Good Morning!
Today’s mindfulness practice can be thought of as the “look before you leap” practice. Being effective means being the person we would like to be and achieving the things you want to achieve through the right means. Sometimes there are things in our way that block us. Sometimes there are people that interfere with what we want at any given time. Sometimes it is an emotion hovering over us (like fear or sadness) that interferes with an action we want to take.
For today’s mindfulness, you will be taking a walk. If you are alone, you should walk where you live… in a place with shoes on the floor and furniture around you. If you are with others, you will need to be mindful to walk while keeping 6 feet around you. The task is to observe before each step, taking note of any obstacles. If there is a shoe in your way, gently pick it up without resentment. Embrace the task of moving it. If you think of the person who left it there and think it should not be there, notice that is a judgment and bring yourself back to gently removing obstacles and moving about for 5 minutes. You need to continue to breathe and feel your feet connecting to the floor, but your task is to look before you step, notice anything in your path and move it or move around it without judgment. Ready?
So stand, set a timer for 5 minutes, Breathe deeply, and begin…
Now that you are finished, take a moment to reflect on your experience. How much did obstacles irritate you? Were you able to move them gently with care? When my children were small there were little Thomas the Train trains and tracks scattered. No matter how many times I picked them up, I would turn and step on another hard wooden train. I made it my mindfulness practice for that time, to fully bend, to pick them up, and put them in place with care, instead of resentment. What did it do? It helped to notice, to be connected, and to be effective even in times when I wished obstacles were not present.
There is a skill from DBT that was developed to help people remember to observe and notice things in and around them, and to take a moment before acting, in order to proceed wisely with care…It is called the STOP Skill. It was developed in the lab of Marsha Linehan, the developer of DBT. See this diagram for using the STOP Skill.
Throughout the day today, try to use this process and proceed gently with care towards yourself and those around you. If you are stuck and cannot motivate or do not know how to proceed use the S, T and O steps as long as you need. Recall this morning’s practice and act wisely to get you towards your goals or to live the values you would like to exemplify.
Be well.
Michele
