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Week 6 ~ Thurs. Challenge printed out...
Week Six | NOVEMBER 17, 2005
Plan for Living
DAY FOUR: Commit to Meditating
Make today a day of mindfulness. Keep a bare attention on your breath throughout your day. Turn up the dial on your senses -- notice how the water feels in your morning shower, focus on tasting every sensation during your meals, let yourself really feel the ground under your feet (or the steering wheel in your hand).
Notice how you react to what happens today -- when do you check out? When do you tense up? Take a deep breath before reacting to a stressful situation. Then tonight, sit quietly in your sanctuary and concentrate on relaxing your body one piece at a time. To help you do this, replay the guided relaxation.
A formal sitting routine is an excellent way to cultivate your meditation practice. But the real test is what happens when you're out in the world. From now on, when you encounter a stressful moment, take a breather. These lessons have hopefully taught you just how powerful breath control can be. Practice your pranayama techniques during your commute or at your desk or whenever you need to energize or decompress.
