This is about the final week (week 7) of the mindfulness course I did.
I definitely noticed this week that I have established a formal mindfulness practice habit. When I don't do it, I miss it. As well as continuing to formally practice mindfulness meditations this week, we were asked to reflect on what we had learned about ourselves and mindfulness over the past 50 days. You can read about my MBSR takeways here Tonight was our last meeting and the atmosphere in the room was different. I guess this was to be expected. In a sense it feels like an ending. From now on we are flying solo and each of us must choose whether, and how, to continue.
We must ask ourselves if after 50 days we are sufficiently committed to mindfulness to continue formal practice alone.
There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results (Kenneth Blanchard)
Meditations We did a long seated Awareness of Breath meditation followed by the Body Scan. Combining meditations and being mindful for longer definitely has a greater calming effect on me. I felt very still when we stopped. We followed this with Mindful Walking, something I had not experienced before. We walked in circles – fast around the outside of the room, slowly in the middle. I tried a few steps in the outside ring but it didn't sit with my inner sense of calm so I started walking in the centre of room alone. I gave my attention to the sensation of walking and enjoyed feeling my feet roll through slow stepping. I got lost in it. Commitment
We all shared our future intentions with regards to mindfulness going forward. I will repeat each MBSR week, review the notes and use that week's meditation. I will formally practice each morning before work on weekdays. I will practice Mindful Movement (taichi) on weekends as well as a short awareness of breath meditation. I will take time in each day to pause, breathe and connect with the present. I will find ways to share the benefits of mindfulness with others.
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