,
"All We Need is Love", as John Lennon wrote!!
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2. Gratitude...                                                                                                                      
This time of year, when all of Nature rests, we speed up our lives and stress our minds and bodies. Stress creates mental tension. There is no pill, powder, potion or lotion that will get rid of stress.
  
To relieve stress we can use drugs. Try nutrition and exercise. Watch our diet. Reduce sugar. Take a walk. Sing. Dance. The most affective stress reliever is an attitude of gratitude.
 
Blessing what is in your life reduces stress. Be mindfully grateful for everything you have in your life. It is an essential element to optimal health.
 
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” John F. Kennedy
 
3. Hope...
When challenged by unexpected adverse circumstances, such as the news of cancer or the death of a loved one, we first attempt to deny reality. Subsequently, we get angry, bargain with life, become depressed and finally, accept it (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, "the stages of grief"). Then, something, difficult to define, an intangible, begins to breathe life back into us. This is the invisible "hope."
 
It allows a young Japanese promising ballerina, Ma Li, who lost her arm in a car accident and subsequently tried to kill herself, dance with a young Japanese man, Zhai Xiaowei.  Zhai lost his leg after he fell off a tractor at 4 years of age.  Ma Li convinced Zhai who was training to be a cyclist that he could dance. Today, they dance beautifully together in exquisite harmony balancing each other's deficits with their remaining strengths. Watch them perform on You Tube (She without an arm, he without a leg - ballet - Hand in Hand).
 
Indeed, "Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible”, William Sloan Coffin, Jr
 
4. Courage...
With silver armor gleaming, the noble warrior stands immovable. Defiantly outnumbered, facing his foe, he's Hollywood's embodiment of courage and fearlessness. A true hero.
 
Most of us will never experience that moment of resolutely staring down death.  And we may not consider ourselves courageous or fearless; especially in today's world with never-ending reports of catastrophe, violence, and uncertainty. It all seems so daunting and dangerous.
 
Movie heroes aside, there is a more genuine and eternal fearlessness within us that lies at the heart of our spiritual being. True courage walks softly. Embraces gently. Speaks kindly.  It is far more potent than mere physical might. It doesn't combat, it alchemizes by fearlessly loving the seemingly unlovable. Transforming pain into peace; discord into harmony.
 
While not Hollywood super-heroes, we do have within us the power to melt every fear, conflict, prejudice, or suffering. Courage is love's face in action.
 
5. Awareness…
According to Wikipedia, “awareness is the ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns.  More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something.” We now know this is Mindfulness!
 
So, are you aware of what you are thinking, what you are feeling?  Being aware of what is going on inside affects our health and our relationship to the world around us. Be more consciously aware!
 
Norman Vincent Peale says, “Change your thoughts and you change your world”.
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it this way: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you”.
 
6. Listening...
One of the most empowering and healing gifts you can give to someone is the gift of yourself, being totally present and listening.  By that I don't mean merely holding your breath and waiting to speak the minute the other stops. Nor do I mean the need to jump in and fix, change, save or control another person's experience.
 
Listening that is most healing, is listening from the heart. Not just to content, but to intent. Listen to what others are feeling.  You don't necessarily have to do anything. Just hear it and let the other person feel ‘heard’.
 
Listening is the foundation of intuition. Listening is the gift that keeps on giving.
 
7. Forgiveness...
When we think of "forgive" or "forgiveness" we often perceive it as an act we bestow upon someone who has wronged us.  We are in some way absolving them of some act that was unacceptable or inappropriate.  But on a spiritual level, forgiveness has very little to do with another person and much more to do with ourselves.  Forgiveness is about allowing ourselves to move past a situation and no longer hold negative feelings towards it.  We are choosing to let go of the anger and/or frustration and embrace a sense a peace that is truly a gift to ourselves.
 
There is another dimension to forgiveness:  There are times that we acknowledge that we have done things that we are not proud of and feel a sense of guilt.  It's important that we come to terms with guilt and forgive ourselves.  We need to remember that we are worthy of the same forgiveness we give to others.  And in forgiving ourselves, we move forward without guilt or burden, and truly open ourselves to a new world of possibilities.
 
8. Laughter...
Laughter is a great gift to the world. We seldom have any idea what people we meet are dealing with, what might be troubling them. The kindness of your laughter might be someone's saving gift for the day.
 
Your laughter is never wasted. One person will always benefit immediately--you! Every smile, every laugh is a signal to your inner self: I am a happy person, goodness is all around. Such thoughts affect your brain chemistry and nervous system.
 
And there is an immediate ripple effect into the world around you. The cutting edge of neuroscience is the recent discovery of mirror neurons---brain cells dedicated to mirroring the emotions of others. We are literally hard-wired to respond to others!
 
 You don't know when your good nature and cheerfulness will make a big difference to someone. Foster an attitude that promotes smiling, a wonderful gift to all you meet.
 
9. Surrender...
How do we know it's time to make a change in our lives? We may feel stiffness; a pain in our chest; or stuck in our inability to move forward with a decision.  Here are a few exercises I do when I feel the urge to make a change.
 
One suggestion is to dive deep into a daily practice of meditation. Empty the mind as much as possible. Use a mantra that you resonate with, chant, or simply concentrate on the inhale and exhale. Take some deep breaths and let go of your day. Let go of your position in life. Let go of your dilemma, and sit in silence and rest there. When we surrender our attachments, we allow a new awareness to surface. Making small changes in our present behavior can result in bigger changes later.
 
10. Mindfulness…
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.
 
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. (See October’s article)
 
11. Joy...
When I spend time with my grandchildren, they bring immense joy into my life. The best thing about being a grandparent is when you‘re with your grandkids you’re totally present and involved with them.
 
Joy is one of those emotions you feel when you are present in the moment. It is experienced not in the grandiose but in the minute. It can be achieved from little things which are otherwise insignificant: Walking in the snow with a good friend, playing with a grandchild, partaking in a holiday meal with family, decorating a tree. Joy is meant to be shared; it is not in things. It is in us!
 
12. Peace...
I think it's wonderful that there is a short period of time each year when we focus on peace as a priority.
 
This quest for peace is found at the heart of all spiritual traditions, whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu. This message is for each of us regardless of religion. This is a time for all. We can refer to it as, "the peace that surpasses understanding."
 
These gifts work for the holiday season, but Wellness is a 365 day process. There is no reason why we cannot give these gifts to ourselves and apply them every day during the year.
 
This holiday season, may we find peace on earth and goodwill to all!!

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” 
-- Om Chanting and Meditation.  Amit Ray
 
“Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” 
-- Robin S. Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams Reaching Your Destiny.   

Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of thanksgiving for the blessings of their life. Native American elders begin each ceremony with grateful prayers to mother earth and father sky, to  the animals, plants, and our brothers and sisters who share our earth and support our life. In Tibet, the monks and nuns even offer prayers of thanksgiving for the suffering they have been given.
 
The aim of spiritual life is to awaken a joyful freedom, a benevolent and compassionate heart in spite of everything.
Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgment of all that sustains us. A thanks for our blessings.
 
Like gratitude, joy gladdens the heart. We can be joyful for people we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees, and for the magic of just being alive!. And as our joy grows we finally discover a happiness without cause. Like an innocent child who does not have to do anything to be happy, we can rejoice in life itself.
 
Is there a connection between gratitude and mindfulness? Is it, when we’re more mindful, it’s easier for us to experience gratitude because we’re more aware and focused on the good things?
 
When I pause and think about my life, it’s a series of snapshots of the memorable moments…a first kiss, the birth of a baby, the first vacation to Europe, the death of a family member, etc. But, most of it is a blur. Where did the years go? Is it possible, most of our lives, we check out, living in the past or future and miss being present, in the moment?
 
 
To become mindful is to see the world anew without being lost in our reactions and judgments. I like to translate mindfulness as loving awareness – an awareness that knows what’s present.
 
The cultivation of mindfulness really allows us to become present in our own body, for the life we have been given. Out of that grows naturally the spirit of gratitude, they feed one another. Cultivating an opening to gratitude also helps us become more mindful of life and what circumstance we are in.
 
This really is the basis for gratitude. When we begin to sense that it is possible to live with a quieter mind and an open heart, with a degree of satisfaction within ourselves. It’s the satisfaction of well-being.
 
When we are truly present in the moment, we see the beauty around us. And the more joy we cultivate, the more we can practice being aware of the present moment.
 
Increased gratitude is a common result of practicing mindfulness. As we begin paying more attention to our thoughts, we notice where we block ourselves from appreciating the good things in life. Say, for example, that you really get angry when stuck in traffic. But now, when you bring your focus to where you are (rather than where you want to be), you may notice the song on the radio or a beautiful scene beyond the car window. We can’t feel grateful for things we don’t notice.
 
When you enter into a state of mindfulness, you make the choice to open your awareness to all aspects of your experience… positive, negative, and neutral.  You look at yourself, others, and the world around you with a sense of curiosity, nonjudgment, and acceptance.  When you apply this same attitude of mindfulness to cultivating gratitude, you may find that you become aware of more qualities in yourself, others, and in your life, for which to be grateful.
Many of us live a great deal of our lives with our eyes closed to much of reality, seeing only what we want to see.  Others have a tendency to overly focus on the negative in their lives and in the world.
 Mindfulness takes judgment out of the equation and simply observes and accepts all, with full awareness.  When you begin to reflect upon all that you have to be grateful for, with an attitude of gratitude, the world may begin to look a bit better.
 
What holds us back from mindfully noticing all that we have to be grateful for? Perhaps your partner has done something thoughtful that you failed to notice.  Or maybe your child has been loving towards you in a moment when you were “too busy” to notice. Or maybe it was a sunny day and you failed to feel the warmth.  We all have things in our lives for which to express authentic gratitude.  The challenge is, make the choice and start noticing life, with greater mindful awareness.
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“A noble person is mindful and thankful for the favors he receives from others.” – Buddha

Gratitude is a skill that can be developed and strengthened with mindful practice.

Think of something for which you are ungrateful - something that you tend to react to with anger, resentment, resistance, rejection, or frustration. It might be a job, relationship, health condition, financial situation, etc.  

Now, think of all the things that are good about it.​

Allow yourself two minutes to come up with as many things as possible that could be a “silver lining” or “hidden lesson” embedded within this thing for which you are decidedly ungrateful.  For example, perhaps the job you dislike provides you with financial security to support you and your family.  Maybe a relationship has many positive qualities that you, unconsciously, choose to overlook.  Perhaps your poor health has allowed you time to reflect on the meaning of your life from a different perspective.  
The idea behind this exercise is to develop increased awareness of the positive lessons to be learned, and the potential to realize the personal strengths hidden within life’s challenges.  The goal is to recognize them and use them as teaching opportunities.

So how do we go about incorporating this practice into our daily lives?
 
You can make the choice to spend as many moments as possible noticing what’s good about your day, your surroundings, your life and your family. After all it’s only the present moment we have — the past is history and the future is imagination.
As often as I can, I savor being in the moment, for at least 20 seconds. Why? Because, “The longer that something is held in awareness and the more emotionally stimulating it is, the more neurons that fire and thus wire together, and the stronger the trace in memory.” So that means we are getting more than fleeting value from each one: we are rewiring our brain for happiness.
This practice is impactful because it is simple and powerful, and has positive effects on our well-being.  All we have to do is be aware (mindful) of good things, as they occur, and pause long enough to allow them to really soak in.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

I wish you a very pleasant, mindful Happy Thanksgiving!
Make it memorable!

For an inspiring short video :