Great topic! I find mindfulness to be very grounding. In this reality, today, this day, this moment is truly all we have. This helps me so much to stay focused, grateful and present. Meditation and yoga have been incredibly helpful for me in staying present and simmering my anxiety. I really feel it when I miss yoga for any length of time. (Old record alert…) I do yin yoga, which is a restorative yoga, you hold the poses longer
…it is so helpful for stretching and slowing down the body and the mind. I cannot recommend it enough. You can practice is free at home…look for 15 or 20 minute restorative yin yoga on YouTube. Okay, plus for yin over.
You may also find the writings and books of Pema Chodrun and Thich Nhat Hahn helpful, specifically The Miracle of Mindfulness, Peace Is Every Step, You Are Here and Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change, (might be helpful as well for @Steve92 it is about anxiety).
As I have been approaching 60 and experiencing more losses, I am grateful for each day I wake up and more so…wake up sober. What a privilege it is.
Something I need to remind myself of (see my response to @Mobius). I get wrapped up in my routine and schedule — which is a good thing, the structure and discipline was the cornerstone of pulling my life from the gutter — but somewhere along the line, doing things for pure fun and enjoyment fell out of my list of priorities. I gotta work on that. Hopefully this upcoming vacation can help with that.
I actually have a copy of “Peace Is Every Step”! Just never finished it. Gah, I really need to get better at finishing books
I watched this fantastic video last night about this amazing girl who is 18 and dying of cystic fibrosis. Oh man, my eyes were wet during that video! This girl is vibrant and more alive than I’ve seen most anyone be! She doesn’t think about what’s coming. She keeps her family in check with that also when they get sad. She tells them but I am here right now and this moment is great! Stop worrying. Live life right now because this is all we are guaranteed. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it, but man, how inspiring!
I know a lot of folks like that and certainly had my years of soldiering on as well. I love structure in my sober life, it helped me get where I am at, but I also get joy out of all the little moments in life. Sometimes we need reminders of this. To that end, we keep a jar on the kitchen counter for Happy Things …when something makes me smile…small or big things …a butterfly, sunny day, skype with grandson, good nights sleep, a delicious mango, bicycling trip, visiting a sick friend, didn’t get a ticket, hurricane passed us by, saw some deer, a good book…whatever it is that resonates, we write it on a little slip of paper and put it in the jar. Every January we go thru the jar and read all the notes together. We have been doing since 2012 and it really is a wonderful small way of reminding myself to appreciate all that life offers. And one year when my husband had only put in about 4 things, well, that was a rough year for him and spurred him and me to be more mindful.
Just wanted to pass on that suggestion. It is free and simple and a healthy habit.
Feeling the need to avoid the “this sucks” threads more and more lately. I’m feeling so happy and well right now that I find them to be unexpectedly negatively impacting my mood. I don’t know if I’m having a hard time relating or if I’m moving on to a better place but I feel like living in the past via others’ experiences isn’t helpful for me, personally. Is this normal?
I am learning to practice positivity and gratitude with better ease and my eyes and heart are starting to see life in a new light that I am really enjoying.
Today I am grateful for simply being happy and enjoying to peace and solitude, as well as accomplishment, of painting the interior of an historic home that is currently being restored.
