We have become accustomed to think in certain ways and often see things in fixed patterns. It’s hard not to make assumptions and to stay in patterns of thoughts and behaviours. Situations and circumstances are often shaped by the way we think. It’s important to try to break free from this way of viewing the world, to see more clearly, the way things actually are. We construct our world through our thoughts and in this way can make things appear negative or positive just by our thinking. 

 

I am on a plane to Italy finally writing about my Nanpantan Hall Mindfulness Retreat experience. The day before the start of the Retreat, a problem arose that nearly convinced me that I should stay at home and sort it out. Instead, I decided to go following my daughter’s encouragement. Somehow I knew that staying at home was not the cure and would not address the source: myself. 

 

I have been challenged recently to really feel what is going on in my body, as Jaya (our Border Collie dog) has been attacked and set on by two different dogs. As some of you will know, we have trained Jaya to trust himself, as a result Jaya is friendly to every dog he meets, he assumes that every dog and every human just wants to be his friend. 

 

Until most recently, I heavily relied on public transport. My life was full of things I could only get to via a bus or a train. Work, college, fun, relationships, right down to my healthcare. I would travel overseas; jetting off on exotic holidays and city breaks. In my not-so-regular down time, I would catch up with friends and family all over the country to step away from the hum of my busy life. I would occasionally jump in a car with L plates on, hoping to add ‘drive’ to the list of available transport options open to me, particularly on the days where the countryside took its toll on my much-needed service. 

 

This excellent blog which comes in 6 weekly articles is by the Radio Presenter Naomi Kent. 

 

This is week 1 of the level 2, Six-week course. 

 

It is said that God plays a joke on every new-born, whispering: 

 

‘You are the special one!’ 

 

The joke quickly wears thin when we start running up against the seven billion other people on the planet who all know that they are ‘the special one’. Deep ego wounds are received every time we fall short; when she chooses him over us. When our best friend gets the grades but we don’t. When we get to the final interview, but no further. 

 

Yeah, you read that right – do nothing. It’s not easy, is it? What happens when we just sit quietly? Thoughts; I should be doing this or that, glimpses at past events and conversations, daydreaming about happy events, guilt for not doing something, anything – the list is endless. It’s almost harder to sit still than it is to keep on doing. Isn’t it? 

 

What does the word mindfulness mean to you? 

Is it something you are or something you do. 

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY BY SURYACITTA ON BBC RADIO JANUARY 2016 

 

It seems to me that whenever I listen to the news, read a newspaper a good portion of the news is somebody blaming somebody else. To me, it looks like the art of politics is who can blame the other party most eloquently. 

 

One day I was sitting in a traffic jam in a city in the UK, which let me tell you is a common thing in my country, when I noticed to my left on the pavement a woman walking along and texting. 

 

Nothing wrong with this of course, and there is no judgement here of the woman, as most of us do this, but what I also noticed is that she was leaning forward and rushing. Which again most of us do.