“But I feel worse after mindfulness,” many a client have told me in hushed tones.
Because that’s whateveryoneseems to be sayingthat the ego has dissolved, and their head is at peace.
And so that’s what they feel compelled to echo.
That’s not to say all mindfulness or meditation is all bad.
What’s clear is that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all magic bullet.
Why things go wrong.
They’d go dark.
As your thoughts become clearer, it’s as if you’ve upgraded from low-resolution to high-resolution.
Butzou huo ru mocan set in as you start to chase that clarity during your spiritual or mindfulness practice.
This causes ourchito move in the wrong direction.
In Chinese philosophy and medicine,chirefers to our life force or the flow of energy in our bodies.
But sometimes we engage in a spiritual or physical practice that gets our chi moving the wrong way.
Also, when our thoughts wander, we’re likelier to movechiin the wrong direction.
Are you incorporating mindandbody?
Traditionally, Chinese spiritual and martial arts arerooted in practice, Lim tells me.
And you have to involveboththe mind and body concurrently in any form of practice.
“These movements must be so painful and difficult that your mind has no choice but to focus.
Over time, the mind and body become one.
Andthisis when we can start sitting meditation.
So what does this mean for the 11 out of 12 people who don’t report adverse effects?
As some have disclosed, they were merely keeping them to themselves.
Are you breathing correctly?
I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of mindful breathing.
Whenever we are anxious, our fear center hijacks our higher brains.
So we re-experience the past, often down to the sights, sounds, and smells.
When we’re stressed or triggered, we often hold our breaths or suck in our tummies.
Think also how we often tell each other to “Breathe in!
Suck in your belly!”
when we want a particularly flattering photo.
Unsurprisingly, when we are told to breathe inconsciously, we do the same.
It also triggers hyperventilation.
It’s little wonder we feel worse.
Now, amplify that by 7,200 times.
As long as we are breathingcorrectly.
When you breathe in, you fill your belly with air, inflating it like a balloon.
And when you breathe out, you empty your body of air.
What’s your mindfulness environment?
“I meditate for two hours every day.
I hear these statements all the time.
Or perhaps some of us have shorter attention spans.
Three breaths, when done correctly, is what my clients call a “resetting miracle.”
Stanford behavioral psychologist B.J.
They end up doing them all.
The idea being, break a task down to something so stupidly easy you’ll do it.
Three breaths is the mental fitness equivalent of “floss one tooth.”
And know that you have permission to stay far away from anyone who virtue signals or shames you.
The bottom line.
Any craft that you engage in for better health, spiritual growth, or discipline requires discernment.
This means doing it correctly, down to mastering the fundamentals.
In the case of mindfulness, it’s about breathing correctly and incorporating mindandbody.
And, for any successful behavior change, we have to be equally mindful of our environment.
In that light, be mindful of who you allow into your life and head space!
