Mindfulness Challenges

Deeper Meaning Behind Oxygen and Water

You might well be wondering why it so useful and productive and helpful to stop three times a day and take three breaths. We are always thinking, not only when are awake, but when we are asleep. We are pondering past pains and past traumas, trying to make sense out of how in the world those traumas could have occurred. We are planning future events; the next ten minutes, the next day, the next week, the next year. We are, as it turns out, focusing our attention either on the past or on the future and not where life is really at––the present.

We never, as it turns out, really give our thinking minds a break. You are probably thinking,

“But I sleep and my mind rests then.”

I am afraid not my friends. When we sleep we dream. Our minds are actually more active when we are asleep than we are awake. We may not remember the thinking that occurred when we were asleep, but I assure you our minds are overly-active when we sleep.

The question then becomes:

When do we really ever give our thinking minds a break, a rest?

Some people who have acclimated themselves to doing daily meditations are able to give their minds a rest. This number of individuals is clearly in the minority. There is a formidable difficulty with beginning to try and practice meditation using breath as the focus. What is this difficulty? The mind begins to get scared and frightened, thinking that we’re about to undo its purpose.

The mind then will convince you that you are not doing it right, or that others are forcing you to do something you really don’t want to do. So, you stop meditating. The underlying meaning then of taking just three breaths here and there throughout the day is to trick your mind (and your subconscious) into becoming acclimated to the pleasure of taking a short rest now and then.

The mind actually does like to rest, so we simply invite it to do so over the course of just 20 or 30 seconds throughout the day. It’s a way to begin a mindfulness meditation practice, if that happens to be the direction you are interested in pursuing.

Three breaths also give you oxygen. If you really monitor how much you breath, I think you’ll be quite amazed to discover that there are periods of time when there is very little if any breath coming into your body. If your cells don’t get oxygen, you certainly aren’t going to have very much energy. Taking three breaths each day at least three times throughout the day will actually enhance your energy level. Think about adding a glass of water to that particular activity and you’ll bolster your energy level five-fold.

Three breaths, three times a day.

It is free to do.
It is easy to do.
It is relaxing.
It is enjoyable.

And why not add a sip of water for an extra energy boost. It will not have the side effects of energy drinks!

This simple act shifts your attention to that deeper place of profound and genuine healing––the place where it is possible to reverse neurological symptoms that are being aggravated by an over-active neurological system. Becoming more mindful means that you are aware of all of the senses––smelling, hearing, tastes, sights. When all of your energy resides in your head – from your thinking self – it is very challenging indeed to access all of the other senses.

Three breaths takes you to a place where you are able to activate an awareness of your immediate surroundings as you notice the:

Colors,
Sounds,
Sights,
Smells,
Sensations.

It takes you away from a place in our minds where we tend to live all of our lives. Enrich your life; give your body an opportunity to reverse those neurological symptoms by taking three simple breaths several times a day.

Robert

Oxygen and Water

There is no doubt about it. When neurological symptoms flare we all furiously begin to search for options that offer the promise of quick relief. We furiously engage our minds to understand what is causing the symptoms. We eagerly search for options that provide temporary relief or even reverse the symptoms.

In other words, we are continuously in our minds

Thinking
Thinking
Thinking

Each and every moment of our waking lives. True healing lies in a place that resides deep inside the cells of our body – not in our minds. How do we access this unique gateway to healing? Two options are sure bets.

The first is to hydrate your body; to hydrate your cells. Many people do not drink enough water. The second is to breath, to give those cells oxygen.

These two therapies are both simple. They are free. They are easy to do. You can activate each of these therapies at any point in time during the day. No doctor is required to write a prescription. These two approaches will potentially yield enormous returns if practiced on a regular basis.

My invitation for you this week is quite simple. Several times during the day, especially when you are having negative and hurtful thoughts that are rattling through your mind over and over, stop. Take three breaths as deep as is comfortable for each one.

When you breath allow yourself, just for a moment, to become aware of colors, sounds, touches and smells; all of which we are often ignorant of when we are in our heads. Take three long and delicious breaths, at least three different times during the day.

Stop. Take a slow breath in and out.
Take a second breath in and out.
Take a third breath in and out.

Then, take a sip of water. I am talking here a simple task that will consume no more than 20 or 30 seconds, three times a day.

Notice how everything shifts. Notice how your awareness deepens; how you reach that place deep inside your cells, the place of true and genuine and profound healing. This is the place where neurological symptoms are reversed. No money is required. No prescription is needed. Simply practice breathing and sipping water three times––three times a day.

Robert

Deeper Meaning Behind Being Mindful of Distractors

What is the underlying meaning of the assignment this week to be more attentive to all words and expressions of distraction? Words of distraction actually deflate the effectiveness of the intent that we wish to convey. How many times have you listened to a person talk who used so many qualifiers that you held the thought,

“Can’t you just get the point? I really can’t wait another 5 minutes for you to be able to use the words that I need to hear to understand what it is that you are actually saying.”

When we use many qualifying utterances in the sentences that we speak to others, our thoughts are not taken seriously. People in the public arena practice talking so that they don’t use qualifiers and distractors. They well know that their audience will stop listening after a couple of sentences if their sentences are filled with words like “uh,” and “well” and “what I mean is…”

There’s another much more important reason to become mindful of qualifiers that you inject when you talk. You are using these same qualifiers when you think about the possibility of recovery. I, as you know, interview hundreds of people every year about their thoughts with regard to recovery.

I often ask the question,

“So how is fairing, how is it looking for you?”

The answers that I hear are clues about the real intent the person has set for recovery. For example, I’m going to now paraphrase some of what I have heard over the last six years:

“Well, you know, the doctor says that it’s really not going to be possible, so of course, you know, I’m going to him for a long time and I know, um, that well, he’s you know, pretty prestigious guy, he’s, you know, well, he’s at a really, I mean, uh, a really good university and I, well you know, I–I really got the best man, and–and, that I could possibly get. And so, I don’t know, I just hope that uh, well, I don’t know, I just hope that down the rod that uh, I guess if I could just not get–get worse, I mean, you know. You know that would be really–that’s I’m like, well, like, I mean that’s what really, that’s what I guess in the end I’d like–I’d like to see.”

Maybe you think this is an exaggeration, but I assure you it is not. When people respond, there are qualifications that are embedded in how they express themselves. There are a string of distracting terms that take away from their true intention to recover. Contrast that response with the following, the question:

“How do you see the prospects for your recovery now?”

Here’s the answer:

“I’m recovering everyday – there’s no doubt about it.”

End of story. That’s it. That is all there is to the answer. That is the gist of the intention. No qualifying terms and needed or necessary. Contrast this response with:

“Well, yeah, you know, um, well, the way it turns out is I think all things considered, probably, you know, well, what people – what a lot of people really say is that they, they think I’m probably better, that I’m recovering and, you know, I don’t know, I don’t know exactly, well, I’d say, yeah, I’d probably, yeah, I’m recov–I do have, well, like everyone I have, you know, I have, I have bad–some bad days here and there, but I guess I’m–I’m probably, yeah, I’m probably recovering. I–I guess, yep, I suppose that’s right.”

Now, I don’t know how you felt about the contrast of those two responses but in just speaking them, it is profound for me. In the second response I am full of reservation and hesitation. I quite frankly do not have the true intent to take the action that is needed and required to be able to begin to reverse my symptoms.

In the very first statement there is absolutely no doubt but that in my heart, mind and soul and in every cell of my body I have set the intention to take whatever action is needed to reverse my symptoms and become symptom-free.

I am ready to live my life.
I am ready to actualize my passion.
I am ready to activate my life force.

There is a huge difference between the two statements. The first statement facilitates movement into that space of full power – that place where the intention for recovery is fully and completely activated.

It helps enormously to begin noticing all of the qualifiers that you use when you talk to anyone about anything. And, of course, as you begin to notice those qualifiers – as you talk out loud to others – those unconscious expressions of doubt and hesitation are the very same qualifiers that you are using when you talk to yourself about reversing your symptoms. .

Let me know conclude with another contrast, a contrast with a statement that is full distractions and a final salutation that is not:

“So, uh, okay everybody out there. So, you know, well, this is Robert and well, I just it’s been kind of–it’s, you know, everyone says it’s been fun for me to do these and I know kind of like a–like everybody out there, you know, like, you know, you’re listening and I, uh, so uh, you know I know that you probably uh, probably like this one, I don’t know. And I really, I don’t know whether you like, eh, shoot, I really I don’t know whether you really liked it or not, but–but I did, you know, you know I thought it was, I–this was fun. Yeah, but there’s no–yep, yeah, uh-huh, this was yep, no doubt about it. This was, this was just a whole lot of fun and anyway, so, uh this, uh, this is uh, Parkinsons Recovery and uh, I’m Robert and so, you know, like uh, have a really good week.

Now, let me see if I can contrast a very different salutation; a way that we can end our connection with one another today:

“I have fully and completely relished thinking about what I might assign to you as a challenge this week. I have been thrilled at the challenge I gave myself. I have found it fun and challenging. I know that you will also enjoy the experience. Have fun. Be challenged. Don’t get too frustrated. Whatever you do, have a wonderful time. I am Robert Rodgers and this is Parkinsons Recovery.

There is a big difference between the two for me as I speak. How about you?

Robert

Distractors

My challenge for you this week promises to be totally and completely fun and, at the same time, totally and completely frustrating. My invitation is for you to begin hearing and acknowledging all of the qualifiers that you use when you talk. Hear qualifiers when you speak like “uh,” “so” for example.

The most common utterance used in the English language is “uh.” When you say “uh” or when you say, “so…” or when you say “what I mean is…” you are creating distractions from what it is that you truly intend for the listener to hear. You are distracting yourself from your true intent and you are distracting your listeners.

When I began the Parkinsons Recovery radio program, it took some months to become familiar with how my voice sounded to me when I edited the recordings. What I heard was not what I was accustomed to hearing when I talk. The true surprise as it turns out was the many, many qualifiers that I use when I talk. Quite frankly, I was shocked.

I began counting the number of “uhh…uhh…uhs” that I used when I talked and I was flabbergasted. What I’d like to invite you to do is to begin noticing as you talk how many qualifiers you use when you speak.

A second invitation which has the promise to be quite fun is to engage a family member or friend in this particular challenge. Ask them for a day, an evening or an afternoon to catch each and every qualifier that you use. Of course you could ask them to be very specific and to alert you as to when you use a very specific qualifier like “uh,” or you could simply ask them to raise a finger every time you use any particular phrase that they believe is a qualifier.

Instead of alerting you each time you could ask a family member or friend to make a secret count. For example, as you begin dinnertime they could see how many qualifiers you have used they can tally up by the end of the meal.

Please don’t be overwhelmed by this assignment, because if this is all you are mindful about, it could potentially drive you nuts. Again, I was personally shocked by what I discovered when I began listening to myself on the radio show.

Another possibility you may want to consider is to record yourself when you actually talk, even in casual conversations and then listen to the recording afterward. It is likely you will discover just as I did that you do use many qualifiers when you talk. This week, then, become mindful of all of those distracting words — those unnecessary words — that add nothing to your true intent. Notice those distractions when you converse with another person. Include in this challenge certain profanity words that really do not add to the point that you are intending to make (unless of course they help to emphasize your meaning!).

Have fun and please do not be completely frustrated with this. I hope you find it to be an exhilarating assignment which invites to become much more mindful of each and every word that you speak. Your thoughts are precious to others and to yourself. Treat them as such.

Robert