by Mariam Gates
Remember: Patience is key. You may only notice one thought the whole time.
Action Step: Visualize
Read your goal to yourself. Pause and get still. Close your eyes and focus your attention on your goal. As clearly as you can, see yourself achieving that goal.
DAY 5
Mountain Pose
Stand tall and roll your shoulders back.
Press down through your feet and lengthen your spine.
Gently press palm to palm at your heart.
Downward Dog
Press your palms down.
Bend your knees and walk your heels side to side to loosen up through your legs.
Press your heels down toward the floor.
Hold for five breaths.
Forward Lunge
Bring your right foot forward into a lunge.
Balance with your back heel off the floor and extend your hands over your head.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch legs and repeat.
Hold for five breaths.
Downward Dog
Hold for five breaths.
Warrior II
Raise your right foot high and bring it forward into a lunge.
Flatten your left foot on the floor behind you.
Bend your right knee.
Raise your arms up over your head and open wide to the sides.
Focus your eyes on a point in front of you.
Hold for five breaths.
Downward Dog
Hold five breaths.
Warrior II
Switch sides (left leg forward).
Hold for five breaths.
Downward Dog
Hold five breaths.
Walk your feet toward your hands.
Roll up to standing.
Airplane Pose into Warrior III
Start in Mountain Pose.
Focus on one point.
Lift your right foot behind you and balance with your arms behind you, palms facing down.
Keep your chest lifting and your spine long.
Hold for three breaths. Then bring your arms out in front of you. Balance. Hold for two breaths.
Switch sides and repeat.
Tree Pose
Lengthen through your spine.
Rest your left foot on your right ankle or above the knee.
Focus on one point and find your balance.
Lift your arms out to the sides and then up over your head.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch sides and repeat.
Horse Pose
Stand with your feet spread out to the sides.
Bend your knees.
Press your palms together at your heart.
Hold for five breaths.
Labeling Meditation
Find a comfortable seat where you can feel the balance of effort and ease in your body.
Set your timer for ten minutes.
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Feel your inhale and feel your exhale.
You may notice that you quickly head off into thinking, planning, worrying, doubting. You may find that you feel tired or hungry.
Whatever you feel, when you realize it, notice it, label it, and go back to paying attention to your inhale and your exhale.
Remember: Patience is key. You may only notice one thought the whole time.
Action Step: Take a Step Toward Your Goal
Start with a brainstorm: What are ten simple things that you could do to move toward your goal? Try to pick things you could reasonably do in the next twenty-four hours. If your goal is to “find a summer job,” then that would not be on your list of ten steps to get there. You could instead put: “Call the Boys and Girls Club to find out where to get an application to be a camp counselor,” for example.
Take out your journal or a piece of paper and number it one through ten. List ten things.
Even the smallest step brings you closer to success and can improve your emotional and physical state. Resolve to take that first step:
Today I will______________.
Congratulations! You have completed the Personal Vision Five-Day Mindfulness Challenge!
GO WITH THE FLOW
DAY 1
Cat Tilt
Inhale and look up, dropping your stomach toward the ground and curving your spine.
Exhale and look toward your knees. Arch your spine.
Repeat five times.
Thread the Needle
On your hands and knees lift your right hand toward the sky and keep your focus on your right thumb.
Bring your right forearm and elbow down behind your left arm.
You can bring your shoulder all the way to the ground if that is comfortable.
Switch sides.
Child Pose
Press back and rest onto your heels.
Bring your head to the floor with your arms out in front of you.
Relax.
Inhale and exhale (three times).
Ocean Breath Meditation
Sit with a balance of effort and ease.
Begin practicing this breath by imagining you have a mirror in front of you. Cup your hand and hold it near your mouth.
Inhale, and as you exhale, fog the mirror.
Try that two times.
Now imagine that there is a mirror in the back of your throat.
On your next inhale, fog the mirror at the back of your throat. (You will start to hear the beginning of the “ocean sound.”)
Try that two times.
Next, try making the fogging breath with your mouth closed. It can seem a little odd at first, but after a bit you will be able to get the hang of it.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Set your timer for two minutes.
Close your eyes, and focus on your ocean breath.
Action Step: “Three Things” Exercise
This is a quick and easy way to practice taking a pause to be present.
Right now notice:
Three Things You Can See (this can be anything: a window, your hand, a tree)
Three Things You Can Hear (cars, birds, your own breath)
Three Things You Can Feel (the chair, something in your pocket, your shirt on your back)
Use this exercise three times today. Pause and notice three things. . . .
DAY 2
Cat Tilt
Inhale and look up, dropping your stomach toward the ground and curving your spine.
Exhale and look toward your knees.
Arch your spine.
Repeat five times.
Thread the Needle
On your hands and knees lift your right hand toward the sky and keep your focus on your right thumb.
Bring your right forearm and elbow down behind your left arm.
You can bring your shoulder all the way to the ground if that is comfortable.
Switch sides.
Child Pose
Press back and rest onto your heels.
Bring your head to the floor with your arms out in front of you.
/> Relax.
Inhale and exhale (three times).
Table Top (with one leg back)
Come back onto your hands and knees.
Inhaling, press your right leg straight out behind you. (Your palms stay planted on the ground.)
Get long through your spine and hold your leg there.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch sides and extend your left leg straight out behind you.
Hold for five breaths.
Mindfulness: Habit Change
Sometimes the best way to bring your attention to the moment is to change your habits. Try brushing your teeth using your opposite hand. Notice what feels unnatural and how much more aware you have to be to accomplish what is usually a fairly routine task.
Action Step: Observing Nature
You will need your journal or notebook for this exercise.
Go outside.
Find a comfortable place to sit, and plan to stay in this spot for ten minutes.
Look very closely at your surroundings.
Write down everything you see (the amount of clouds, the plants near you), everything you feel (the solidity of your seat, the temperature of the air), everything you hear, and everything you smell.
If you want to, sketch what you see as well.
Take your time. Look very closely at your surroundings.
Reflect:
I see _______________.
I smell _______________.
I hear _______________.
I touch _______________.
I feel _______________.
I am thinking about _______________.
I didn’t expect _______________.
DAY 3
Cat Tilt
Inhale and look up, dropping your stomach toward the ground and curving your spine.
Exhale and look toward your knees.
Arch your spine.
Repeat five times
Thread the Needle
On your hands and knees lift your right hand toward the sky and keep your focus on your right thumb.
Bring your right forearm and elbow down behind your left arm.
You can bring your shoulder all the way to the ground if that is comfortable.
Switch sides.
Child Pose
Press back and rest onto your heels.
Bring your head to the floor with your arms out in front of you.
Relax.
Inhale and exhale (three times).
Table Top (with one leg back)
Come back onto your hands and knees.
Inhaling, press your right leg straight out behind you. (Your palms stay planted on the ground.)
Get long through your spine and hold your leg there.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch sides and extend your left leg straight out behind you.
Hold for five breaths.
Side Angle
Take your extended left foot and plant it on the ground.
Keep your right knee bent on the ground.
Shift your body to the side with your right hand pressing into the ground and your left hand reaching toward the sky. Your left leg is straight.
Switch sides.
Mindfulness: Extending the Breath
Extending your inhale and exhale is a natural way to slow down and make sure you are giving your mind and body all of the oxygen needed. It is extremely relaxing.
Breathe normally for a moment as you prepare.
On your next breath, see if you can keep slowly inhaling for a count of four.
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4.
On the exhale, follow that same, slow count.
1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4.
Repeat three more times.
Action Step: A Mindful Bite
Try this exercise during any meal.
Take two mindful bites, and see what you notice about:
the color of the food
the smell of the food
the temperature
the consistency
each of the different flavors (spicy, salty, sweet)
the speed and feel of your chewing
What else did you notice?
DAY 4
Cat Tilt
Inhale and look up, dropping your stomach toward the ground and curving your spine.
Exhale and look toward your knees. Arch your spine.
Repeat five times.
Thread the Needle
On your hands and knees, lift your right hand toward the sky and keep your focus on your right thumb.
Bring your right forearm and elbow down behind your left arm.
You can bring your shoulder all the way to the ground if that is comfortable.
Switch sides.
Child Pose
Press back and rest onto your heels.
Bring your head to the floor with your arms out in front of you.
Relax.
Inhale and exhale (three times).
Table Top (with one leg back)
Come back onto your hands and knees.
Inhaling, press your right leg straight out behind you. (Your palms stay planted on the ground.)
Get long through your spine and hold your leg there.
Hold for five breaths.
Switch sides and extend your left leg straight out behind you.
Hold for five breaths.
Side Angle
Take your extended left foot and plant it on the ground.
Keep your right knee bent on the ground.
Shift your body to the side with your right hand pressing into the ground and your left hand reaching toward the sky. Your left leg is straight.
Switch sides.
Plank Pose to Side Plank
Come into a plank pose, making as straight a line as possible with your body.
Shift your weight into your left side and balance on your straight left arm and side of your left foot.
Hold for three breaths.
Move back into plank pose.
Switch sides.
Hold for three breaths.
Cobra Pose
Release onto your stomach with the tops of your feet flat on the floor.
Lift your head and chest, and bend your elbows, making sure they are directly under your shoulders.
With your palms flat, gently press to help extend your spine.
Hold for three breaths.
Release.
Concentration Meditation
For this exercise, choose an actual object—something you like to look at but that does not have any words on it.
Get into a comfortable seat and set the object where you can see it easily.
Set a timer for three minutes.
Keep your eyes gently open and look at your object.
Breathe normally and keep your attention on the object. Notice everything you can about it without actually picking it up.
You may find that even though your eyes are open, you forget what you are looking at from time to time as other thoughts take over.