The simple act of smiling releases endorphins, lowers blood pressure, reduces pain and stress, and strengthens the immune system. Life can surely be difficult. In the midst of whatever chaos is here, explore the possibility of turning up the corners of the mouth and breathing. And if today is a good one, share that joy wherever you go. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Be the reason someone smiles today.
—Unknown Each of us is already complete, exactly as we are. We simply need to drop the wanting, gripping, and resisting that fools us into thinking we are not. Rest into your powerful whole self. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Stillness, insight, and wisdom arise only when we can settle into being complete in this moment, without having to seek or hold on to or reject anything.
—Jon Kabat-Zinn Embodying the body and the present moment is a skill and a gift. Rather than constantly moving forward, resting into the present moment can feel both grounding and spacious. Dwell in your body on the earth. This is the only moment in which you can live. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush It is better to travel well than to arrive.
—Buddha Bold acts of bravery make headlines. Sometimes courage is quieter, like sitting with a friend in pain or calmly but firmly drawing a boundary in a relationship. Notice today how many times you call upon the gentle strength of courage. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”
—Mary Anne Radmacher We all have an inner voice, narrating every experience, often in harsh words and tone. While it can sometimes be helpful to give ourselves motivation and encouragement, we can also soften the narrative. If harsh words would not motivate a friend, why would we think it would motivate us? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Talk to yourself like someone you love.
—Brené Brown Fear shuts us down. Instinctively, we constrict ourselves behind barriers when something is frightening. If it is not an immediate emergency in this moment, we might recognize that we’re closing in with fear and instead invite an opening. Open the lungs, take a breath, and create space for possibilities. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
—George Addair Spring is nature’s season of renewal, dusting off the winter blues and welcoming the fresh leafy greens. Try something refreshing today—a splash of water on your face, a light sparkly salad, or a full breath of light spring air. It’s a good time for an internal spring cleaning. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
—Albert Camus We humans feel so many powerful emotions. The uncomfortable ones often dominate. But the “feel-good” emotions are also powerful, like awe, wonder, excitement, love, and pure unbridled joy. Think of one small thing that makes you happy and let that feeling expand for the next minute. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson A well-timed pause is powerful. In a stressful situation, if we can remember to pause—whether we need just one breath or a longer time out—we interrupt our reactivity, allowing the brain to engage with better clarity, opening space for more options. Once we have awakened awareness, we are then in choice. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush There is power in space, in a breath, in a pause before you respond. You get to choose hate or love, anger or empathy, frustration or opportunity, lonely or together, irritation or understanding. Be kind. Pause.
—Rachel Marie Martin When we want to become skilled at something, we practice it regularly and over time. Being peace is also a practice. Resting into the quiet within the storm. If we want peace “out there,” we must first be able to find it within. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush If we want peace, we have to be peace. Peace is a practice and not a hope.
―Thich Nhat Hanh It’s often the big events that we notice, riding waves of highs and lows. It helps to also live life in the simple in-between moments. Feel the ground. Smell the air. Look up at the sky. Ordinary wonders are all around. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary.
—L. R. Knost Feeling scattered and out of sorts? It may be time to reconnect within, drawing all the parts of who you are back home to the present moment. Sense your body, breath, and energy. Dwell in your mind and emotions. Rest into your spirit. Whatever helps you feel whole again—stillness and/or movement—spend some time aligning with yourself. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.
—Thich Nhat Hanh We may have the idea that resting is not as important as checking off another task on our list. But resting should BE one of the items on that list. Pacing your life is important. Rest allows us the time and space to process all the events, emotions, and energies we deal with every day. Otherwise, we’re just a tumbleweed taking in everything and never letting it go. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.
―Etty Hillesum Because we call upon our life’s history of information learned, memories, and preferences to help us make choices every day, we sometimes lose sight of what is else may be possible. Instead of thinking we know what we think we know, opening to an experience with fresh eyes can reveal limitless potential. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.
—Mary Oliver Fresh into a new year, we are invited to let go of what is no longer useful and start anew with this moment now. Pause and be. Nothing but open space ahead. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
―Dan Millman Every day, we experience endings. But we do not live in a linear universe. Everything moves in cycles, and we are always in transition. One year ends and another begins. At the end of every breath is another new start. What are you letting go of today? What are you welcoming? In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.
―Jack Kornfield We think in words. Too many words. What if we turned down the volume of the words and listened to the spaces in between? Sometimes joy and wonder live in a wordless space. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
―Mahatma Gandhi We say that a person handles stress with poise when they carry a feeling of self-composure, dignity, strength, and ease. Navigating a challenge with poise might include deeply breathing, grounding, and continually re-centering. We can mindfully become more comfortable with the discomfort. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
―Maya Angelou Emotions like disappointment, frustration, and anger are important. They spur us into action. Once they have served their purpose, we can process these emotions and allow them to pass, returning to the harmony within. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.
—Dalai Lama Belly breathing moves the diaphragm up and down, causing the belly to expand and deflate. This diaphragmatic movement massages the vagus nerve, the superhighway between brain and body that regulates emotion and your whole self. Instead of “thinking” about the breath, “feel” the breath in the body. Rest into the rhythm of breathing and be where you are. In mindful presence, Lori Furbush Breathe deeply to bring your mind home to your body.
―Thich Nhat Hanh |
AuthorLori Furbush teaches Qigong, Yin Yoga, & Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). She weaves MINDFULNESS & RELAXATION into every moment. Archives
April 2024
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