OUR FOUR CAR TRAIN
Our body, emotions, mind, and will, are like train cars. When one car goes off the track, the other three jump the track also.
Do you want a simple, but effective way to keep your self "on track?"
The secret rests with how you manage your body (stress), emotions, mind, and will/desires.
It's fair to say that a great challenge in life is learning to manage the reactions of the four parts of us so that we stay aware and present to the moment--mindful.
Imagine executing, at regular intervals during the day, a 30 second exercise where you are reminded to bring your mind to the present moment and relax.
SOME EXAMPLES
- You're at a business meeting and you remember to be present, so you take 30 seconds to scan your body, discovering that your jaw is tight and your mind is racing because soon it will be your turn to speak... so you take three deep breaths and relax your jaw, neck, and shoulders. In this case, you manage your body and get all your "cars" back on track
Or, it is breakfast time. You are eating your toast and feeling anxious about your teenager who broke curfew last night. Right then you are reminded to come back to the present moment. So you stop, label what your emotions (fear and anger) and spend the next 30 seconds breathing and relaxing your body. In this example, instead of going off the track with anxiety and anger, you interrupt that negative emotion, let go of it and shift to a more productive way of handling the situation.
- While you're talking to a friend, you remind yourself to take some slow breaths, quiet your mind, and stop your thinking about the time you have to get back home. Instead, and you're prompted to just listen to him/her. What do you think will happen? What do you think will change within and outside yourself? For sure, you will be more intimate and available with this friend.
-Your partner is criticizing you. You want to get away and avoid an argument at any cost. Instead, you take some deep breaths and remind yourself to speak the truth with kindness.Your desire to resolve the problem is greater than your need to be right. Quietly you ask him or her to listen to your side of the story.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO DO
It is probably hard to do this 30-second exercise every minute of the day; however, doing it every hour may not be farfetched.
Is this too much? Can you take 30 seconds to scan yourself and bring your mind back to the moment you are presently living and experiencing?
It is true that sometimes things come at us so fast and furious they cannot be easily managed. However, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain if we train ourselves to manage our body, emotions, mind, and desires well.
SOME TIPS
Here are some tips to help you get the best out of every 30-second exercise:
- Body: Pay attention to your posture and if there is tension somewhere. Use slow deep breaths to manage your tensions
- Emotions: Identify if you are angry, sad, frustrated, happy, calm, stressed, etc. Research shows that just labeling the an emotions takes away some of its power.
- Thoughts: Recognize that you are stewing, rehashing, or making up hurtful ideas and pictures in your mind. Are you dwelling in the past or lost in the future? Use this as a cue to look for possibilities options, and strengths instead.
- Will/Desires: Where are you? Are you trying inappropriately to avoid or control a person, thing, or problem? Here's hint. Looking for the truth of the situation with compassion for yourself and others will always make things better in the long run..
After checking these 4 things, take a deep breath. You're done. Remember, if you get one train car back on track the other three will get on track, too.
No one can force you to do this exercise; there is no sense in that. You must set an intention to do it for a day, every hour of that day, to see what happens... believe me, it is worth it!
Our body, emotions, mind, and will, are like train cars. When one car goes off the track, the other three jump the track also.
Do you want a simple, but effective way to keep your self "on track?"
The secret rests with how you manage your body (stress), emotions, mind, and will/desires.
It's fair to say that a great challenge in life is learning to manage the reactions of the four parts of us so that we stay aware and present to the moment--mindful.
Imagine executing, at regular intervals during the day, a 30 second exercise where you are reminded to bring your mind to the present moment and relax.
SOME EXAMPLES
- You're at a business meeting and you remember to be present, so you take 30 seconds to scan your body, discovering that your jaw is tight and your mind is racing because soon it will be your turn to speak... so you take three deep breaths and relax your jaw, neck, and shoulders. In this case, you manage your body and get all your "cars" back on track
Or, it is breakfast time. You are eating your toast and feeling anxious about your teenager who broke curfew last night. Right then you are reminded to come back to the present moment. So you stop, label what your emotions (fear and anger) and spend the next 30 seconds breathing and relaxing your body. In this example, instead of going off the track with anxiety and anger, you interrupt that negative emotion, let go of it and shift to a more productive way of handling the situation.
- While you're talking to a friend, you remind yourself to take some slow breaths, quiet your mind, and stop your thinking about the time you have to get back home. Instead, and you're prompted to just listen to him/her. What do you think will happen? What do you think will change within and outside yourself? For sure, you will be more intimate and available with this friend.
-Your partner is criticizing you. You want to get away and avoid an argument at any cost. Instead, you take some deep breaths and remind yourself to speak the truth with kindness.Your desire to resolve the problem is greater than your need to be right. Quietly you ask him or her to listen to your side of the story.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO DO
It is probably hard to do this 30-second exercise every minute of the day; however, doing it every hour may not be farfetched.
Is this too much? Can you take 30 seconds to scan yourself and bring your mind back to the moment you are presently living and experiencing?
It is true that sometimes things come at us so fast and furious they cannot be easily managed. However, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain if we train ourselves to manage our body, emotions, mind, and desires well.
SOME TIPS
Here are some tips to help you get the best out of every 30-second exercise:
- Body: Pay attention to your posture and if there is tension somewhere. Use slow deep breaths to manage your tensions
- Emotions: Identify if you are angry, sad, frustrated, happy, calm, stressed, etc. Research shows that just labeling the an emotions takes away some of its power.
- Thoughts: Recognize that you are stewing, rehashing, or making up hurtful ideas and pictures in your mind. Are you dwelling in the past or lost in the future? Use this as a cue to look for possibilities options, and strengths instead.
- Will/Desires: Where are you? Are you trying inappropriately to avoid or control a person, thing, or problem? Here's hint. Looking for the truth of the situation with compassion for yourself and others will always make things better in the long run..
After checking these 4 things, take a deep breath. You're done. Remember, if you get one train car back on track the other three will get on track, too.
No one can force you to do this exercise; there is no sense in that. You must set an intention to do it for a day, every hour of that day, to see what happens... believe me, it is worth it!
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